Essential workers

[wildride]

Do you ever feel guilty?

We are both essential and making crazy money. Honestly the guilt is getting both us.
I know we have major risks but feeling like we are benefiting is getting us.

We are donating back to husband’s Foodbank but still

 

[JoanneAZ]

Do you ever feel guilty?

We are both essential and making crazy money. Honestly the guilt is getting both us.
I know we have major risks but feeling like we are benefiting is getting us.

We are donating back to husband’s Foodbank but still

No, I don’t feel at all guilty. I’m making my regular pay and, frankly, wish I could work from home.

 

[lesliekatya]

I’m not essential, but my husband and I are both getting paid while working at home. I feel guilty all the time for how fortunate we are not to be horribly worried about money. Even our kids are handling this well without driving us crazy. We try to give back, but still feel so bad for those who are struggling

 

[NYCgrrl]

I wouldn't if I were. Just would be happy I could hold my little piece of the world together.

 

[wildride]

I’m not essential, but my husband and I are both getting paid while working at home. I feel guilty all the time for how fortunate we are not to be horribly worried about money. Even our kids are handling this well without driving us crazy. We try to give back, but still feel so bad for those who are struggling

Gotcha there. Thankfully ours are all grown.
Yeah we see the struggle at the Foodbank

 

[dclpluto]

I’m non essential I’m making more money at home 1313 a week collecting unemployment than working 40 hours. Working every other week now because of the virus. Manufacturing is exempt from being off in New Jersey even if you are non essential.
don’t feel guilty

 

[DuskKodesh]

I'm essential. I make fourteen dollars an hour unloading trucks and stocking shelves. Customers are continuously ignoring announcements about distancing, still sneezing and coughing in our vicinity. I don't feel an ounce of guilt that I still have my job, no one wanted it when I took it and it's pretty thankless work.

I know these are rough times but 'essential' when my employer says it sounds a lot like 'expendable'. I wish I could work from home.

 

[DisLiss]

I spend a good part of every day wishing we could just all be home together, even without the paycheck or job security, so no, I don't feel guilty. I feel worried. I'd feel less worried if we were all home.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Gotcha there. Thankfully ours are all grown.
Yeah we see the struggle at the Foodbank

The man went out today to get a container of milk. Asked him to get me a pack of mints from a nearby CVC in a strip mall if convenient.
He said there was a pop up food giveaway that wrapped around a nearby block there .
Lack of food is a something I never witnessed in this country before on this level.
This is not to say the cupboard was filled always when I was growing up. Just it wasn't so out in the open.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I feel guilty because I am a stay at home mom and my husband is essential and working from home and he is paid well. Meanwhile my closest friend got the virus at her work and is already back there when she’s in admin and could totally work from home.

So yeah, I am grateful for my situation, but hate that my friend is in hers. I also have many nurse friends and I worry about them constantly.

 

[wildride]

The man went out today to get a container of milk. Asked him to get me a pack of mints from a nearby CVC in a strip mall if convenient.
He said there was a pop up food giveaway that wrapped around a nearby block there .
Lack of food is a something I never witnessed in this country before on this level.
This is not to say the cupboard was filled always when I was growing up. Just it wasn't so out in the open.

Here no shortage of food. The Greater Boston Foodbank gets around 10-15 trailers a day and sends out to about 100 Foodbanks.

 

[wildride]

I'm essential. I make fourteen dollars an hour unloading trucks and stocking shelves. Customers are continuously ignoring announcements about distancing, still sneezing and coughing in our vicinity. I don't feel an ounce of guilt that I still have my job, no one wanted it when I took it and it's pretty thankless work.

I know these are rough times but 'essential' when my employer says it sounds a lot like 'expendable'. I wish I could work from home.

To me you are not thankless. Thank you!!!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I think this depends on personal circumstances. My DH & DS are both essential. Neither are making what I consider crazy money. They're both making the same as they did, before the shutdowns. DS would draw more money, if he were laid off, but he's thankful that he still has a job & is able to work from home. DH has to go out to work most days, which concerns me. I wish he could always work from home, but we're very grateful that they're both still working.

 

[Christine]

I'm not essential but working 100% from home. DH is not essential but they have not closed down his work (within the White House) and he is still going in and working in a room with 20 people.

I don't know why but I rarely feel "guilt" over things like this. What I do feel is INCREDIBLY lucky and appreciative that I didn't get laid off. And I feel much empathy and worry for folks who are laid off.

 

[MamaLema]

I feel lucky not guilty

 

[mom2rtk]

Nobody should be feeling guilt. What I hope they are feeling is empathy and understanding for those out of work asking that we find safe ways to get them back to work as well.

 

[Meriweather]

No, I don’t feel at all guilty. I’m making my regular pay and, frankly, wish I could work from home.

Same for DS.
Everyone else is home

 

[barkley]

just try to be thankful and if you can help others that's great but don't do it to the detriment of having emergency funds for your own household-we have essential workers in our state that are seeing their normal wages cut 25%. they would make more on unemployment but their employers are not laying off/cutting hours so it's not an option.

i also think, depending on what essential field a person is working in, the demands may become greater even when things start 'returning to (the new) normal' and depending on the industry there may be wage reductions. dh and i are both retired from public service careers that would be deemed essential now and required face to face contact with the public. i'm just waiting to see the agenda for may from the retirement board, they list all the retirements and i'm betting many of those that meet the criteria but were hanging on for a few more years are going to be out the door which can't be back filled with entry level staff. if things go as they did during the recession the remaining staff will see labor contracts renegotiated to not only eliminate upcoming raises but agreements to implement major wage reductions. it will put so much stress on remaining staff i worry for their long term well being.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I’m thankful. I don’t feel guilty.

I do feel really bad for those who aren’t working, can’t collect unemployment, can’t pay their bills, are waiting for benefits, have lost their insurance, can’t feed their kids, have no idea how they’ll pay their rent, etc. It’s an awful way to live.

 

[meghanb133]

A