'Essential' workers calling in 'sick'

[twinkletwinkle00]

What would you do?

My wife and I both work for businesses considered essential. She works for a bicycle company and I work for a food seller (online, specialised food so not a supermarket or anything along those lines).

We have two young children who aren't in nursery/school as we don't want them to be in contact with others if we can help it.

We're currently splitting our days and doing 3 each for our employers (one of us works on Saturday). We both work for small independent businesses with no cash flow issues, who realistically could shut up shop for a couple of months and get through fairly unscathed. Both our bosses want to keep making money which I understand but I really don't think it's fair for them to value cash over the health of their workers?

Would we be unreasonable to happen to come down with symptoms that require us to self-isolate? We could get a mortgage holiday and juuust scrape by on SSP. What would you do? I just don't feel it's right to put ourselves at risk like this. I wish our bosses would just close and take the government grant. I just feels so unfair.

Sorry if this should be in the coronavirus topic... I couldn't find it!!

nah just don't fancy dying if coronavirus, what about you?

Why are you so certain you'd die? You said yourself you aren't high risk. Yes this virus is spreading rapidly and there are a lot of deaths for the elderly and vulnerable which is awful but a lot of people who don't have underlying conditions are recovering. Your panic won't help anyone.

@caz114 thank you. It's very quiet by all accounts!

@GreytExpectations it's hard not to think the worst.

@ShesGotBetteDavisEyes excellent points!

How is a bike essential, hardly anyone I know has one?

And yet I would say at least half of the houses/flats in my SW London street have them - cycle theft is a real problem around here. Lots of people cycle to work or school and there are plenty of people who use it as their exercise.

If the bike shop is quiet then the owner might close anyway down the line.

@caz114 yes true, it may benefit them more to close and furlough their employees if it gets really quiet.

Yes but it is life or death for EVERYONE. Even people not working are having to go into shops that have produce that has been touched by god knows how many people and queue up and hope that people are considerate about personal space. Fair enough if you aren’t going to access any financial aid. Think about work you can do from home instead maybe?
For context I am a single parent key worker currently in isolation with two children (one of whom is asthmatic) as two of us have symptoms. When I’m able to I fully expect to be going back to work because I need my wage.

I work for a small independent tech company. We support hospital networks and are considered essential. We're being asked to wire up networks for pop-up hospitals.

Our "small company" wage bill is £200,000 a month. Once you've added rent, bills and business rates in, that's a quarter of a million a month we burn through, just to pay everyone and keep the lights on.

We're working because the NHS needs comms but also because very few small businesses will survive the summer at those rates if people fake sickness.

@twinkletwinkle00...I'm out. I can't listen to your protestations, justifications and selfishness any more. I am sorry for how scared you feel and I get that you are scared for your family. But you just don't seem to be able to comprehend that you are not special. Everyone feels like this and if they don't , they should. We are all at risk and we all fear for our loved ones. I hope your worst fears are not confirmed and that your family stay healthy. I am now hiding this thread as it just depresses me.

@twinkletwinkle00 YANBU and I don’t think you’re being selfish either. It’s all well and good for others posters to accuse you of trying to commit fraud or shirk work, but life isn’t that black and white. You and your spouse’s jobs fall into the grey area. Yes, delivering gourmet food is not essential, really, and could be reasoned they should shut. The only way it could become truly “essential” is if they pivoted to doing deliveries of staples and helping other shops like farm shops, etc to do joint food offers, etc. The bike shop is a bit iffy but I still understand where you’re coming from there.

What severity is your wife’s asthma? I’d see if you can get her off work in order to reduce exposure to you and your child who had a chest infection earlier this year. That could at least reduce the possible risk coming into the house. Good luck. It’s hard out there right now. Try not to beat yourself up too much for just wanting to protect your family. :)

No you shouldn't do this. Most people I know are actually still working. Don't think everyone else is just sitting at home except for you.

@JingsMahBucket thank you, that made a bit teary. I know I'm selfish and I know it's an awful thing to consider doing, I'm scared and I want to do everything in my power to protect our family. I am not a bad person.

Most of us are a little scared if we have any degree of understanding at all - however we are the grown ups and we get out there and get on with it .

Weird how surprised people are that someone might see everyone else being paid to stay home, and wonder where his incentive is to work.

We'll see more of this as the lockdown continues.

If you crack on, though, OP, your business may just survive and that's good for you in the long-term.

We couldn't afford to take unpaid leave. your employer/the government can't afford to pay you sick pay when you're not sick.

I'd like anyone reading this post to put themselves in our shoes and ask yourself honestly what you'd do not lie?! I work in care for probably less money than you and I have asthma. I go to work because people rely on me. If I felt I couldn't go in I know I'd need to take unpaid leave. Everyone is scared not just you. Being scared isn't an excuse to lie.

You've now said you will take unpaid leave so crack on. It shouldn't have taken strangers to tell you fraud is wrong though

We are all in good health, like you and your family, OP. We are both working five days a week from home (with older kids) and it’s boring! If someone offered for me to swap and work with actual colleagues for only three days a week. I’d be happy with that.

@twinkletwinkle00 you’re very welcome. While others were jumping on you, I was reading your post more so as a thought exercise with no real hard confirmation that you were actually going to enact this plan.

I also just read back on page 5 that it’s your wife who works in the bike store and earns a larger salary. If that’s the case, I’d definitely make a landing strip/decontamination station for her in your front hallway. As soon she arrives home, she can strip off her clothes, pick up a towel and head straight to the shower. You can do this for yourself and your child as well.

Refilling the decontamination station with clothes and supplies would be a great way for you to support each other and teach your child about hygiene as well. That and delayed gratification of waiting to hug a parent when they first walk in the door. :)

Op we all are worried. Convincing yourself you will die is not normal and is leading to you thinking you can commit fraud. Sorry to say this but its very likly most of us will get ill with it, you have to just manage your anxiety as best you can.

If considering a mortgage holiday please don't forget the interest doesn't actually stop accruing so you either have to pay it at the end of the 3 month or add it to your remaining mortgage term.
If you add it to the mortgage term you will actually end up paying back even more money so although it's a short term help it does have long implications x

@GreytExpectations you're right. I tend to catastrophize and have underlying issues with anxiety. I understand all of the points you've made and have taken everyone's comments on board (even the ones that were harsh).

@strawberry2017 absolutely worth a mention, we're already squeezed pretty tight month to month so perhaps not the best move for us financially.

I don’t actually think you are essential workers actually but given the way things are going I would be worried about the long term employment prospects. My friend has just taken a 50% pay cut and I dare say there are plenty of redundancies happening. If you’re still working and earning full pay I would continue and bank as much as possible because this pandemic isn’t going to be solved in a month. People won’t afford expensive treats and although bike sales may increase as people avoid public transport it’s a one off purchase - unless there’s an element of repairs & servicing which makes up a large part of the business. I would be doing everything I could to help these businesses survive and secure my employment - I see that being more essential to the longer term prospects and comfort for your family

@JingsMahBucket an excellent plan, thank you x