Basically the title. Working here already sucks (I had my dream job in a music studio, they took a break during the pandemic. I got a job under my former boss' wife [at his suggestion] at the hotel she manages, because my original boss said he would bring me back once studio work started back up. It has now been so long that I am out of savings and completely trapped here, I can't find a cheaper place to live anywhere in SoCal, and I can't even afford to move back home!), but they ended COVID sick leave without telling us, so when I caught it earlier this year (for the first time, I might add!), I used all of my sick time for the year. They won't make any exceptions. Under CA law, they only have to give 3 paid days of sick leave, but my employer mandates taking at least 5 days off if you test positive for COVID. They have also been removing the hand sanitizer stations at the properties and asking employees to not mask, which is insane to me!
Tempted to mark this as NSFW because I feel genuinely evil about being at work right now, and I know this is unsafe, but I don't know what else to do besides masking and gloving up (and disinfecting everything constantly). I feel terrible for my guests and (most of my) coworkers. Myself and another coworker are immune compromised.
I already used all of my accrued vacation time as sick time, and I can't afford to take any unpaid time off (I currently bring home around $1800/mo, and my half of rent for a one-bedroom near Los Angeles is $1500. So, $300 left over for food, gas, doctor's appts, meds, etc.) I am so burnt out, no wonder my immune system is extra weak!
I have been thinking about posting here for years (that first situation with the dream job definitely broke my brain a little [but that's a post for another day], and this hotel job is a wealth of insane, awful stories), but I truly feel like I am going crazy and living in some bizarro world. Thanks for letting me vent.
*PS – so far testing COVID-negative still, so I am hoping it's just a bad cold or something 🙂 Sorry for all the parentheticals and parentheticals within parentheticals, I blame fever brain.