quitting a job due to COVID-19

[engineheat]

Although my job can be mostly done at home, the manufacturing company I work at frowns upon it. I have skills to find more remote friendly jobs.  Right now our state only has 100 cases so the governor hasn't implemented any "stay at home" order, but I was told by the plant manager that we are an "essential" business so we'd be operating (and I guess I will have to come to work) even if the governor implements a state-wide lock down. Funny thing is, the thing we make is NOT essential.

When that time comes I think I will have to ask for a unpaid leave for a month or two. I just cannot be productive when I'm scared at work, that's what I'll say. If they turn me down, I'm seriously considering quitting my job. I mean, I'm fairly skilled in programming and math so it shouldn't take me TOO long to get another job, even in this climate hopefully. From a financial standpoint I'm not too worried since I'm young, single, and have a 6 figures saving. Only thing I'm worried about is that it'll look bad to future employers that I have a gap on my resume. Also, without a job I'd have no health insurance so if I eventually do get sick it'll be a big hit.

Advice?

Thanks

[TK]

If you quit or are let go, it is my understanding that you are covered for 6 months under COBRA (you pay the premium, but the insurer cannot deny coverage).

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/insurance/11/intro-cobra-health-insurance.asp

[daqq]

I mean, I'm fairly skilled in programming and math so it shouldn't take me TOO long to get another job, even in this climate hopefully.

Hard to say what the climate will be a month or six from now. The economic forecasts cover the full spectrum, from "glorious recovery, attaining new highs", through "hard times for a few years" to "complete breakdown of society, roaming bands of cannibal marauders included, invest in ammo and machetes". It's really hard to make predictions.

edit: Likely somewhere in the middle, but who can say?

[Zero999]

It's generally not recommended to quit your job, without another one lined up. I do understand why in some cases it may be necessary. A long time ago, I quit a job and had only been there a week, because it was so bad, it would have seriously affected my mental health, which already wasn't that great at the time. It also wasn't the best time to be unemployed, as it wasn't long after the financial crash in the late 2000s. I had received a generous redundancy package from my previous employer and was living with my parents at the time so money wasn't a problem. I was unemployed for a few months before finding another job.

[dr.diesel]

I'm young

Then for the most part you have nothing to worry about.  A vaccine is at min a year away, so unless you hide in a closet for the next 12 months you will likely get it at some point anyhow.

I'm 44 and have zero worry about it, I wash my hands before i eat and go on with my life.

[Electro Detective]

A rush job vaccine knocked up in 12 months, that may or may not work, 
won't do much for most immune people in good health, that at this rate will be bankrupt and unemployable in 6 weeks or less 

[EEVblog]

When that time comes I think I will have to ask for a unpaid leave for a month or two. I just cannot be productive when I'm scared at work, that's what I'll say. If they turn me down, I'm seriously considering quitting my job. I mean, I'm fairly skilled in programming and math so it shouldn't take me TOO long to get another job, even in this climate hopefully. From a financial standpoint I'm not too worried since I'm young, single, and have a 6 figures saving. Only thing I'm worried about is that it'll look bad to future employers that I have a gap on my resume. Also, without a job I'd have no health insurance so if I eventually do get sick it'll be a big hit.
Advice?

Look for another job now, don't just quit and then look unless you have to.
Don't worry about the gap on the resume, if they ask say you were working on your own project or something, had to care for relative or whatever.
Use that 6 figure screw-you money to buy private insurance cover if it bothers you.

[nctnico]

Although my job can be mostly done at home, the manufacturing company I work at frowns upon it. I have skills to find more remote friendly jobs.  Right now our state only has 100 cases so the governor hasn't implemented any "stay at home" order, but I was told by the plant manager that we are an "essential" business so we'd be operating (and I guess I will have to come to work) even if the governor implements a state-wide lock down. Funny thing is, the thing we make is NOT essential.

Advice?

Just say you are going to work from home because that is a safe & healthy thing to do. In the end that benefits your employer too. The less people in the building the less chance on spreading infections and the higher the chance production can continue (which not only benefits your employer but the economy in general). The question is not IF your area gets hit by the Corona virus but WHEN. If you implement safety measures now the impact will be less.

[Zero999]

Although my job can be mostly done at home, the manufacturing company I work at frowns upon it. I have skills to find more remote friendly jobs.  Right now our state only has 100 cases so the governor hasn't implemented any "stay at home" order, but I was told by the plant manager that we are an "essential" business so we'd be operating (and I guess I will have to come to work) even if the governor implements a state-wide lock down. Funny thing is, the thing we make is NOT essential.

Advice?

Just say you are going to work from home because that is a safe & healthy thing to do. In the end that benefits your employer too. The less people in the building the less chance on spreading infections and the higher the chance production can continue (which not only benefits your employer but the economy in general). The question is not IF your area gets hit by the Corona virus but WHEN. If you implement safety measures now the impact will be less.

That's true and some young people have also been killed by Covid-19, so there's no need for complacency.

I fear lots of young people won't listen. Casting my mind back 20 years ago, I remember how remember how rebellious me and my peer group were. I don't think we would have listened to older people telling us not to go out to parties, socialise and play team sports. Many of us wouldn't listen to all of the advice about safe sex, drugs and driving carefully. I doubt youngsters have changed much in the last 20 years or so. The fuck authority and take more risk attitude teens have seems to be innate to human biology. There's a sharp spike in the number of deaths at the end of puberty, which reflects this.

http://www.bandolier.org.uk/booth/Risk/dyingage.html

I'll be 38 tomorrow and I'm approaching the mid-point of my life. I have seen others die and am beginning to get round to accepting my own mortality, although I admit I'm still not quite there yet: the thought of death still terrifies me and the idea of not being any more still is something beyond my imagination.

