Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Some workers take leaves amid outbreak
The day after Gov. Tom Wolf announced he was closing schools across Pennsylvania for two weeks because of the threat of coronavirus, the Wegmans store in Collegeville was packed.
“It was literally like the entire town came in on one day,” said Erin Smoyer, a 44-year-old Amity Township mother who works there. “After a few days dealing with that it became evident that this is real, this is scary.”
In the early days of the COVID-19 crisis — less than three long weeks ago — Smoyer was plugging along like normal. She was going to work each day, taking things day by day.
“When everything started happening and the state got incredibly busy and things started changing, it became clear I needed to take a leave,” she said.
Smoyer’s husband, Walt, has multiple sclerosis. Back in February he was put on a new medication, one that severely weakened his immune system, Smoyer said.
The risk Smoyer faced every day inside Wegmans simply became too great. If she picked up the coronavirus, it would likely be a death sentence for her husband.
“I was concerned every day that I was going to bring something home, I was going to be exposed to somebody,” she said. “The fear was real. The last thing I want to do is come home and make somebody sick.”
Smoyer reached out to her employer, who told her she could use some or all of her three weeks of vacation time to stay at home. She’s also able to use unpaid leave, if her vacation runs out, and could possibly qualify for medical leave.
“The team was very accommodating,” Smoyer said of Wegmans.
Smoyer’s last day of work was last March 19. Since then she’s been hunkered down in her home with her husband, who’s employed at another Wegmans store but is on medical leave, and their two children.
“I’ve been cleaning out closets. I’ve been baking,” she said. “A lot of it is just me regrouping. I’m hoping to just take a couple weeks and then go back and get back into it.”
Smoyer is far from alone.
It’s a no-brainer
While coronavirus has shuttered many businesses, plenty remain open. And some workers at those still operating are opting to take vacation time, personal days or unpaid leave to avoid going to work and putting themselves at risk of infection.
“A job is not worth my health,” Bill Mitchell said. “You can’t do nothing without your health. My week’s pay isn’t worth risking my family — you can always get another job.”
Mitchell, who lives in Denver, Lancaster County, and works at a collision repair shop in Reading, said hearing the news of how quickly COVID-19 is spreading and the damage it can do shook him.
“I wake up, maybe 10 seconds go by before I remember the world is burning down,” he said.
Mitchell’s last day on the job was March 20. He said he plans on at least a week of vacation time, maybe more.
“I don’t want to bring it home to my family,” he said of his decision. “I don’t want to play Russian roulette. To me it’s a no-brainer.”
Spending vacation
Kevin Shoemaker, 58, who lives in Macungie, Lehigh County, and works for an Allentown-based company that services commercial cooking equipment, said his mind started racing two Thursdays ago when the governor announced that all “non-life-sustaining” businesses should shut down.
While the shutdown didn’t include the company he works for, he saw it as a pretty clear warning.
“So now I’m thinking do I or don’t I?” he said.
The next day he did. After that, he decided on “don’t.”
“I said, ‘Look, my health comes first,’ “he said, explaining he recently had a pretty bad upper respiratory infection.
Shoemaker said he plans to take off at least two weeks, part of which will be covered by paid time off days he has accrued.
His girlfriend works online, so the pair are going to shelter in their home as much as possible.
As president of the Alburtis Lockridge Historical Society, Shoemaker has had plenty to keep himself busy. He’s been spending time doing research and giving his study a much-needed cleaning, he said.
Truck stop
Antonio Torres didn’t
need to use vacation days or get permission from his boss to take some time off. The 41-year-old Mount Penn man is selfemployed, working as a independently contracted truck driver.
His job had been taking him on almost daily trips to New York, into businesses filled with people.
“It’s not safe for truckers,” he said. “We have to go in places to pick up papers, sign things. Sometimes I have to wait a long time in places with a lot of people.”
After making his deliveries March 20, Torres decided enough was enough.
“I didn’t want to bring the virus back here to my family,” he said. “I don’t want to get my family sick. And I don’t want to get myself sick, either.”
For the past week, Torres, his wife and their two children having been hanging out at home chatting, playing games and watching movies, he said.
“We’re only going out for supplies,” he said.
Torres said temporarily stopping work is a big step, but it’s one that’s called for in such an unprecedented time.
“Nobody has ever seen this before, not in this generation,” he said.