Local residents who lost jobs or work hours due to the shutdown shared their experiences during our most recent Coronavirus Text Exchange.
“I’m not working at the time,” shared one of the 247 people who responded to our text question. “I got hired the day before the stay home, stay safe. Then I was told I was terminated.”
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Another texted: “I'm very fearful going to work because I work in a group home & the company is not supplying us with the protective supplies.”
Fear was shared by several people caught up in a record surge of unemployment in Michigan and across the U.S. brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
“I own a title company, we are considered essential since we support the mortgage industry. We are all working from home as much as possible, but our closers are having to still take documents to clients’ homes. They are using video chat to avoid going inside but often they still have to meet face to face. My husband is one of them and we are terrified he’ll get sick and bring something home to my 88-year-old mom!!!”
Text Exchange
Coronavirus Text Exchange is a WDIV and ClickonDetroit service that sends news updates and asks participants to share their experiences during this time. You can join by texting HEALTH to 1-877-454-9348 or using this form:
Responses
Of the 247 responses, 87 people said they lost their job due to the coronavirus shutdown, while the vast majority said their jobs have significantly changed in recent weeks. (Most texts shared in this article have been lightly edited for clarity.)
“I am working more because so many people calling off because they are scared to be working with the public,” texted Shantel.
“My office is closed, only three essential staff working,” another person shared. “All other staff about 80 are working remotely.”
Responses came after we reported social distancing is working, according to University of Michigan researchers. While the shutdown may be slowing COVID-19’s spread, it’s hitting people’s well-being in other ways.
Here are more messages we received:
“I'm an RN-and I was looking forward to my vacation starting today only to find out yesterday that it was canceled so I could be available to work.”
“I'm disabled. I have Crohn's disease so I can't work any more but my husband is a truck driver so it's totally changed how I run my home. All the precautions I have to take to provide as safe an environment I can also for my 22 year old daughter with cystic fibrosis. It's a lot and it's hard”
“Isolated from my family, high risk exposure in health care.”
“I am a teacher and we have been navigating online learning. It's been a challenge, but our students have been great adapting. However, we are unsure yet if we will be paid for the remainder of the school year.”
Work Disruption
“Have to work remotely. Prefer the dynamics of being in an office setting.”
“I'm an essential worker but my office staff is not. I have to do all the work by myself. Our phones lines have not been working fully because it's on a VOIP system and the internet traffic is very busy in the area. Comcast will not send a technician in the building; they are not servicing intermittent troubles.”
“Most of the office is working from home and there's a handful of us that come in, but we are having our temps checked every morning and have several hand sanitizer stations throughout the building.”
“Still getting paid leave but haven't lost my job overall. Not sure what will go on after the 10th if the ban still remains intact. My job is an essential one but we've done what we were expected to. I'm a school custodian.”
RELATED: Michigan K-12 schools closed for the rest of the school year
“I'm an essential employee and the outbreak has me working 13-16 hour days right now. I've worked from home for 2 years, so that hasn't changed, but we are extremely busy (busier than I've ever been in my 20 years in my job).”
“1/3 of our company has been laid off with more likely to come in the next week or two. I'm working from home and trying to do everything I can to stay valuable to the company I work for.”
Confusion
“I don't know if I qualify for food assistance or the stimulus because I worked for myself cleaning homes. I have an LLC but I haven't filed for taxes yet.”
Here is an update on federal stimulus checks.
Needs
We asked texters who lost their jobs what they need right now. Here’s some of the responses:
“Food and vitamins. I don't have a car.”
“Cut through red tape and get stimulus class out, and unemployment filing has become a HUGE problem with no cure in sight.”
Several people simple said, “Nothing.”
Lost income
A number of responses described lost wages and a concerned look ahead:
“I am currently working from home. I also work a second job as a receptionist at a dance studio. The second job income is what I have lost, it helped my daughter with her college expenses.”
“Ceased all income-producing operations - working from home to try to put us in a better position when we can return.”
“We have savings to fall back on, but the amount that unemployment will be issuing is about 25-30% of my normal income. Based on 2018 federal taxed income I expect to get a $400 stimulus check because I had a high paying job at the time and had to leave due to health issues.
I took a $30k pay cut for the new job that could accommodate my constant doctor appointments, unplanned ER visits and hospital stays. In short, we need as much money as possible right now - just like everyone else in this situation. A single payout of $1,200-2,400 for couples may go much further in some parts of the country or state than others, but living in Ypsilanti, it wouldn't go nearly as far as say, rural West Virginia. I lived in Seattle about 20 years ago and that amount wouldn't even be able to sustain a month of expenses then, let alone now.
We’re in a far better financial situation than a very large portion of the population, but longer term and higher income will be necessary to allow people to stay home. Those struggling will still show up to work when sick because even if there’s a temporary stay on evictions and utility shutoffs, that will need to be paid back and I highly doubt that the economy will suddenly bounce back once the virus infection rate drops enough. Most people will be in a tight financial situation and won’t be out spending. Personally, I’ve been incredibly ill for over 2 weeks, so my layoff and really excellent insurance has been a godsend.”