The company, which owns seven locations in the region, later apologized for the email, but not before blowback on social media.

“Temple does not allow the use of masks in our cafes as it violates the dress code” states the memo, which was sent on Wednesday. It goes on to read that if employees find themselves “unable to work your normal schedule for any reason, please reach out to the California Employment Development Department.”

The email added that gloves are allowed “as long as they do not interfere with your job responsibilities.”

Temple apologized for the email on social media Thursday morning.

“The email should not have been sent out and was not approved by Temple Operations. It is not a reflection of any of our procedures and policies currently in place. Its contents were inexcusable, and we sincerely apologize,” it read.

An employee who spoke to CapRadio, but who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing their job, says a colleague was wearing a mask on Wednesday, but was directed by a manager to remove it.

The employee refused, according to the worker, and was written up. The memo was sent out the same afternoon.

Phone calls, emails and messages to Temple Coffee and its owner Sean Kohmescher have not yet been returned.

Kelly Hill was education director for Temple up until last year. She says she was surprised by the email. “It was never part of the written dress code to address a face mask,” Hill said. “Obviously it wasn’t something we really had to worry about in the past.”

Hill and the employee who spoke to CapRadio both say they have spoken with or seen some employees wearing masks at Temple locations during the pandemic.

Some customers were surprised by the email. “I was really shocked that such a big company, such a well-known company locally, would do something like that. I thought they would care more,” said Robyn Colburn, who commented about the email on the Facebook post.

Colburn questions how sincere the apology is, but says she’s willing to give the coffee company another chance.

“The bottom line is they’re allowing their employees to wear protective equipment like masks,” she said. “That’s what matters in the end.”

Sacramento and Yolo counties currently do not have orders from public health departments requiring people to wear masks.

“We are definitely looking at it,” said Sacramento County Health Officer Olivia Kasirye.

She said the county is looking at cases and patient numbers, and that it wants to “make sure that the masks are available in the places where we need them, which is the health care facilities and the long term care facilities.“

Many restaurants and grocery stores do not require employees or customers to wear masks.

Others, like Nugget Market in Sacramento, require face coverings for both employees and shoppers.

In Yuba and Sutter counties, there are orders in place for anyone entering or working in a government building to cover their face, and a recommendation for people to wear masks when out in public.

In Southern California, Riverside County has made face coverings mandatory, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has said that all Los Angeles residents should wear face coverings.