Item
WC Oral History, 2022/05/11
Media
Title (Dublin Core)
WC Oral History, 2022/05/11
Description (Dublin Core)
A student describes their experience working during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Recording Date (Dublin Core)
Event Identifier (Dublin Core)
Partner (Dublin Core)
Type (Dublin Core)
Oral History
Controlled Vocabulary (Dublin Core)
English
Education--Universities
Collection (Dublin Core)
Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
05/11/2022
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
05/11/2022
05/17/2022
Date Created (Dublin Core)
05/10/2022
Interviewer (Bibliographic Ontology)
HW
Interviewee (Bibliographic Ontology)
WC
Location (Omeka Classic)
Buffalo
New York
United States of America
Format (Dublin Core)
Audio
Language (Dublin Core)
English
Duration (Omeka Classic)
00:04:31
abstract (Bibliographic Ontology)
This oral history is an anonymous interview regarding a student describing their experience working during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Transcription (Omeka Classic)
HW: 0:00
What's up, guys. I’m with WC. It is currently May 10th, 2022, at 3:20 pm. Before we start our interview, I just want to ask for verbal consent to be interviewed and uploaded and published on the JOTPY Website.
WC: 0:15
Yes, I confirm.
HW: 0:17
So first off, where your work hours affected by the outbreak of the pandemic at all and
if so, how?
WC: 0:22
I honestly received more hours because I worked at a pizzeria as a delivery driver. People didn't want to come into the store. So it was a lot of deliveries.
HW: 0:34
Alright, so next up, how's your transportation method changed since the initial outbreak?
WC: 0:39
No, I had my own car so that it wasn't really affected?
HW: 0:44
So next up, did your employer reduce the amount of workers present at the workplace at one time following the outbreak?
WC: 0:51
The people who worked inside the pizzeria some of them got cut and there was actually more delivery drivers just to compensate for the people not coming inside.
HW: 1:02
So were you expected to follow any strict cleaning procedures?
WC: 1:06
Before I went on deliveries, I had to wash my hands and after. Also, I just put hand sanitizer my steering wheel just to clean it, but that was for personal.
HW: 1:17
Alright, so with that? Did you tend to see an increase in sanitary awareness among coworkers?
WC: 1:23
Yeah, the boss was emphasizing using a lot of hand sanitizers throughout the day, and of course, wearing the mask and washing hands.
HW: 1:32
Did the tasks assigned to a work change due to the pandemic or no?
WC: 1:36
No, I've always been a delivery driver.
HW: 1:40
Alright, so next up, did you notice any co workers leaving or new workers joining after the outbreak?
WC: 1:46
Some part time workers quit just due to trauma and quarantine for the pandemic not wanting to get sick. But there's also a bunch of people that wanted to work and ended up getting jobs because of the pandemic.
HW: 2:00
So, were your wages affected at all by the pandemic?
WC: 2:04
Not at all.
HW: 2:06
So when working during the pandemic was difficult to juggle both personal and professional life?
WC: 2:13
Honestly, not at all my personal life was put on hold because the pandemic so my professional life was really taking over. So I'm just working during this time.
HW: 2:23
Alright, so were you forceful at any government subsidies such as unemployment relief?
WC: 2:28
No, I was employed during the whole time of the pandemic.
HW: 2:32
Did your work become more difficult due to social distancing and mask use?
WC: 2:37
It didn't because I was just driving so I was alone. And a lot of customers chose contactless delivery, so they just leave it out their door.
HW: 2:46
So in your opinion, did the work of ours become less friendly and interactive after the pandemic?
WC: 2:53
Um, well, ah of my co workers just were kind of standoffish and honestly, they just there wasn't much more conversation due to not getting close to someone in the masks and everything.
HW: 3:08
So during the pandemic, did you experience an increase in stress while working?
WC: 3:13
Yeah, I was honestly stressed on a daily basis. I live with my grandmother. She's a heavy chain smoker. So I was extremely worried about coming home and giving her the virus.
HW: 3:27
Did your experience did you experience a lack of motivation to work or even keep your job during the early months of the outbreak?
WC: 3:34
My motivation was somewhat higher because I just wanted to get out of the house being quarantined all day, there's been nothing to do so going to work was honestly like a break.
HW: 3:45
So at the time with the initial outbreak, I know there were mask mandates at the pizzeria. But were there any vaccine mandates at all? Or?
WC: 3:53
No, there was no vaccination mandate to work up until today.
HW: 4:00
So lastly, did your family experience any hardships with job loss or other complications?
WC: 4:06
There wasn't a job loss with my parents or anything but there was just a lot of mental health issues being quarantined. Ever everyone felt the need to get out but cut in and it was just really tough for everyone.
