To those of you who are quarantined/working from home right now... What choice would you make if you were an essential worker?

[MasterYoshi]

Would you continue going to work, even if you knew the odds of being exposed were far greater than the odds of you being safe?

Would you quit the job? Would you quit your job no matter how much tenure you had, or if your health benefits were through your employer?


Everything is so fucked right now. I go back to work tomorrow after missing 3 days of work with a sinus infection that was worrying the fuck out of me. I'm the head of a department with 7 people working under me, looking to me to lead them through this. I'm honestly afraid right now.

I have 3 children, 10, 3 and 2 years old. My fianceé is working in another department at the same major grocery chain, 40 hours a week. I'm trying to convince myself that I'm being irrational, but I do fear this job could literally kill me, my fianceé, or my children through me or her. I know that children are extremely resilient to this virus. I also know I am at a fairly safer age at 30 years old. My fianceé is 27, so she is also more than likely okay. I just fear that we catch this shit and get sick enough that we need some of the limited supplies at the local hospital, and end up dying from the fucking surge.

It doesn't help reading stories of seemingly healthy people around my age or younger dying from this virus.

Everything is just so fucked right now.

 

[chefbags]

I'm an essential worker (Amazon warehouse ) and while I don't have family like yourself I do live with my mom who is a high risk and currently taking chemotherapy.

I found out yesterday my building has a case and specifically the department i work at and while I need to provide money I just can't risk it to bring it home. I'm just hoping to see if I can be furloughed and able to file for unemployment in a week or so.

 

[MasterYoshi]

I'm an essential worker (Amazon warehouse ) and while I don't have family like yourself I do live with my mom who is a high risk and currently taking chemotherapy.

I found out yesterday my building has a case and while I need to provide money I just can't risk it to bring it home. I'm just hoping to see if I can be furloughed and able to file for unemployment in a week or so.

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So many people being forced into this box, living with high risk friends or relatives. Everything is just so fucked.

 

[chefbags]

So many people being forced into this box, living with high risk friends or relatives. Everything is just so fucked.

Click to shrink...

Yeah I feel you, my department manager didn't even tell us about it till a few days after they confirmed it themselves. I'm just glad I was off the last 2 weeks.

This is just a shitty situation to be in.

 

[Faenix1]

I'm a seasonal worker that bags Grass Seed and was some how deemed "essential". (I still don't see how, but.. greedy bitches)

I was basically given the option, take an unpaid lay off if I'm uncomfortable or stay. From what I can see, only three or four people took the layoff. I decided to take the lay off for two weeks, I'll see about extending it further if it's not any better after another week and a half. Not about to risk getting it and giving it to my mother (I live at home cause I can't afford to live on my own)

 

[electricblue]

depends on how they are protecting me (PPE), compensating me (money, time off)
if either one was substandard i'm out

 

[CreepingFear]

Okay, I just started a new IT job this week where I technically could be working from home. It's mostly calls, tickets, and emails. The hospital that I worked for deemed my job essential for on campus. I need to work for the health care and the money. I have 50k to my name. That money would go real quick living in Southern California, if I quit. On the plus side, the job will have me working 2nd shift or 230-11. Hopefully, that will allow me to get early morning interviews to find a better IT job so that I can quit this one. With the current quarantine though, it's unlikely to happen any time soon. A lot of companies have freezed hiring. I worry every day about getting infected and giving it to my mother, who happens to be my roomate. If I give it to her and something happens to her, I will commit suicide.

 

[bionic77]

When I was younger I would stupidly assume it couldn't hurt me and I would have just shown up to work.

The older me wouldn't do it unless it was in a desperate situation.

It really sucks that people have to be in these situations. Especially health care professionals. I am worried for any of my friends who work in hospitals.

 

[The Albatross]

If I was an essential worker id continue going to my work because I'm essential.

But there's also a lot of non essential workers that have essential status.

 

[Darth Karja]

I'm an essential worker, and I said fuck this, and applied for FMLA and short term disability last week. I have some medical problems that out me at high risk, so I wanted to get out of there before it gets too bad in my area.

 

[Bad_Boy]

Im "essential" but would quit if i could.

Bills man. Bills. And i still need a job when this is all over with.

