Anyone else working during these "Lovely Times" (coronavirus)

[Cirrus. 1,088]

So, are you guys working and how has that been going?

If you aren't what have you been doing?

If you are working- what would you be doing if you WERE off?

 

My situation:

So I've been working at a hardware store that's smaller than a Home Depot or Lowe's the whole time due to essential business classification. I'm full time and have health insurance. I was very worried at the beginning but now not quite as much. I wash my hands a lot and keep my distance. I don't touch ANY of my personal keys/phone/items at work at all without hand washing. Since the start of this I also take zinc, vitamin D, a multivitamin, and magnesium every day. I also try to work on stuff that doesn't involve direct contact with people if I can. Luckily this time of year we aren't super busy/crowded often inside anyway. We also have the back doors open all day for curbside pickup, so there's a good cross-breeze through the building. No employees have been hacking or had a fever (knock on wood.) As for asymptomatic? Who knows.

Now for the BS. (I know I'm venting here but it's been getting frustrating)

 

The secretary jumped ship right off the bat and works like once every two weeks after hours for a few hours. This is crap because our back room is pretty much turning into an amazon warehouse because of online orders. People call non stop with questions on this or about picking them up. She's not there to answer phones + about another 1/3 of the staff is just not working by choice. It's BS. She says she's scared for health reasons, BUT she is overweight and her health problems are a result of HER BAD LIFESTYLE CHOICES THAT SHE REFUSES TO CHANGE. I know because I've talked to her (she's one of those yappy complain-y types) and tried to convince her to change over the years. NOW IT'S LITERALLY MAKING ME MISERABLE AT WORK When people's selfishness and/or laziness starts to directly affect me I GET PISSED!

She has kids and her husband is off during this. I know her health insurance is through the store- so WTF? I thought you have to be full time?!?!? Is she somehow still on it? Four hours a week and full medical still? OR did she get them to lay her off and she is working those hours off the clock? With the full unemployment? NOT FAIR. Who knows, I really don't think she would do something to give up insurance. Something seems fishy though. She's also the type who is usually personable but likes to throw people under the bus too. If you knew her you would probably see why this situation is particularly aggravating to me.

One guy who is full time got really lucky though. He is normally full time, but his health insurance is through his wife- who is working from home during this, so he is working less hours so he can get partial unemployment and the additional $600 a week federal. He also has 3 small kids who have been kind of hampering his wife's effective work time, so him being home for them more is good.

 

This new online curbside process is never ending and exhausting. We're not set up for it really at all. The online system is slow and inefficient. We don't have anywhere extra really to put it either. We use that back room twice a week for deliveries. People pretty much never come right away, so we have to move all the stuff somewhere out of there the night before orders.

To add to that, you have the regular customers in the store too, and they have to wait if we're in the middle of processing an order and they get annoyed because they don't really want to be out in public in the first place. On top of that you have the spaced-out ignorant morons who you have to deal that have no clue whatsoever what the hell is going on in the world right now.

 

Some people may say just be glad you're working and have a job. Yes I am because if things are bad after this, my work shouldn't really be affected- It wasn't in the 08 recession. But whatever is going on with the secretary is really getting on my nerves.

Working now though, I have at least double the workload and the virus risk of working directly with the public in one of the higher areas of infection in the country. No bonus pay or anything like that. Compensation is NOT appropriate and if I could afford to (and not piss the owners off) I would probably take some time off.

If I wasn't working I'd be making like double and I know I would have my job and insurance back when we reopened. 90%+ of people are buying stuff that is NOT essential. At home I'd be doing so much cleaning and painting/project work on my house with stuff that I already have the materials for. I just haven't had the time. I would turn the insurance off (to storage) on my car and just walk down the street to go to the store when I needed too. That would save me another $120 insurance and $60+ in gas  each month from not going anywhere.

Another thing is that I kind of pushed the owner to look into the forgivable business loan program that turns into a grant, and it appears they got it. That is TAXPAYER money. At the end of all this especially if we have better overall business $ numbers through the year, there may be some discussion if they don't do anything like a raise or good bonus. If they just end up sitting on that money, that's not right. Yeah I'm glad to have a job, but the risk and workload has been kind of a ripoff at this point. People coming in are not buying "essentials"

</rant>
 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2020 by Cirrus.

