Your job isn't essential? Want to know what it is like to work with one that is?
I would like to share my experience on what it is like to work during the coronavirus outbreak that is taking place.
My Job
For the last two summers and the summer of 2017 I have been working at Warkworth Institution. Warkworth Institution is a medium-maximum prison located near Campbellford, Ontario. I am employed as a Financial Specialist for Inmate Accounting. I take care of the inmates money. What they spend it on and how they receive it.
My Working Days
I am currently working Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week, from 8am to 4pm. I start my morning by waking up before anyone else is the house, because why would anyone wake up that early if they have no where to be. I make my coffee or tea at home to avoid a Tim Hortons or McDonalds. I get in my car, in a close neighbourhood, with no one else outside. No one else leaving for work. I start my 30 minute drive to work and see 20 cars max along the way. No school busses or children waiting at bus stops. It's nice. It's quiet. I drive the back roads with little to no cars around me. I get to work and lock up my phone in the car (because you can't bring a phone in the prison) and head to the front gates.
Before we can even go through the security systems all employees are required to answer a set of questions, and apply hand sanitizer. If we do not answer "no" to all question, we are not allowed at work in order to prevent the risk of spreading. Once you answer no to all questions, you can go through security. After security I walk through the institution with hardly anyone in sight. All nonessential staff have been sent home to prevent the chances of bringing COVID-19 into the institution.
The Work Space
I enter the large building that my office is in, no one on the first floor anymore. Second floor, over half the staff is gone. All that is left in this building is those working in the Finance Department. Don't want those offenders angry that they didn't get paid.
"In order to prevent the spreading within the office, we have been asked to spread the employees out." - My boss.
"Since the cleaners are not considered essential, we have to clean our own building." - My boss.
We not only all had to move our desk spaces, but we also have to take care of cleaning. I really do not have a problem with this, we are not a messy group. At the beginning and end of each day we are also required to wipe down our stations and the common areas.
Since they do not want anyone there any longer than they have to be, once we complete what is needed to be done that day, we are required to go home. This ends my day around 12-2 each day instead of 4. This is great for me because I still have school work that needs to be done.