COVID-19 Unemployed/Employed Roll Call Poll

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

Are you still employed during COVID?

  • Yes

    Votes: 57 21.5%
  • No

    Votes: 10 3.8%
  • Yes but Moved to Part Time

    Votes: 2 0.8%
  • I never stopped working during COVID

    Votes: 196 74.0%

  • Total voters
    265

IcSyU

Well-Known Member
Nov 27, 2007
27,736
5,922
113
Rochester, MN
Poll really needs a 'for now' option because we're busy right now on stuff booked pre-COVID but there's nothing new coming in and the current work starts drying up quick starting in Q4, plus the PPP money goes away soon as well. But I've been 95% work from home other than a couple weeks of furlough in May. Management has told us WFH will continue at least to the end of the year. I think long term working from home half time would be great but I feel like the importance of being face to face in meetings and being able to chat with people in hallways or at the water cooler is becoming more and more apparent (same reason I don't think Zoom is going to replace a lot of business travel post COVID, there's value in being there)

Im going to have to figure out the tax benefits I can get from being required to have my own home office.
The tax benefit will be minimal.

Both wife and I have been home since mid-March. Having the little guy home for about 8 weeks was awesome and horrible at the same time. A 6 month old between us lead to working 11+ hours to get 8 hours of work done. Her job is a lot of R&D so she could legitimately try to keep little man happy while watching webinars...not quite as easy as a CPA with deliverables.

Our administrative staff is in the office but virtually everyone else is WFH.

I don't dislike WFH but do miss the social aspects of being in the office. WFH certainly makes a quick afternoon round of golf easier though.
 

ClonesTwenty1

Well-Known Member
May 23, 2018
13,044
13,900
113
Iowa’s initial unemployment claims went up this last week. Over 10,000 new. Continuing claims went down some. Still around 136,000 filing each week.

I’m pretty interested what route on unemployment the federal government goes in this next stimulus bill that’s suppose to happen later this month. Schumer had a pretty good proposal of having it stay at 600 but decrease 100 dollars every time the states unemployment rate goes down 1 percent.
 

ArgentCy

Well-Known Member
Jan 13, 2010
20,387
11,176
113
Essential public safety worker here, 911 dispatcher. Been going in like normal throughout all off this. Sidenote - the calls from the Covid Karens have been dropping off. During shut down it was ridiculous.

Now there's a job I could Never do. Besides the fact I hate talking on the phone I'd give the Karen's way too much of my opinions. Lol. Kudos to you.
 

throwittoblythe

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2006
3,438
3,804
113
Minneapolis, MN
I was surprised that companies were hiring, but some places are doing very well in spite of the pandemic.

This has been surprising to me, as well. I'm considering a job change in the next year. I currently have 4 companies seriously interested and would hire me now if i were ready. Of course this can change, but I was surprised companies weren't immediately freezing hiring.

The long-term play is to hire talent when you find it, not only when you have a spot to fill. Though, that requires a stronger financial position to carry that overhead until they can be productive.
 

ScottyP

Special Teams Coordinator
Jan 24, 2007
3,920
5,438
113
Urbandale, IA
I've been working from home since March 13th. My wife works at a daycare so she is still going to work. Her hours were reduced significantly for a few weeks but now she is back to full-time. Our work building has only a few people still in the office, the rest are working from home.
I have 3 monitors at my desk in my basement which helps keep my productivity up. I had to bump up my internet speed to make sure it kept up with my work demands.

The earliest we could go back is likely mid-September, but my boss said the Covid numbers have to be near zero or a vaccine before our group would go back. They are also discussing potential of working from home at least part time once we do go back.
 

cyclones500

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2010
35,663
23,144
113
Michigan
basslakebeacon.com
I've continued working, but have had furlough equivalent of 1 week per month since April. Working from home almost exclusively.