[Fluttershyfan94 5,738]

You wouldn't believe my timing, I actually only had the final thesis to do so literally I have been staying at home anyway the whole time. So what have I been doing you ask, well other then writing my essay I have just been playing video games mostly, watch anime and enjoy myself. 

[AppleButt 8,669]

I’ve been working.  I’m an aircraft refueler so we are essential.

The workload has actually gotten easier on us.  It’s gotten slower, and plus my business got the small business loan, and they hired back most of the staff, so now we have more help again to do.... well a whole lot of nothing, but little busy work. 
 

If I were off I’d probably wouldn’t be doing much more than I already do which is sitting around and doing a lot of nothing. 

[Rarity Gemstones 189]

I personally am not. Instead, my government has issued payments to those of us who are out of work.

[Lucky Bolt 34,914]

Unfortunately I've been laid off since the end of March. I'm a hostess and waitress at Cracker Barrel. I was receiving 14-day retention pay (which I didn't realize at first ), but the 14-day mark was hit a couple weeks ago so as of late I have't been getting paid at all. The future looks good though as far as restaurants opening back up go, for my state at least. I should be going back to work very soon. I even got a text from my manager today asking me if I'd be available to come in as soon as they open, cause apparently a ton of employees quit. 

[Rarity Gemstones 189]

1 minute ago, Lucky Bolt said:

Unfortunately I've been laid off since the end of March. I'm a hostess and waitress at Cracker Barrel. I was receiving 14-day retention pay (which I didn't realize at first ), but the 14-day mark was hit a couple weeks ago so as of late I have't been getting paid at all. The future looks good though as far as restaurants opening back up go, for my state at least. I should be going back to work very soon here. 

The United States does not pay employees during a shutdown such as this?

[Lucky Bolt 34,914]

Just now, Rarity Gemstones said:

The United States does not pay employees during a shutdown such as this?

Some of us will be receiving a small money check but it's not free, because come tax season we'll all be paying it back to the government...so the answer is no.  I don't qualify for it anyway....

[Rarity Gemstones 189]

Just now, Lucky Bolt said:

Some of us will be receiving a small money check but it's not free, because come tax season we'll all be paying it back to the government...so the answer is no.  I don't qualify for it anyway....

I learn more about America every day!

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,284]

8 minutes ago, Rarity Gemstones said:

The United States does not pay employees during a shutdown such as this?

The US isn't very keen on actually helping its citizens. It would prefer people die instead, like in the case of health care. The fact that they're even doing this stimulus check thing is a massive shock, but they couldn't even get that through without problems in the process. The original version of the bill would have given more money to millionaires. In the USA, the rich become richer. That's the goal.

[Rarity Gemstones 189]

Just now, Kyoshi said:

The US isn't very keen on actually helping its citizens. It would prefer people die instead, like in the case of health care. The fact that they're even doing this stimulus check thing is a massive shock, but they couldn't even get that through without problems in the process. The original version of the bill would have given more money to millionaires. In the USA, the rich become richer. That's the goal.

I will have to read up on this particular subject! I continue to entrance myself on things ongoing in the US over the years out of fascination.

 

1

[AppleButt 8,669]

7 minutes ago, Rarity Gemstones said:

The United States does not pay employees during a shutdown such as this?

We got some relief checks recently to help, depending on your income.  
 

6 minutes ago, Lucky Bolt said:

Some of us will be receiving a small money check but it's not free, because come tax season we'll all be paying it back to the government...so the answer is no.  I don't qualify for it anyway....

The checks are going to be non taxed so we won’t have to pay them back.

[Lucky Bolt 34,914]

2 minutes ago, AppleButt said:

The checks are going to be non taxed so we won’t have to pay them back.

*spits out water* Wait...what?! Last I heard they were...

5 minutes ago, Kyoshi said:

The US isn't very keen on actually helping its citizens. It would prefer people die instead

That's not true lol sorry. 

[Cyclone 1066 3,616]

The stimulus checks are income so when you claim them under total income for next year's income taxes they will be taxed. Not the full amount but the normal amount for your tax bracket.

[Steve Piranha 28,780]

I am still working in Pepsi, so I’m an essential worker. I was being paid an extra 2$/h for a month, but it’s been over since last week. It’s been slower actually, working 8 hours if not a little less when it was more common to work at least 10

[AppleButt 8,669]

15 minutes ago, Cyclone1066 said:

The stimulus checks are income so when you claim them under total income for next year's income taxes they will be taxed. Not the full amount but the normal amount for your tax bracket.

