I am over 70 with underlying medical conditions. I am scheduled to come off a 6 week paid Covid leave, what should I do? Come back, quit, call health depart, buy my own personal protective equipment? I have one of the few jobs that pay a living wage at the Home Depot. The store is in the epi center that has contagious virus and customers needing one on one help for their do it yourself project. They allow 200 customers in the store at a time. The chance of someone with the virus are very high. I don't want to quit. They won't lay me off, because they don't want to pay unemployment insurance.
I think you can be able to keep your six ft distance. I have been in Home Depot and asked for help. I didn't need to be real close to see what they were showing me.
Keep sanitizer with you. Wash hands frequently. When you get home strip and get a shower.
Can you get a letter from your doctor specifying your needs? Do you have access to a face shield? That would boost the protection of a mask.
Is the store requiring customers to wear masks?
I suggest if you want to continue working you obtain at least a couple of washable masks made with 3 layers of material (adjust the straps until the fix is very good) and a face shield. I have found adding a strap through the mask's normal ear straps and tied under my chin improves the fit.
Even with PPE, working with the public is a risk. How much of a risk depends on how well you use the PPE and how infected the public is in your area which you should be able to get an idea about from the publicly shared. Although the risk is reduced with a lower infection rate, there is still a risk because you only need contact with one infected person to get infected yourself.
I had to purchase my own protective items, thus that way I could choose what I liked best. I have tried the N95, a cloth mask, and a paper mask. Paper mask hands down the easier of the 3 to breath for me. I also found people can't hear my soft voice when I talk :P
Whatever mask you buy, if you can take some breaks during your shift where you can go outside, where it isn't crowded, to get a breathe of air.... ahhhhh.
I remember back last month, my boss wanted me to come back to the office to work, I was working from home. I dug in my heels and said "no". Glad I did, because my boss became sick with the virus, and if I was in the office, I would have caught it because I am of that age group where we all have underlying medical conditions.
It's a tough choice.
See the EDD website. This solution is not welfare, it is a benefit which you paid into from your paycheck, to protect you when the time comes.
Stay healthy. Act now.
You asked a good question, so I know you already know what's right!
Are you willing to go to work every day wondering if 'today' is the day you'll become symptomatic? It's not worth it, that's my 2 cents on the subject. That's where I was at with my job...........when an EMT told me he felt sorry for ME, that's when I decided it was time to leave and to keep my health AND my sanity intact! (I worked as a receptionist in an Assisted Living Facility).
Good luck!
It is my understanding that businesses in California were able to reopen based upon requirements of a safe workplace. If they do not comply, that would cause them to be closed again, and have fines. For example, Joel's employer is letting only 200 shoppers in at a time. These rules were instituted by authorities (which include the health department). Not sure if PPE and masks (or what type) are 'required'.
Sorry that you had to leave your job due to being safe from Covid! But that was the best decision you could make at the time, I am sure! I support your decision!