I've been able to absorb the reduction in part because one week per month I have to cover a colleague's furlough, which requires extensive extra hours & income. Good to have, but those weeks are exhausting and we already were absorbing additional workload from positions eliminated late last year.
 

CtownCyclone

Really Strong Cardinals
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jan 20, 2010
16,515
8,731
113
Where they love the governor
Essential infrastructure employee, so work kept going, I just am doing it from home. Actually went into the office today since one of the owners came in to give us a bit of reassurance. He did say this WFH stuff is likely going to stay, at least for us. Less overhead to pass on to clients, stuff like that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: throwittoblythe

SaraV

Moderator
Staff member
Mar 13, 2012
8,292
8,352
113
For those that never stopped working, we’re you able to work from home?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no.


There was talk of husband being laid off before Coviid, and then it became definite afterwards. Had a decent enough 2 1/2 months severance, but is now on unemployment. Kinda worried about what future lies ahead.
 

BCClone

Well Seen Member.
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Sep 4, 2011
61,413
55,960
113
Not exactly sure.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no.


There was talk of husband being laid off before Coviid, and then it became definite afterwards. Had a decent enough 2 1/2 months severance, but is now on unemployment. Kinda worried about what future lies ahead.
Did not know Sara, sorry to hear this. Is he wanting to stay in the same business area?
 

Sigmapolis

Minister of Economy
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 10, 2011
24,876
36,695
113
Waukee
Well, if it makes anybody feel better, payroll employment came back by 4.8 million last month. That might not last, but there is at least some recovery.

upload_2020-7-10_1-9-19.png

The unemployment rate dropped to 11.1%, and that should be higher for a whole bunch of technical reasons, but it is heading in the favorable direction.
 

cstrunk

Well-Known Member
Mar 21, 2006
14,229
4,479
113
36
Longview, TX
I'm a Civil Engineer who works for an engineering consulting firm that does mostly roadway design in our small local office (but big company).

Been working this whole time. WFH from March until the end of May. Went back to the office in June. Got a cold a little over a week ago, so I went back to WFH and got tested for Covid (negative, thankfully).

My boss asked when I was coming back. I'll probably go back Monday since I'm feeling better. But no reason why we can't continue WFH. Main benefit to the office is to train younger staff. We have a very young staff in our small office so face-to-face time is more valuable than remote communication methods.

If things keep trending worse I'll probably just suggest we go back to WFH unless we need to come to the office for whatever reason.
 
  • Like
Reactions: throwittoblythe

BWRhasnoAC

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Apr 10, 2013
24,798
21,748
113
Dez Moy Nez
They stopped construction for a month, but I stayed busy the entire time I was back in Iowa, plus they paid us to sit out. It's never hard to find work in construction if you know what you're doing.
 

ClonesTwenty1

Well-Known Member
May 23, 2018
13,044
13,900
113
With some of these states starting to shut bars and things back down it’ll be interesting to see what kind of unemployment spike there may be soon.
 

Cyclonepride

Thought Police
Staff member
Apr 11, 2006
96,591
57,460
113
53
A pineapple under the sea
www.oldschoolradical.com
Iowa’s initial unemployment claims went up this last week. Over 10,000 new. Continuing claims went down some. Still around 136,000 filing each week.

I’m pretty interested what route on unemployment the federal government goes in this next stimulus bill that’s suppose to happen later this month. Schumer had a pretty good proposal of having it stay at 600 but decrease 100 dollars every time the states unemployment rate goes down 1 percent.

That is almost as bad as their current system.
 

BCClone

Well Seen Member.
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Sep 4, 2011
61,413
55,960
113
Not exactly sure.

Rabbuk

Well-Known Member
Mar 1, 2011
55,032
42,338
113
I think there needs to be a cap of at least your actual wages. You should not make more than you were working if they don’t require you to look for employment.
this is the one time regular people get scraps, considering how much welfare corporations get I think this pittance is fine. Considering regular people actually spend money and keep economies cycling.