Everywhere I’ve read it says the checks are tax-free.

[Cyclone 1066 3,616]

1 minute ago, AppleButt said:

Everywhere I’ve read it says the checks are tax-free.

Well I would think they'd have to be reported as income since they were income. But I'm no tax expert.

[Cirrus. 1,088]

1 hour ago, Rarity Gemstones said:

The United States does not pay employees during a shutdown such as this?

We have some snakes in the grass who forget WHO they are WORKING FOR. We're in the middle of a pandemic and "they" keep trying to put their own interest "pet projects" into the bills about getting cashflow to the people and business that the GOVERNMENT FORCED TO STOP WORKING.

 

Luckily (well kinda ) I'm still working, but should get a $1200 check.

 

My mom works part time as a receptionist in a city community center. She normally makes about $18,000 (no benefits) and will be getting $293 a week in state unemployment (before tax) PLUS an additional $600 a week in federal unemployment for the next couple months or until callback. THAT EQUATES TO $42,864 YEARLY GROSS (If it was paid that long) So almost 2.5X her normal wage! On top of that she gets that $1200 check also.

My dad is glad he retired from GM a year and a half ago! He's 60 He doesn't have to put up with all this BS going on!

 

1 hour ago, Rarity Gemstones said:

I will have to read up on this particular subject! I continue to entrance myself on things ongoing in the US over the years out of fascination.

Be careful- That fascination may quickly turn into nausea with all the BS that's been going on with our gov't over the last decade.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Cirrus.

[Pentium100 2,056]

I am working from home since March. It will kind-of suck to go back to the office after this is over.

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

I’m still working and I have NTI (online) school. NTI sucks cause I have to hope stuff works on my phone or I have time to print it (plus, being in the class makes it easier to ask for help). As for work, work is the same except the closing hours have changed (but not our work hours? We’re hiring new people but somehow I’m still getting more hours than I would like). Aside from the management that continues to be weird and non-communicative and a couple of my coworkers, work is fine, I just wish they would stop working me so many days I’m not supposed to just because I’m out of physical school. I get a long off period but the work week still feels long sometimes. They’ve been a little nice though and have given me more daytime shifts. I like those shifts (well except for the fact that I have to get up a little early) but I have to deal with my bosses cause they have to open in the morning. The boss that does the scheduling and hiring is okay but the other boss gets on my nerves. He is so nit-picky about things that don’t even matter. 
 

If I was off, I would probably just be doing homework a lot more often and playing video games. I would also be internally crying cause even though my management sucks it was really hard to find this job and I really don’t wanna lose it cause then I’ll have to wait forever to find a new one.

 

(Sorry this is long, since the topic poster ranted I guess I felt the need to talk just as long)

[Splashee 28,537]

I am working from home, however, I have not had a job for weeks, and I started to suspect it was Corona related. Then I got a job sent my way, but it was cancelled. It's a little bit frustrating, but I can deal with it.

[ShadOBabe 18,984]

I am working! Business as usual in the factory warehouse. I spent most of the previous couple weeks working on organizing the warehouse receipts from the last three years into annual quarters, and then my vendor alphabetically.

But now I’m back to just counting parts and making sure nothing goes missing.

It’s probably good I am working, because if I was off, I’d basically be living on Animal Crossing.

Edited April 22, 2020 by ShadOBabe

[EpicEnergy 22,076]

I work at an essential business, and they are on mandatory overtime, so I usually work 13 days in a row before I get off. That's what takes up most of my day.

[Phosphor 11,522]

I was working under an "essential" status, but it got rescinded about 2 weeks ago. Thankfully, I'm on paid leave until this blows over.

I've been spending a good chunk of my free time getting stuff done at my rural property. I have an RV there, so that allows me to stay a couple nights, then return home to take care of things here. It's fun out there, but boredom sets in quick whenever I return home. 

[Brony Number 42 9,928]

I have a crucial job and my hours have not changed. 

[DubWolf 16,615]

Yes I am working. I don't think hospitals aren't essential  .

I forget the source. The stimulus check won't be counted as income. If you're qualified and do get a check  . There is a difference...