Sorry this will be a long post, but there’s some backstory that goes into this.
I got hired at an ABA company in June of 2020, just a couple of weeks after I graduated from college. I was excited to be starting in a field where I was working with kids with disabilities, because my heart was always in it. The role only paid $17 an hour (in a VERY expensive city in the US), but I was an optimistic new grad that figured I could move up quickly in this company.
This company required one week of training on zoom, three shadow shifts and one solo shift where you were running your own session. Training took 2 weeks and ALL training was paid minimum wage $12.50/hour, until you passed the probationary period “final exam” where you were moved up to $17/hour (in which $17/hr was advertised in the job description…) No big deal I figured it was just two weeks and I would be making more money in no time. (Now looking back, I see that this was a classic bait and switch….)
This particular time in my life upon completing my training was extremely hectic. I was homeless in between leases and crashing on various friends’ couches. I was skipping meals and overwhelmed by how intense this training was. My grandpa also passed away during these couple weeks, so I told Boss that I would have to reschedule my final exam. Boss seemed annoyed in their texts but agreed. I had to reschedule the exam twice.
I come in on the day of my final exam where Boss does mandatory temperature check before entering the clinic. First time temp was a fever at 100.3F. Proceeded to take temp three more times and the first two were 100.3 and third time was 100.4. Boss asked me all the pre-screening Covid questions, to which I answered honestly: “I have a headache but otherwise feel fine.” I was genuinely surprised to find out that I had a fever, and was not knowingly exposed to Covid. I chalked the headache up to skipping meals, being homeless or the depression from my grandpa dying.
Boss explicitly said “Well, if you otherwise feel fine then it’s best to get you in for your final field exam today.” And something along the lines of “We’ve already had to reschedule this twice and won’t be able to move forward with hiring you if you can’t do it today.”
I reluctantly agreed to do the exam but i admittingly felt a little weird about going in. Boss gave me the impression that I could lose the job if I didn’t take this exam today. I also was not surviving on min wage and was desperate for the pay bump. I was in a small clinic room with trainer and 4 year old client. Halfway through the exam I got really dizzy and hot, i couldn’t take it anymore and asked to leave early.
Turns out I had COVID, and exposed my 4 YO client and trainer. They all had to quarantine for two weeks. I still feel immense guilt for going into work that day. The pain I probably put that poor innocent baby through… I still get worked up thinking about my decision to go into work despite fever and headache.
Boss let me retake exam for a third time after finding out I had Covid. I stayed at that shitty company for 6 more months. Early on I was taught to do Covid pre-screening questions, and under NO circumstances could a person enter the clinic with a temp above 100. Boss wanted me to pass exam as soon as possible because that meant more billable hours for the company, despite putting employees AND clients health at risk.
TLDR: Boss coerced me into working despite having a fever and headache.