[SiliconWizard]

Not sure about laws over there - over here, there is a "right to withdraw" allowing you to leave your job (not quit it) temporarily without facing any consequence in case it's become a health risk.
Dunno if you have something like this, but even if you do, if the state you live in doesn't officially consider that a threat to your health, then you just can't prove it is.
 

[Stray Electron]

Not sure about laws over there - over here, there is a "right to withdraw" allowing you to leave your job (not quit it) temporarily without facing any consequence in case it's become a health risk.
Dunno if you have something like this, but even if you do, if the state you live in doesn't officially consider that a threat to your health, then you just can't prove it is.
 

   I would say that if if the OP's state is telling people to stay home and to self quarantine, then it is a life threatening situation.  I don't know enough about the OP's job situation and his exposure to be able to if he should quit his job or not, but IMO the state unemployeement people should back him if he does. OTOH his next potential employer might see that as not being loyal to the company and refuse to hire him so he has to weigh that possibility too.

[engineheat]

I asked if we can wear our own masks if we have it. I was told we can only wear surgical masks, but N95 mask is considered a "respirator" along with painting respirators and those have OSHA requirements as far as test fitting, etc... I was told I have to get a medical screening and jump thru a bunch of other hoops to wear them.

I can only feel safe if I wore a respirator. If they don't allow it I might need to take an unpaid leave. The way I see it, those OSHA requirements are in place to protect workers if they were doing a task that requires a respirator. In my case, the respirator is an additional measure of protection against a virus and even a leaking one is better than nothing...

If I can convince them to allow me to wear a respirator then I'll take my chances but if they turned down this and won't allow unpaid leave, then screw it. I'm gone.

[Cerebus]

Just wear a mask and say:

"Fire me if you want to, but my health is worth more than this job so I'm wearing a mask. Before you do, consider how 'Fired for wearing mark during Covid-19 epidemic' will look in (1) the newpapers, (2) the court papers when I sue you."

Frankly if your employer is so shitty that they're making this difficult for you, you should be looking for a new employer anyway - I would be.

[Stray Electron]

I asked if we can wear our own masks if we have it. I was told we can only wear surgical masks, but N95 mask is considered a "respirator" along with painting respirators and those have OSHA requirements as far as test fitting, etc... I was told I have to get a medical screening and jump thru a bunch of other hoops to wear them.

I can only feel safe if I wore a respirator. If they don't allow it I might need to take an unpaid leave. The way I see it, those OSHA requirements are in place to protect workers if they were doing a task that requires a respirator. In my case, the respirator is an additional measure of protection against a virus and even a leaking one is better than nothing...

If I can convince them to allow me to wear a respirator then I'll take my chances but if they turned down this and won't allow unpaid leave, then screw it. I'm gone.

   I completely agree with your second paragraph. If conditions at your work were such that you were required to wear a mask then it might concern OHSA but since it's not for directly work related reason then OHSA wouldn't be involved.

[WattsThat]

Find a job before you leave a job and if you’re desirable as an employee, it should be easy, right?

Be smart and apply some critical thinking to the problem at hand and above all, avoid the 24 hour news cycle of the ratings driven mass media which is very short on useful data.

[engineheat]

I asked if we can wear our own masks if we have it. I was told we can only wear surgical masks, but N95 mask is considered a "respirator" along with painting respirators and those have OSHA requirements as far as test fitting, etc... I was told I have to get a medical screening and jump thru a bunch of other hoops to wear them.

I can only feel safe if I wore a respirator. If they don't allow it I might need to take an unpaid leave. The way I see it, those OSHA requirements are in place to protect workers if they were doing a task that requires a respirator. In my case, the respirator is an additional measure of protection against a virus and even a leaking one is better than nothing...

If I can convince them to allow me to wear a respirator then I'll take my chances but if they turned down this and won't allow unpaid leave, then screw it. I'm gone.

   I completely agree with your second paragraph. If conditions at your work were such that you were required to wear a mask then it might concern OHSA but since it's not for directly work related reason then OHSA wouldn't be involved.

This is what happens when you work at a place with so many processes and procedures for each and every small thing. Work there long enough and people starts to lose common sense and you'd be unemployable to many other places. Thank God I haven't been there for long. Honing my resume now no matter what happens...

[SiliconWizard]

Not sure about laws over there - over here, there is a "right to withdraw" allowing you to leave your job (not quit it) temporarily without facing any consequence in case it's become a health risk.
Dunno if you have something like this, but even if you do, if the state you live in doesn't officially consider that a threat to your health, then you just can't prove it is.
 

   I would say that if if the OP's state is telling people to stay home and to self quarantine, then it is a life threatening situation.

Yes, but I was basing my thoughts on what the OP said: "Right now our state only has 100 cases so the governor hasn't implemented any "stay at home" order,"
In such a case, that seemed hard to "prove" the situation was life-threatening, so they might need to hire a lawyer, and given the worldwide situation, I'd say they'd be likely to win the case. But sure if the OP has opportunities to leave and do something else, that'd be much faster, cheaper and less tiring, so better time investment.