Author:
Oregon's governor has issued an executive order Oregon schools are to be closed until September and that schools implement "distance learning" so that the students in Oregon don't lose a year of schooling. As a result, school bus drivers have become "essential employees". We are to deliver school work assignments and lunches.
We have to wear masks and gloves when we drive. It's really a pretty easy job. We drive the smallest buses and have a rider that goes along with us. As a driver, all I need to do is to make all the stops. My rider actually hands out the assignment packets and lunches.
It's two hours work a day, in the middle of the day. That means I don't set a morning alarm. Our cat gets us up around 7 AM anyway. I do have to set an alarm for my time to leave. If I'm on the computer or reading my Nook, I totally lose track of time.
Comments
I’m glad that you are able to work......
And to do so in what appears to be the safest manner possible.
Although my industry is not considered essential - I am the Director of Transportation for a retail chain - I have been lucky enough to be able to work from home. All of our stores are closed, but we continue to ship internet orders. My entire staff has been furloughed, so this has been an interesting time. We were not really set up for remote working, so we unfortunately do not have access to certain systems; as a retail company, we spend a great deal of time insuring that people CANNOT access our systems remotely. No one wants to have their systems hacked, especially not when we deal with our customers credit card and account information.
Add in the fact that we have a very limited staff working, and this has been an interesting adventure. I have a whole new appreciation for the work my staff does as I no longer have their valuable assistance in getting things done. Having been in logistics for much monger than I like to remember, I am quite capable of performing those tasks, but as I don’t do so regularly I am far from being as fast or adept as my staff. Not to mention the fact that I am now performing the work of about 12 people.
Due to our limited staffing, those of us who are still working are not only doing so without the usual support, but we are also being forced to fill in for positions which no one expected to be needed. I have suddenly acquired responsibility for several other departments as I seem to be the only person with any clue as to what they do or how to do it, lol.
We actually had planned to keep a few staff members on payroll, but when we determined that they would actually be hurt financially by working as the additional UC benefits would benefit them financially, the determination was made to go ahead and furlough them. We actually have brought some personnel back due to the extraordinarily high volume of our internet sales, and we have extensive plans to begin phasing more personnel back into work as soon as we are allowed to do so by the various state governors.
I have been extremely lucky, and extremely blessed, in that my spouse and I are still getting paid. We have taken on the burden of helping our three sons and daughter-in-law, as well as helping out those of our neighbors that need assistance. Those of us who can, must - it is that simple.
More-so, I have been lucky in that myself, my spouse, and two of my sons all contracted Covid-19. My spouse was exposed by a co-worker at her office, and of course brought it home with her. We spent 20 days in isolation, but everyone is doing great. My spouse is back working at her office, my two sons are both doing well (the oldest is a teacher and is teaching his students on-line, the youngest just graduated college and is contemplating going back for his masters), and I am working my ass off from home - and hoping that it doesn’t spread too much from sitting on the couch!
For those of you who are still out there in front of the public, keeping the world turning, thank you for all that you do - and stay safe!
D. Eden
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus