I think the generous unemployment benefits are only one part of the problem here. Personally, I would remain unemployed and collect even the basic unemployment benefits before I ever went back to work for an employer who insists on treating the workplace like it’s a hospital ICU.
I had a 150 mile round trip commute. I was going to retire last year. But I’ve been working from home for 13 months with no end in sight. I gain $750 after tax dollars a month (commuting costs), three hours a day, and save a ton on eating out.
I even worked the last five weeks in Seattle while liquidating my dad’s estate (I work in Kentucky).
I don’t know that I will retire until I reach my wits end regarding sound quality in WebEx meetings. It’s practically free money. And I’m in IT which means it’s fairly hefty. I’m not killin’ the golden goose here.
Just speaking for myself, if my choice was to return to work and wear a mask all day, or collect anything close to the same wages by staying home, it would be an obvious choice for me.
I am sure that many workers in retail and other customer-facing positions feel the same way about masks. But you’re not hearing about it.
I retired in 2019 and planned to return to part time employment after a much needed decompress from a crappy job. I didn’t anticipate the insanity of ControlaVirus and am now waiting until the madness passes.
It’s looking like it may be a long wait...
Well put.