Good morning yall. Allow me to rant for a minute, if you will.
I've been living paycheck to paycheck for the past year while working 2 part time jobs. Obviously in the state of PA part-time does not entitle you to any benefits– the includes sick days.
Fortunately, I managed to contract covid over the holiday weekend to minimize missed work. The symptoms kicked my ass, but the fever broke and I was no longer bed ridden by the time the work week resumed, but I'm still testing positive.
One of my jobs has minimal human contact, and the other job is nothing BUT human interaction in a medical office setting with very vulnerable patients (including elderly and immune compromised.)
One of my bosses has been pretty strict about not endangering our clientele, ans refuses to let me work while I am still testing positive, but understands that I depend on these hours to make rent. That boss has done everything inr heir power to provide me with supplemental work to help me make ends meet.
The other boss has said that I can still come in while testing positive if I just wear a mask. I asked if we could add more protective measures such as plastic shields to minimize exposure. They said rhat would just “freak people out.”
I'm going to spoil the plot twist here and tell you that the second boss is the medical office. That boss is the one who took the Hipporatic Oath, but is willing to risk the health of their patients AND their employees so that they don't have to pay sick time.
I thought about going in, but took a moment to consider the patients I have fostered a relationship with– the elderly people who have always been sweet and kind and told me about their grandkids, the people with family members in the hospital and struggling with illnesses, even the people like me who would also miss their rent if they got sick because they don't get sick leave.
It was up to me to make the moral call and put aside my need for a paycheck for the health and safety of others. The boss that makes six figures a year, he multiple homes, and luxury cars won't have to pay a cent. I've worked there for over a year and these are my final two weeks. I am so beyond disappointed it borders on bitter.
I shouldn't be surprised, I know that. This is a boss who has watched me apply for loan deferment and government aid. This is a boss who knows I'm on food stamps, and still made me beg for a raise after a year. This is a boss who offered to “give me more hours” in stead, by having me come in 15 minutes early everyday and provide maid services.
PA mandates that employers must only pay sick leave to employees with covid if the business has over 25 employees. I've always worked for small businesses because I felt that it allowed for better service and employer/employees relations.
But this is a tale of two small businesses, a broken system, and the burden of morality.