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Comment by behringer | Hacker News Reader

Haha I'm a contractor at my current job and while my job is extremely secure, all those benefits and assurances my company is sending out don't apply to me.

Its great that none of the employees at my company have to show up sick and will still get paid, but what about us temps and contractors? The temps and contractors are the ones that will be spreading covid-19 due to our circumstances.

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Isn't that a call you make when you sign on as a contractor though? At least at my company, contractors make a boatload more money, with the provision that you don't get any of the normal benefits provided by the company.

I make less than everyone around me because all that extra money goes to my agency. This is the the main entryway for the poor man to get into a company these days. After a year or 6 months I'm eligible for becoming a real employee if the bosses feel like it and maybe then I can get health insurance too!

Ah that sounds rough! The contractors at my company aren't from agencies, they get paid more in place of getting company benefits. Didn't realise there were other kinds - Thanks for explaining!

I've commented about my situation elsewhere, but I'm in a very similar situation. I've spent quite a bit of money I can't really afford right now to allow me to not need to leave my home for a couple of months if need be. I've also had to buy extra cleaning supplies and ppe as my employer either can't acquire or afford ppe for all their staff. I hope I don't get sick before I get laid off, but I have to leave my house to work in a very high traffic area. My employer also isn't making any statements about being paid while at home on leave. It'd probably kill the business. The owners taken on loads of debt and spent it rather frivolously over the past few years.

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