creating serious problems for everyone abut not everyone is taking it seriously. We can see the
differences in areas with continuing high infection/re-infection and until all governments accept
that unpleasant policies are most beneficial we'll all continue to suffer.

and I hate to break it to the author of this article, but non college educated workers have been in a Depression for a long time with wages that are below subsistence and often a scramble for enough part time jobs to make ends meet. When ends stop meeting, they're the ones living in shelters, couch surfing,, or living in their cars, jobs providing enough for fast food but not a place to live.

The Rand Corporation came out with a dollar figure last week: concentration of wealth/income inequality has cost the average worker $42,000/a year in today's currency. No one would be homeless had they gotten that $807.69/week they've been earning but have been robbed of.

If you're not angry, you're asleep. WAKE UP.

All of them have come up with a solution:

They decided to keep the housekeeper on and have her visit while they are out of the home. They leave the house and don't return until at least 3 hours after she is done, then come back and air the house out.

They leave payment for her before taking off, so there is no contact.

It works for everyone. The housekeeper is still employed and the families get their houses cleaned.

n/t

...and we now pay for an Uber both ways (about $70) rather than have her take the subway.

My wife has been cleaning houses for about five years. She does it part time. She needs to do a lot of marketing (put out flyers on front doors, etc.) because there is a lot of competition. We don't need the money, but it's nice to have a few extra bucks to save or spend.

When the pandemic hit, around the end of March, she put her business on pause, and stopped cleaning homes. In July, she started receiving phone calls from people who wanted their houses cleaned. Some were desperate to find someone who would come into their homes in the time of COVID-19. She turned down most of these, but would make an exception in the case of an elderly person. Since about July, my wife has not had to do any marketing. The customers find her. So now, she has regular customers. She can turn down business if she wants.

I know that my wife is the exception. I sympathize with the housekeepers described in the OP.

... because the former ones (a couple) refused to wear masks.

I think it was something like 2-3 months we paid them, but now we let them come in when we can isolate from them and everyone wears masks.

It seemed like the right thing to do.

She’s like family to us, been almost 15 years.

All workers are tested and wear a mask and gloves. We are never in the same room if I am home when she comes. She does much needed laundry. She also comes during the time I am food shopping so she can carry the heavier bags I can't handle.

It works out well for her and for us. We're flexible for her if she has the opportunity to stay with an elderly person when their family is away for a couple of days which pays better than house cleaning.

all on the bread lines.

Unfortunately, most state unemployment systems are not set up to compensate "gig economy" workers.

I'm watching my savings account slowly dwindle and trying to hold out until...whenever a vaccine happens...another year? or so.

It's really fucking depressing.

Alerted on as being analysis, which is prohibited from LBN. Important article, please repost in GD.