 

[Rhaknar]

im not an essencial worker and im still going to work until they lay me off I guess, I have bills to pay, I cant afford to go "nah dawg im good" to my employer :/

 

[Deleted member 12790]

I'm an essential worker (Amazon warehouse ) and while I don't have family like yourself I do live with my mom who is a high risk and currently taking chemotherapy.

I found out yesterday my building has a case and specifically the department i work at and while I need to provide money I just can't risk it to bring it home. I'm just hoping to see if I can be furloughed and able to file for unemployment in a week or so.

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I don't blame you at all, I wouldn't go either. Best of luck with your mom.

 

[Sunster]

lmao i work at domino's pizza and they gave us forms to carry around saying we're essential workers in case cops stop us. i have the means to go on leave so that's what i did. no reason to be putting myself and others at risk being out there running deliveries 8 hours a night

 

[Tmonster]

Some jobs need to get done. I work in a prison, I know its a matter of time until i catch it but it is essential to the community for us to show up and keep these guys locked up.

 

[Soriku]

I'm working from home but if I had to go in, I'd probably just bounce. At least at this point.

 

[BassForever]

I'd try and request a transfer to an overnight stocking position if I worked in a grocery store.

 

[chefbags]

I don't blame you at all, I wouldn't go either. Best of luck with your mom.

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Thank you, I appreciate it man.

 

[BLEEN]

Continue working while filing for being underemployed. Should be a 3rd option lol it's many peoples' situations.

 

[RedMercury]

What are you going to do, if you quit your job you're fucked after unemployment runs out, there's no guarantee you'd get as good a job again. My wife is a nurse, I hate that she still has to work but at the same time if every nurse said they didn't want to what would happen?

 

[BLEEN]

im not an essencial worker and im still going to work until they lay me off I guess, I have bills to pay, I cant afford to go "nah dawg im good" to my employer :/

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Look into the stimulus package a bit, there's something for everyone in it. Time is the issue tho.

 

[ninnanuam]

My job is essential. They are trying to set stuff up so we can work from home but the way my management is talking they can't do it for everyone. I got asked if I was in one of the at risk categories so it's likely they those spots will go to those people.

My job is sensitive as well, adding a layer of required privacy, so I can't just access everything from home anyway.

I'm not considering quitting. I am a bit worried about catching it on public transport but I should be pretty ok at work.

I'm not in one of the high risk categories, I'll take precautions but if I end up with it I'll hopefully be ok, I do have plenty of sick days owing to me so if I get it my income should be fine.

I can't visit my mum due to restrictions anyway and she is the only person I know that is high risk.

 

[TheGhost]

If I was an essential employee likes a nurse, cop, firefighter, doctor or EMT?

I would continue doing what I've been doing the past 10 years and that's my job saving people.

If I worked in a grocery store? I would quit.

 

[tormented]

My company is considered essential (work in aerospace manufacturing) but luckily my department doesn't have to be physically be on site. I would probably be able to go in if asked, since I can't afford to be jobless atm, but I wouldn't like it. Especially considering if I ever got it, I would most likely give it to my wife too, and she has pre-existing respiratory issues (mostly mild, but I'd rather not think about what would happen if she were to get it).

 

[IconGrist]

The company I work for shut down quite a bit of its business. I'm a manager in an essential business and have been "on call" for about 2 weeks now but haven't worked a day and still being paid my normal salary as well as everyone who works under me. Supposedly heading back to work soon but we have procedures in place (and a few others I'll implement outside of policy) to mitigate risk. I live alone and don't really socialize but my employees are very important to me and are somewhat high risk so I'll be full on germaphobe once we all return. Mainly just to keep them and myself as healthy as possible. The company has treated us all very well and none of us have any intention of leaving.

 

[Deleted member 8741]

Too many factors:

How much do I feel like the risk is worth it? (My wife feels like it's a calling to do her work, so she goes as much as possible)

How wealthy am I?

How quickly can I get another job?

How at risk am I?

What protective gear am I allowed?

What health conditions do I have?

All of these matter.

 

[Ashhong]

It really is fucked. I am (barely) an essential worker and I don't live with my parents so I am just continuing to go into work. What other option is there? Quit and worry about a job in a few months? Use up all of my PTO for God knows how long? The only choice is to continue working and hope for the best.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I'm an essential worker in a field position and no I am not quitting. I live by myself with my dog. And there is no guarantee what the job industry is like after this whole ordeal. A company continuing operations that isn't directly increasing in workers temporarily and work increase isn't related to the current crisis that can continue post covid aftermath is a job I need to hold on to.

