COVID-19 or Go Home – Life in the Pandemic Age

I am lucky that I work for a company that actually gives a shit about their employees. I mean, they look at the bottom line when making decisions, but they weigh their decisions against the scale of the effect the decision will have on the people. I have worked for companies that on the surface look like they care, but when the shit hits the fan, it’s the non-salaried workers that pay the price.

When the COVID-19 situation escalated here in the United States, I didn’t spare any worries on what was going to happen to us workers if everything eventually shut down. It was such a relief not to have that festering in the back of my mind. I’ve been there, done that when I was made redundant and was out of work for 6 months. Worst time of my life.

The beginning of March was surreal. The news was simultaneously reporting that there was nothing to see here on one end, and at the other, warning of impending doom. Work stayed open, most pretending that they weren’t deathly afraid of every cough and sneeze. Boy, what a time to have seasonal allergies! But I watched and waited as the virus began to sweep through the Western world. I waited to see what work was going to do.

There was this one guy at work, he lives in a very different mental world. A world in which it is perfectly normal to be entitled, and openly selfishly look out for number one, even if it means stepping on other to get what he wants. His biggest concern wasn’t the virus, health, or the state of the nation. It was that he didn’t want to take personal time off to take care of his MIL, that he was hoping work would shut down anyway so he’d get the time off, the pay, and still keep his vacation time. Gross.

We stayed open. March 18th work closed the doors to the public, but we were still going to work, as there were things that needed doing, and functions that could be completed behind closed doors. PPE was provided so we could be safe. Hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and water bottles for everyone. They made the cafeteria free for everyone since they didn’t want anyone bringing lunchboxes from home, minimizing the risk of cross contamination, as well as removing extra chairs to ensure everyone was social distancing. They even had an Ice Cream Social Distancing where they gave out individual ice cream sundaes to everyone to enjoy at their work area. It was clear work gave a shit about us.

No one got reprimanded if they called out sick, or took their vacation time because they didn’t want to risk it. Hell, they had sick/vacation time to take! Can’t say that for a lot of other places I have worked in the past. Hell, the place I got laid off from didn’t even give you sick time. I had to use personal vacation when I was hospitalized with the flu and when I ran out, I just didn’t get paid. And then I got written up for missing work when I got back. I do not miss that place AT ALL.

Then the day came that the county had released their stay at home mandate for all non-essential business. Texas has been criticized for their slow and contrary responses to the COVID-19 crisis. Sadly, despite their determination to not be told what to do, the virus was spreading and they had to accept that.

Not everyone is accepting it, however. There are some counties right here in the DFW area where people are just not staying home. One man is going as far as SUING THE CITY because they released a more stringent stay at home policy than their county did and the man felt they had overstepped their right and done something illegal. Did he skip the portion of US history about how government works? The man suing is a fucking realtor. Speaking as an ex-realtor, selling a house is not an essential business. What an ass!

So work shut down, they sent everyone home and it was okay. No stress. We are still getting paid. They are keeping us in the loop, and encouraging us to take the time do training and their personal development activities from home as we wait this situation out. Again, lucky. No one is getting laid off.

That’s all I hear about now, the job situation. The wait for this stimulus check and what people are going to do with the money, or how it isn’t enough. The struggle is real. Few places are open. People are applying for work in the few places that are still open – the grocery stores are bombarded with applications. Supply chains are the only ones hiring, but that’s not without it’s problems. People working are just going to get exposed. They aren’t being supplied with PPE and have to work long hours because people call out either because they are sick or are afraid to get sick.

I want to support the business but I don’t want to be a part of the problem. So I stay home. I haven’t left my house in a week. I don’t go out unless I have to. Thanks to my hate of grocery shopping in general, when I shop I always shop like its the last time I will be able to go in a while. If I have to get a box of cereal, I buy 2 or 3, and that goes for everything. So the only thing I needed to leave the house for was fresh goods. So until all that runs out, I am staying home.

That is all we can do. It is the end of March, and if anything, what really looms ahead is the ultimate challenge of what to do with this time?

I guess I’ll never be able to lie to myself again about all the shit I would do if I just had the time.

— Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) March 30, 2020