I am an essential employee. I work in a store that fights pretty hard to keep that designation, claiming that there are products for cleaning, and support home work and school. I have not gotten any form of hazard pay, but I am given as close to full time as possible because of my position. With reduced store hours. Hazard pay enough, right? So my employeer calls me “essential”. What that means is that I am risking myself to sell some rather ungrateful people things that really aren't that essential. Many people have made the claim that my store should be closed during this crisis, that we aren't all that essential. But I don't think so.
I am in debt. Debts that aren't exactly easy to ignore. If my store closes down, I don't get paid. The comittment to keep paying loyal empolyees doesn't extend to those who are hourly. Which are several that I work with, either in my location or other locations. Many of the calls to close I find come from people with less to lose than me. PArents to live with, a spouse still earning a decent income, savings that aren't ravaged by a mortgage and a car that breaks more than it runs, just plain debt and other issues. So my store is essential. It's essential to me and several others who cannot afford to not be working.
Do I want my store to close during this crisis? Without a doubt, it should be closed. And the stimulus check from the federal government? It will cover me for less than a month. Less time than we would be closed. So I am forced to run a different rally cry. PAy me. Keep me employed. Make my store an actual essential business, protect me, and don't close up shop!
All I'm trying to say here is this: businesses are essential for more than just the products they sell, but are essential to those who need a paycheck to survive.