The Work Thread

[ZekeTheG33k]

Thank you Covid. Due to the sharp drop in active clients, my company has decided to close one entire office. The lay offs were announced today and we have till Friday. So fun.

[Deleted]

@Seamus I am in charge of activating/deactivating employee access for my building. I have seen so many people get removed during the shutdown. A third of the workforce just about. My sympathies. I hate it every time they bring me another list of names to delete.

[ZekeTheG33k]

@Admiral Thanks. I am lucky that I have a safety net, Some of the people do not have that, and most are my friends. So I worry about them. Luckily paperwork and craziness is part of my skill set, so I've offered to help those with little knowledge navigate getting the Unemployment benefits. One phone call and 70 people from billing, training, implementation, development and regulatory are all unemployed as of the 10th. I choose to look at it with a Silver Lining. My Partner's mother is very ill, so I can relocate my family to be closer to his family so he can spend as much time as he can with her. So there is that! Otherwise, BOO COVID19 and the Government response as a whole to the situation.

[Kitty Kat]

Part of me wants to know more, another part of me is scared to ask..

[RightMeow]

Just a vent. Not looking for a fix.

So I decided to take leave. I've mentioned this. --- My four week /unpaid/ leave is soon to be up. I message my employer and go, okay. I guess I come back on the 19th.

I get a message back from my boss. That they are happy to have me back but this is still a very high risk job area. She's willing to extend my leave if I want.

Now part of me is like awww.. thanks for caring a little bit. The other part of me is like, I need money. Bills, cars, insurance, etc don't pay themselves. Since I'm on a 'leave' I don't get unemployment. Hello rock. Hello hard place. Fuck Covid.

[Auspice]

@RightMeow said in The Work Thread:

Just a vent. Not looking for a fix.

So I decided to take leave. I've mentioned this. --- My four week /unpaid/ leave is soon to be up. I message my employer and go, okay. I guess I come back on the 19th.

I get a message back from my boss. That they are happy to have me back but this is still a very high risk job area. She's willing to extend my leave if I want.

Now part of me is like awww.. thanks for caring a little bit. The other part of me is like, I need money. Bills, cars, insurance, etc don't pay themselves. Since I'm on a 'leave' I don't get unemployment. Hello rock. Hello hard place. Fuck Covid.

Some states are opening unemployment for those who can't work due to various types of furlough. I'm not sure which one you're in else I'd dig around a bit.

[Macha]

@Admiral I am both wanting and terrified to ask about the rest of the iceberg.

[Auspice]

More of a sweet note.

One of my coworkers from the security gig I worked last year texted me out of the blue today. Saying he misses our talks during shift, etc. Suggested I come back.

Which, I mean, I liked my coworkers, but the job was p bad. And apparently they have a new account manager who makes it worse. Also: it'd pay less than my unemployment is and that alone makes me nope. Not gonna stress myself out, put myself (in this covid-19 times) at risk..... to be even more broke.

[Auspice]

Also:
I have a lead on a contract job I can share with people. State of Kentucky is looking for people to do at-home customer support for the unemployment office. 40 hours a week, 3-month contract. I'd be happy to forward the details along to anyone interested.

Downside: it pays just $13/hr (which is too low for where I live, but might work for people in multi-income households or areas with a lower cost of living).

[Macha]

Unemployment is being impossible to get through to. And then I get a call from my 'boss', checking in. Or so I thought. NOW they want to set me up to work from home, after three weeks of this BS back and forth. But he still doesn't know WHEN they will be getting me set up.

If he thinks I'm not filing for UE while I wait for them, he's out his mind.

[Darren]

I applied for unemployment in MD two weeks ago today but have yet to hear anything back from them.

I have $237 left in my bank account and am facing the prospect of having to liquidate some of my investments just to get bills paid. If this goes on for more than a couple of months, I honestly don't know what I am going to do.

[Auspice]

@Darren said in The Work Thread:

I applied for unemployment in MD two weeks ago today but have yet to hear anything back from them.

I have $237 left in my bank account and am facing the prospect of having to liquidate some of my investments just to get bills paid. If this goes on for more than a couple of months, I honestly don't know what I am going to do.

So, good news on two fronts:
a) Another friend in MD who filed said his is now processing, so it looks like they're getting things done.
b) Most states backdate payments to when you first filed, so while it may not happen exactly when you need, you SHOULD get covered.

Also: stimulus checks are gonna start going out around this weekend (last update I saw) to everyone who has the direct deposit done. Mailed checks will take much longer. So if you filed taxes last year or this and used direct deposit, you should be getting some relief soon.

[silverfox]

@Auspice I'm not going to lie, I'm rather upset with the stimulus as passed. There isn't a way to say, "no, please." My husband and I are so amazingly lucky to be employed right now - yet we are getting the same assistance as others. It just doesn't feel right.

[Macha]

@silverfox You could donate money to food banks, maybe? They can get more food per dollar than a regular old person donating food, and they're getting hit pretty hard right now, with so many people in need.

[Auspice]

@silverfox said in The Work Thread:

@Auspice I'm not going to lie, I'm rather upset with the stimulus as passed. There isn't a way to say, "no, please." My husband and I are so amazingly lucky to be employed right now - yet we are getting the same assistance as others. It just doesn't feel right.

What Macha said. Maybe donate it to someone in need?

The problem is if they'd picked/choosed, they would've been hurting people somewhere. Like, the cut-off for a married couple is Xxxx, but what about areas with higher/lower costs of living? Or people with kids in college that they're helping support? Or.......

I think donating it somewhere is a perfectly reasonable response, but I understand your feeling. For people like me? It's a blessing. But I have another friend who was kinda like.... shrug? I don't need this?

[silverfox]

That's a good idea.

[KDraygo]

@silverfox Or you can also put that money aside for the classroom once school starts up again.

[silverfox]

@KDraygo

We're not allowed back into the building again so our amazing custodial staff are boxing up our rooms.... I'm going to have to replace a LOT of stuff.

[KDraygo]

@silverfox That is very unfortunate and knowing most school systems, they definitely won't have enough budget to have everything each teacher needs when they finally reopen again. That or they won't agree on what 'needs' are for their teachers.

[silverfox]

@KDraygo

I will say that my school district is pretty much the bomb. If I legitimately NEED something, then I can get it. Most of my classroom is "want" though. Things that fit my personality and style, new tools I want to try but am not sure I actually want to sustain, cute shit that just makes me happy (because in a typical school year I spend more time in my classroom than I do at home, so I want to be comfortable there). That's what I'll be replacing next year.