Quote:
Originally Posted by StoOgE
I did an HEB pickup order on riverside. The poorer parts of town are still business as usual, tons of traffic lots of cars in parking lots. It's really clear that poor people have no ability to not work because they need the income.
And employers are taking full advantage of that.
I called our cleaning company to not have our cleaning done today but still offered to pay them and was told I was like one of 2 people that had done that.
I get that we are lucky to be able to afford that, but poor communities are going to be devastated by this because no one is looking out for them.
Meanwhile in zilker, no cars on the roads but way more joggers than normal.
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Just want to throw this out there...my employer told us if we want to stay home and self quarantine, we can, but won't get paid unless we use our PTI and PTO unless we have the virus, then we get 21 days paid sick leave. Because we have been deemed essential and so many employees are going self Q., starting 4/1 thru 6/30, they bumped our pay by $3 / hour for hours worked only. Its either hazard pay, or incentive pay to come to work and forsake the time off, but regardless, I had a customer who kept getting inside my six foot perimeter and was coughing a lot. At times, so close I could smell his breath. I have to ask myself if its worth it and so far I think its less risky on the job where I can control my surroundings unlike my visit to HEB yesterday where I can't, and I am surrounded by many more people. I did curbside a few days ago at HEB but got too many substitutions and touched everything that was touched by the unknown. My wife's bank sent her and half the employees home to self Q, but she is due to go back 4/6 when its predicted things are going to get worse. I don't think there's an easy or right solution, but in some cases, the line between essential and non essential is very blurry. I don't think construction jobs is essential, nor liquor stores or my job in the storage industry. Secure the construction site, go to a food store for food, and storage facilities are self serve for the most part anyway, respectively. If and when this situation goes away, everyone is going to get a lot of overtime. But at least my company isn't forcing us to take any risks and promised we would still have a job when we feel its safe enough to return to work. IF I don't get sick, my decision to take the temporary hazard pay and report to work will be worth it. As long as we aren't in violation of any Corona laws, all essential employees should have this option.