HW: 4:18
I got that. Alright, so I think that pretty much wraps up all the questions I have for you. I'm just wondering if you got anything to ask me about the pandemic.
WC: 4:26
No, thank you for the interview.
HW: 4:27
Yeah. All right. Well, thank you so much. Also, I appreciate your time.
What's up, guys. I’m with WC. It is currently May 10th, 2022, at 3:20 pm. Before we start our interview, I just want to ask for verbal consent to be interviewed and uploaded and published on the JOTPY Website.
WC: 0:15
Yes, I confirm.
HW: 0:17
So first off, where your work hours affected by the outbreak of the pandemic at all and
if so, how?
WC: 0:22
I honestly received more hours because I worked at a pizzeria as a delivery driver. People didn't want to come into the store. So it was a lot of deliveries.
HW: 0:34
Alright, so next up, how's your transportation method changed since the initial outbreak?
WC: 0:39
No, I had my own car so that it wasn't really affected?
HW: 0:44
So next up, did your employer reduce the amount of workers present at the workplace at one time following the outbreak?
WC: 0:51
The people who worked inside the pizzeria some of them got cut and there was actually more delivery drivers just to compensate for the people not coming inside.
HW: 1:02
So were you expected to follow any strict cleaning procedures?
WC: 1:06
Before I went on deliveries, I had to wash my hands and after. Also, I just put hand sanitizer my steering wheel just to clean it, but that was for personal.
HW: 1:17
Alright, so with that? Did you tend to see an increase in sanitary awareness among coworkers?
WC: 1:23
Yeah, the boss was emphasizing using a lot of hand sanitizers throughout the day, and of course, wearing the mask and washing hands.
HW: 1:32
Did the tasks assigned to a work change due to the pandemic or no?
WC: 1:36
No, I've always been a delivery driver.
HW: 1:40
Alright, so next up, did you notice any co workers leaving or new workers joining after the outbreak?
WC: 1:46
Some part time workers quit just due to trauma and quarantine for the pandemic not wanting to get sick. But there's also a bunch of people that wanted to work and ended up getting jobs because of the pandemic.
HW: 2:00
So, were your wages affected at all by the pandemic?
WC: 2:04
Not at all.
HW: 2:06
So when working during the pandemic was difficult to juggle both personal and professional life?
WC: 2:13
Honestly, not at all my personal life was put on hold because the pandemic so my professional life was really taking over. So I'm just working during this time.
HW: 2:23
Alright, so were you forceful at any government subsidies such as unemployment relief?
WC: 2:28
No, I was employed during the whole time of the pandemic.
HW: 2:32
Did your work become more difficult due to social distancing and mask use?
WC: 2:37
It didn't because I was just driving so I was alone. And a lot of customers chose contactless delivery, so they just leave it out their door.
HW: 2:46
So in your opinion, did the work of ours become less friendly and interactive after the pandemic?
WC: 2:53
Um, well, ah of my co workers just were kind of standoffish and honestly, they just there wasn't much more conversation due to not getting close to someone in the masks and everything.
HW: 3:08
So during the pandemic, did you experience an increase in stress while working?
WC: 3:13
Yeah, I was honestly stressed on a daily basis. I live with my grandmother. She's a heavy chain smoker. So I was extremely worried about coming home and giving her the virus.
HW: 3:27
Did your experience did you experience a lack of motivation to work or even keep your job during the early months of the outbreak?
WC: 3:34
My motivation was somewhat higher because I just wanted to get out of the house being quarantined all day, there's been nothing to do so going to work was honestly like a break.
HW: 3:45
So at the time with the initial outbreak, I know there were mask mandates at the pizzeria. But were there any vaccine mandates at all? Or?
WC: 3:53
No, there was no vaccination mandate to work up until today.
HW: 4:00
So lastly, did your family experience any hardships with job loss or other complications?
WC: 4:06
There wasn't a job loss with my parents or anything but there was just a lot of mental health issues being quarantined. Ever everyone felt the need to get out but cut in and it was just really tough for everyone.
HW: 4:18
I got that. Alright, so I think that pretty much wraps up all the questions I have for you. I'm just wondering if you got anything to ask me about the pandemic.
WC: 4:26
No, thank you for the interview.
HW: 4:27
Yeah. All right. Well, thank you so much. Also, I appreciate your time.
Item sets
This item was submitted on May 11, 2022 by [anonymous user] using the form “Share Your Story” on the site “A Journal of the Plague Year”: https://covid-19archive.org/s/archive
Click here to view the collected data.