I work in manufacturing, and the company I work for is considered essential, so are not shut down. On the advice of my doctor, I’ve been off work self-isolating for the last three weeks, because the meds I take are immuno-compromising. I received a call from my direct supervisor yesterday asking me when I plan to return to work.
I really don’t want to go back. In part, because I don’t like my job. I’ve only been there a month, but I realized my boss is a colossal dick, and I’m stuck working in close proximity to him every day. Mostly though, I am concerned about Covid-19. I am 55+, have some health issues and figure if I get sick, I may not make it. On the other hand, my boss suggested that if I didn’t return, they might have to replace me, despite the company owner’s assurance that there would be no repercussions if employees chose to stay home.
Am I exaggerating the danger? Lots of people are still working. Maybe I should be, too? Should I just suck it up and go back to work?
My doctor’s advice was a bit vague. She didn’t put a time limit on my time off. My thought was to wait until things started to return to something closer to normal, and non-essential businesses were allowed to open again. That could be mid-May or even later here. (Canada)
If you don’t like the job anyway, and can manage financially for (say) 6 months without it, with a reasonable prospect of picking up something else once places start hiring again, why risk it? But that last part might be the tricky one.
At least if you are let go you have a cast-iron reason for why your last employment was so short, should a future employer question it.
That’s my dilemma. Will I be able to get another job? Will losing a job due to fragile health negatively impact my chances for getting hired somewhere else? Ugh.
Currently, EI benefits do not require a doctor’s note or medical documentation.
I suspect the reason for the lack of specific time limit from my doctor is because nobody really knows how long this is going to last, or how long the vulnerable should self-isolate.
Have you thought about having a quick chat with a employment lawyer? There might be some regulations that would make it very risky for the company to fire you as it would open them up to the threat of a lawsuit. If that’s the case, you can always fall back to the tried and true “I would love to comply with your request but as you can see, my hands are tied because of <reasons>”.
Not to derail this thread, but this concerns me as well.
Not that I’ve lost my job, I might, but health privacy concerns of employment gaps.
It appears that the US is going to take more or less a Sweden-like approach to reopening. Keep all the at-risk people quarantined away until there’s a vaccine, while the healthy young people go back to work.
If you are laid off due to Coronavirus, and can’t get another job until there’s a vaccine because you’re at-risk, how are you going to explain that gap when the vaccine does appear? Just say, hey, it’s the coronavirus, a new great depression, whatayagonna do? Obviously saying you couldn’t work because you were at risk health-wise is a no-go.
Because you are in Canada, I say stay home. I’m in Canada as well and I have many coworkers who are off for the duration of this due to compromised health. You are not over-reacting. The provisions are there for you to stay home - so stay home.
Has your employer instituted new safe working protocols?
requiring social distancing in the work place
providing PPE, (i.e. gloves, masks, etc.) or permitting you to bring your own.
more frequent and thorough cleanings of common areas: bathrooms, break rooms, cafeterias, etc.
Health/temperature screenings of all employees upon entering the facility
Monitoring call outs for people who call in sick, disinfecting their work areas, etc.
If your employer is doing these types of things, I would think that your risk of going back to work is significantly mitigated. If they are not. I would reconsider it.
You would not be losing a job due to fragile health. You would be losing it due to your employer’s refusal to follow government guidelines about working from home (I assume those guidelines are similar to the ones here in the US). Or just that your employer did not want you working from home even though you were able to perform your job while doing so.
Corona is not a regular health risk–it’s far far more dangerous.
So why,say two years from now, would it be a problem to admit to a future employer that you were unemployed because you were at risk until the new corona vaccine was made available?
Assuming that by then you are vaccinated,you pose no health risks for normal employment. So the gap in your resume seems perfectly reasonable to me.
I don’t live in the US, so maybe I’m naive… but what am I not understanding?
With your situation, and if you can afford to not work, I’d sta home. A wekened immune system isn’t something I’d want to fuck around with about now. I would also get a note from my doctor clearing my absense. If you can’t get that note, and your health concern outweighs your paycheck (insurance, too?) concern, then you gotta look at quitting or being let go.