For those of us still working what has been your experience?
For those of us who aren't able to stay home in our PJs what has been your experience at work so far? I work in a manufacturing setting and most of our suppliers are also still working. The hourly workers didn't really start to take this new flu seriously until the last week or so. We are practicing the 6 foot rule, no one is using the lunch room anymore, all in-person meetings have stopped (email/text is the rule) and some of the folks are starting to express nervousness.
We supply to nearly every US industry including hospitals so companies like us, if we close, would cause problems in short order which could threaten the nation's ability to deliver food, medicines, healthcare equipment, etc.
It seems like daily there are new challenges from suppliers who are experiencing cash flow problems or who just shut down their operation without notifying anyone. Companies seem to be hoarding cash and stretching out their payables.
Most of the factories in the area have installed more aggressive cleaning procedures and we're also dealing with new local health regulations. These including taking employee temperatures and asking screening questions on a daily basis.
On a personal basis I'm nervous...not just for myself but for my family. I would prefer to stay home but it's just not an option in my company role. I'm thinking about segregating myself from the family until this is over to prevent possibly exposing them.
What are things like for those of you still working?
I work in the Microsoft Dynamics channel, we've dabbled in NetSuite over the years as well. Cool to hear of folks on here in similar channels.
I am a software developer and while working from home is not hard, I have always preferred to go to the office. I miss my co-workers and A2. Business has been really good since we focus on retailers and online sales.
I work at a hotel in Boston, and it's been...slow, to say the least. No housekeeping people kept on, down to maybe four or five manager types. I'm a back of house guy, and I'm down to 1.5 days a week, and when I ride the train in to work it's empty. Downtown Boston is now like walking through Downtown Detroit.
Obviously being in the hospitality industry also puts me kind of on the front line of the economic effects of this situation, if not the health ones really. I think we're trying to stretch out our payments to vendors, which I understand, as we have no income coming in really.
Architectural designer for a small AE firm in Cowlumbus. Been working from home for a week now, and while I’m selfishly grateful for not having to go into the office and now being able to see the wife and doggies anytime I want, this is more than outweighed by latent existential dread about... *waves hands wildly in the air*
It’s amplified general feelings of malaise I’ve had about my job that most people feel to a certain extent. Case in point - I suffered through a conference call earlier today where the project manager kept yammering on as he does about the need to hit a deadline for a project that we will almost certainly not hit thanks in no small part to his lack of project management. The whole time I kept thinking to myself how the general pointlessness of my quotidian tasks, which is something I might well have thought anyways but am feeling much more acutely in the face of this pandemic.
Part of me rationalizes all this by thinking about the value of Boring (I see you, Jarrod Wilson). In the grand scheme of things, us non essentials are precisely that, but maybe there’s some value in us office drones doing office drone things, in that we maintain some kind of kabuki of normalcy that hopefully the rest of the world can sooner than later come back to.
Physician here - still going to work in hospitals just like any other day...
Two things: first and foremost, thank you for your hard work during these times. I can only imagine working at a hospital during all of this.
Second, please tell me I'm not the only moron that thought your bug or spider as your avatar was a piece of dirt or something and went to wipe their screen hahahahaha
No you're not the first one haha, it's actually supposed to be a gif and the little dude skittles around your screen.
Just doing what I signed up for every day.
I cant get an N95 to see patients, but i see everyone wearing them to kroger....thanks guys.
I get it.
However, my wife is immune-compromised and often wears a mask as a result (we have had our current stock of masks for more than a year).
I do most of the shopping and errands, but when she goes out with me, she gets stares and even some snide comments from people who have taken upon themselves to be the covid19 police. And before you say it, yes she likes to get out of the house a couple times a week and ride along (without going into stores).
Shaming of others is cheap and easy and makes the shamer feel superior and all, but I completely loath those people.
Finance manager here. Luckily our audit is running right now and I hope that gets me through to the end of this.
(Begin rant) My wife is working about 25% of normal because she demanded to work remotely and not have to visit multiple families for autism behavioral therapy. I understand the value of the therapy, but it isn't worth risking the safety of everyone in homes that she and her staff have to visit and none of her clients have self-harm issues. They weren't even given PPE or hand sanitizer. The question that should be asked re: essential workers is whether it is worth the risk of having to put more people on vents if they do their job. (So medical and food supply chains)
So many pathetic attempts to work around the rules by unethical bosses right now, and those should lead to jail time when this is over. The CISA list was created for wars, not pandemics and we need to get real about this. (End rant)
I work for a engineering/production company designated as essential. However, we have instituted a work at home when possible approach. About 2/3 of the non-production people are doing so. That has created all the social distancing we need in the offices. The cafeteria, which for an on-site facility is surprisingly good, has started boxing up about 6 choices everyday. For those working in plant, they are provided free. Because the mayor of the town and governor have issued shelter in place orders, we have a nice directive letter saying we can be on the road to get to work, you know, just in case someone needs to "see our papers".
Manage 8 grain elevators so still going to work every day. Have merchandising/accounting staff working mostly from home at all locations, operations staff is mostly still working since we have to operate...biggest change is customer restrictions of not getting out of their trucks and zero office visits, and zero traveling between locations for me...
My experience? Well there's a guy at work that's a total douchebag to me. I swear I bring out the best in people of quality, and the worst in pencil dick petty opportunists who mistake my being nice for being a total pushover they can fuck with. Dude I'll legit regret getting you fired. Don't push me too far. Besides the commuter traffic has been great, but it's been too light for too long. I cant believe i actually said that and meant it. I can't wait for this latest plague to have run its course so rush hour can consume my soul again. I miss people.
Good investments would be any of the DOW blue chips that went way down, johnson&Johnson, GE or TRowe Price DOW fund. The DOW always comes back.If it doesn't we're fucked anyway.so may as well buy more. Anytime the Dow hits a new high, sell because a correction isn't far behind.
December 7th, 2020 at 11:17 PM ^
The experience is quite difficult. Such a tough time worsens lives, no doubt about it. But it's important not to give up and keep working, living, having fun. This year I spent my savings on decent working wearing. Chose gloves here, for instance, then bought a coverall. I just don't despond and keep working as I used too. I spend more time on promoting my services (which isn't joyful for me) but I managed to save the amount of work and hence income.