I have been apart of this sub for a few months now and during the pandemic I was unemployed. I am a disabled veteran and was able to barely survive but stay safe from the plague. I have been reading the posts on the sub religiously and lurking. I heard all the horror stories and learned vicariously through all of you what I was looking for. So, in February I decided it was time to find a job, something similar to what I did in the Navy (I did a lot of medical records). I realized I definitely had a skill that could be built on and not having a degree I really thought I couldn’t get a job with competitive pay and benefits but then….I did. I interviewed for a company doing workers compensation claims and my goodness this company is incredible! I not only was offered amazing health insurance/ vision/ and dental. But also the chance to start my 401k matched and a very livable wage. My girlfriend and I redid our budget and for the first time in my life I can start a very nice savings monthly. And after 90 days I am going to be able to work 2-3 days virtually permanently. But do you know the best part? My employers treated me with respect, because of nerves on my second day I vomited and they sent me home. They didn’t question it, but they trusted me. I am also non-binary and the first at the company so they sent out a mass email to the supervisors explaining what that would mean and how to respectfully address me. They also are remodeling the building for a more employee friendly environment without offices for supervisors in hopes of making everyone feel equal and available(this includes the CEO). Last but not least I was talking to a supervisor today who was about 50 and he told me that years ago he believed one should go to work and shut up and take what was given to them, no matter how hard it got, but he told me that at his age and with this company he found that treating everyone with respect no matter the role and listening to them and caring about one another’s mental health, that everyone was way more positive and worked better. He said for the first time because of the company he felt more progressive and was so excited for the company to continue to accept more diversity and move forward with the times. And finally my favorite part of this, the company promotes from within, and one day I could making as much as a bachelors degree. I am so happy and I feel I have a home, with the respect and care of my fellow employees. Everyone deserves this, don’t stop until you too possess it!