 

[BasilZero]

I'm already an essential worker (IT Infrastructure for a company that works with Oil, Gas, etc).

I'm the only one in my house hold working so I dont really have a choice.


On the bright side...I get to work from home every other week (starting tomorrow).

 

[Tigress]

I am essential as a pet store clerk (I can see an arguement for it at least). I've asked to reduce my hours by a lot so I can still keep my job and reduce my risk. Thing is not sure they'll let me keep reduced hours after they re open a section (right nowy manager has people from the closed section working core so he can do without me) which they apparently plan to do next week. I'd like to be working reduced hours for at least two more weeks cause this is definitely not over).

I'd quit my job except I like who I work for and even more important, once everything is said and done, a lot of people are going to be looking for work and I don't want to put myself in that situation.

 

[louiedog]

My work is essential but fortunately doesn't require me to really interact with people. I saw less than 10 people today and only two of them got within 20 ft of me. I've also only spent about 8 hours there in the last week.

 

[hitme]

I'm an essential worker but doesn't deal with the public. My company has been absolutely wonderful to us knowing others aren't in a similar position as us which I'm very thankful for.

 

[TheMango55]

I'm essential but we have stopped seeing the public, so it's not too big of a deal.

 

[PrivateWHudson]

I'm doing a bit of both. Work in a data center doing break/fix, so not much of that can be done from home. That said, our manager has put the five of us on a different day of the week, so we do what we can from home, and any in person repairs are handled by the guy that has that's in the DC that day. Everyone coming in has to take their temperature before going through security. Knock on wood, they've been pretty good to us so far.

 

[mernst23]

I'm a utility worker in a control center so yea, no working from home for me. What is really pissing me off is that we haven't scaled back work at all. Non-essential work is going full force because they dont want to pay people "to do nothing." It's going to get people killed.

 

[Rhaknar]

Look into the stimulus package a bit, there's something for everyone in it. Time is the issue tho.

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why do you assume I'm in America?

we don't have anything like that here. Here, Government is paying 70% of 66% of your paycheck if you're laid off (basically if you are laid off your salary is reduced to 66%, of which the government pays 2 thirds), but being laid off isnt up to you.

Also I'm 41, I cant exactly quit and expect to find something else, much less these days.

This whole thing isnt black or white.

 

[scitek]

I'm working from home but if I had to go in, I'd probably just bounce. At least at this point.

Click to shrink...

Same. There's very little pertaining to my job that I can't do from home, so if they want me to come in before it's safe, I'll tell them how I feel and if they have a problem with that then I'm out.

And regardless, since this whole thing has allowed me to prove that I don't need to be in the office 5 days a week, I'm going to talk to my boss about working from home 2 days a week once things get back to normal. Fuck sitting in several hours of traffic for no reason.

 

[wenis]

probably quit. I'm at risk. Unfortunately my partner is an essential worker for a medical company so I'm SOL anyways.

 

[The Namekian]

We scaled back Staff to just managers but I have to go in 2-3 times a week and can telemute the rest of the week. A few managers have already said no and stopped going in.

 

[BLEEN]

why do you assume I'm in America?

we don't have anything like that here. Here, Government is paying 70% of 66% of your paycheck if you're laid off (basically if you are laid off your salary is reduced to 66%, of which the government pays 2 thirds), but being laid off isnt up to you.

Also I'm 41, I cant exactly quit and expect to find something else, much less these days.

This whole thing isnt black or white.

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I'm sorry. I'm pretty secluded-like all things considered. Never even been on a plane lol
My bad. I'm sure you'll figure something out! Stay diligent!

 

[Conkersbadfurday]

I'm an essential worker. Our company is giving us the option to take unpaid leave until this blows over, though so far no one really has. Factory is still mostly at capacity. Handful of people are out with the seasonal flu, and we maybe have a case in one department, but I dunno if she'll get tested to confirm or not.

Gonna ride out this next week and see where the country is at. I'm 31, but after today's 60 Minutes special and how fast this fucker can take pretty much anyone, I'm finding it a lot harder to risk it :\

Cough -> Urgent Care -> Chemically induced coma hope to see you awake in 14 days if we have a ventilator available!