I am writing this blog to express my frustration and disappointment with government, employee rights and life in general.
I started my new job right before Corona virus hit this hard and toilet paper disappear from every where. I do live in the UK and got hired as a contracted worker through an agency. It was a job that I was more than qualify doing and the environment seemed too good to be true.
A week goes by and Corona virus was just a meme.
Another week goes by toilet paper vanished from the face of earth.
Another week goes by schools/Universities rumored to be closed down due to lock down.
In the news the updates we were getting was how bad the virus is and that people will die as it is inevitable (how nice of them), no measures were taken.
Another weeks goes by all the produce, pasta and basic necessities are gone from the supermarkets, schools getting ready for close down and businesses were told to have their staff work from home but not quite mandatory yet. If people feel sick they have to stay home for at least 7 days isolated.
In UK employers they are not paying the sick pay it is very rare for a company to do that. If you stay home for 7 days you are entitle for statutory pay which is peanuts. The bills and mortgages are getting paid as usual and the solutions that are currently on is just another way to be in poverty. Therefore people are faced to choose between risking working in a pandemic or isolating and get bills pile up and good luck with getting that sorted later on.
At this point everything at my work place felt strange and cold I thought that is just the fear. of the virus. I watched each and every single member of the staff being guided of how to work from home. Then I got a very strange call followed by an email that the agency will do it's best to support their employees at this difficult time.
A day goes by and I finally build up the nerve to ask my supervisor on what is going to happen with work from home and the response I got was short and simple 'we are not informed yet'.
The following day (today) I go to work and everything looked fine but something felt different the environment felt cold and the people faked their smile more. After an hour passing by I received a call from the agency letting me know because of the Corona virus the company does not wish to continue my employment, as we are no longer at use to them and we should take the opportunity to work as many hours as we can today because from tomorrow we are no longer needed.
I got up tearing and took some minutes to realize that not only I lost my job but I am left unemployed in the middle of a pandemic with no job opportunities currently open. I though that this can not be legal in the news they were reassuring that they will help the employees.
I was left to go home early with out getting paid for the full day as I did not work full hours. I come home in a state of shock and panic. Called my mom for support had a good cry and gather my nerve to call the employee rights line. After waiting 20 plus minutes to be connected I spoke with a lady, a robot has more emotions than her. I've explained to her that I just got fired because of pandemic and asked if that is legal? As soon as I told her that I am an agency worker she nearly got burst into laughs. She turn around and said to me 'to answer your question agency workers don't have the same rights as other employees so they have every right to fire you. Is there anything else I can answer you to?'
After this call and few hours of crying I just wanted to share my story in the case anyone else had the same day as me. You are not alone. I am not sure how we going to get through this but I hope we do.
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