Item
GC Oral History, 2022/05/11
Media
Title (Dublin Core)
GC 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
Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)
Collection (Dublin Core)
Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
05/11/2022
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
05/11/2022
05/16/2022
05/17/2022
Date Created (Dublin Core)
05/10/2022
Interviewer (Bibliographic Ontology)
HW
Interviewee (Bibliographic Ontology)
GC
Location (Omeka Classic)
Buffalo
New York
United States of America
Format (Dublin Core)
Audio
Language (Dublin Core)
English
Duration (Omeka Classic)
00:05:58
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 GC. It is currently May 10th, 2022 at 5:48 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.
GC: 0:13
Yes, I confirm.
HW: 0:15
Alright, so to start off were your work hours affected by the COVID-19 outbreak?
GC: 0:20
So I actually had my job two years prior to the pandemic happening. So, I was a reliable employee. My work hours were definitely cut short, but it was one of those special opportunities where I got to work part-time because I was in college.
HW: 0:41
Alright, so next up, did you transportation method change since the outbreak?
GC: 0:46
No. So I've actually had my own vehicles since I started COVID. And I still have the same vehicle.
HW: 0:51
Gotcha. Did you employ reduce the amount of workers present at the workplace at one time?
GC: 0:58
Yes. So at the start of the pandemic, when schools were shutting down, that's when a bunch of people got laid off. Yeah.
HW: 1:09
Alright, so when you're on the job, or you're expected to follow any strict clean procedures,
GC: 1:15
Yeah, it was mostly just like, keeping surfaces in the bathrooms clean and washing our hands and sort of things like that.
HW: 1:24
Alright, so with that, um, did you see your fellow co workers increasing the sanitary awareness?
GC: 1:30
Yeah, definitely. I think overall, the entire work environment, everyone was more clean.
HW: 1:37
So did any specific work tasks assigned to change because of the pandemic?
GC: 1:43
No, not really. My job didn't really have much of a change.
HW: 1:49
So with the initial outbreak, did you notice a change in co workers leaving or coming into the job?
GC: 1:56
Yes, we actually had a little both. A lot of people left. And then we actually hired a group of Amish to come in and work for cheaper labor.
HW: 2:10
So next, what are your wages affected by the pandemic at all?
GC: 2:14
No, my wages stayed the same.
HW: 2:16
So do you think with the initial outbreak quarantine started? Did you think it became more difficult to juggle both your personal and professional life during this time?
GC: 2:26
Definitely. I mean, I think it was hard for everyone. Personally, I think a lot of people struggled with a lot of mental. A lot of mental problems. Yeah, and then trying to stay busy with the professional life. It's I mean, it's definitely tough to juggle it.
HW: 2:46
Did you have any sort of Unemployment Relief from the government?
GC: 2:50
So later into the pandemic, I actually did end up getting laid off. But that was part. Part of the reason was just because I was moving out to Buffalo for college. So I did actually rely on government unemployment at that time, for a few months, and it was really helpful.
HW: 3:14
Did your work become more difficult due to social distancing and mask use if that apply to your job?
GC: 3:20
Um, yeah, I mean, I think I mean, I think my work was a lot of physical labor. So having a mask kind of sucked. But like you get used to it. And social distance didn't really play an effect, because in my job environment, you really, you really social distance. Anyways. So
HW: 3:43
Gotcha. Did you experience any sort of stress increase while working during the pandemic?
GC: 3:50
Yeah, definitely. I think. I mean, I think, compared to, before the pandemic, there was more stress, just with dealing with remembering your mask and trying to social distance trying to watch what you say, because people have a lot of different beliefs. There's a lot of mixed media out there. So I think there's a lot of controversy.
HW: 4:17
So did you experience any sort of lack of motivational work during the early months of the outbreak?
GC: 4:23
No, I mean, I tried to just keep up my same, same work ethic as I did, didn't let the pandemic get the best of me.
HW: 4:32
All right. So you said you got a mask mandate? Did you have any sort of vaccine mandate as well to determine unemployment or employment eligibility, excuse me?
GC: 4:43
So the mask mandate wasn't really a problem with me. But when it comes to the vaccine mandates I was laid off at that time, but I do know that my work environment did implore a vaccine mandate and I know that a lot of people did leave because of it. I'm not sure if this was handled well, but I know that they did what they had to do based on the amount of people that work at that environment.
HW: 5:18
And then lastly, does your family experience any sort of hardships to job loss or near the complications because of the outbreak?
GC: 5:25
No, thankfully. My mother is in healthcare, so she had a steady job and my dad kept his job so there was no complications there.
HW: 5:38
Alright, well, that pretty much sums up all the questions I got for you. Do you have anything you got asked me?
GC: 5:43
Yeah, I was just wondering your favorite color is?
HW: 5:46
Probably orange. I've always liked it as a little kid and you can't really go wrong. It's a nice color. Also just love oranges.
GC: 5:53
Hear you, man.
HW: 5:54
Alright, well thanks for your time today. I really appreciate it.
GC: 5:56
Yeah, no problem.
What's up, guys? I'm with GC. It is currently May 10th, 2022 at 5:48 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.
GC: 0:13
Yes, I confirm.
HW: 0:15
Alright, so to start off were your work hours affected by the COVID-19 outbreak?
GC: 0:20
So I actually had my job two years prior to the pandemic happening. So, I was a reliable employee. My work hours were definitely cut short, but it was one of those special opportunities where I got to work part-time because I was in college.
HW: 0:41
Alright, so next up, did you transportation method change since the outbreak?
GC: 0:46
No. So I've actually had my own vehicles since I started COVID. And I still have the same vehicle.
HW: 0:51
Gotcha. Did you employ reduce the amount of workers present at the workplace at one time?
GC: 0:58
Yes. So at the start of the pandemic, when schools were shutting down, that's when a bunch of people got laid off. Yeah.
HW: 1:09
Alright, so when you're on the job, or you're expected to follow any strict clean procedures,
GC: 1:15
Yeah, it was mostly just like, keeping surfaces in the bathrooms clean and washing our hands and sort of things like that.
HW: 1:24
Alright, so with that, um, did you see your fellow co workers increasing the sanitary awareness?
GC: 1:30
Yeah, definitely. I think overall, the entire work environment, everyone was more clean.
HW: 1:37
So did any specific work tasks assigned to change because of the pandemic?
GC: 1:43
No, not really. My job didn't really have much of a change.
HW: 1:49
So with the initial outbreak, did you notice a change in co workers leaving or coming into the job?
GC: 1:56
Yes, we actually had a little both. A lot of people left. And then we actually hired a group of Amish to come in and work for cheaper labor.
HW: 2:10
So next, what are your wages affected by the pandemic at all?
GC: 2:14
No, my wages stayed the same.
HW: 2:16
So do you think with the initial outbreak quarantine started? Did you think it became more difficult to juggle both your personal and professional life during this time?
GC: 2:26
Definitely. I mean, I think it was hard for everyone. Personally, I think a lot of people struggled with a lot of mental. A lot of mental problems. Yeah, and then trying to stay busy with the professional life. It's I mean, it's definitely tough to juggle it.
HW: 2:46
Did you have any sort of Unemployment Relief from the government?
GC: 2:50
So later into the pandemic, I actually did end up getting laid off. But that was part. Part of the reason was just because I was moving out to Buffalo for college. So I did actually rely on government unemployment at that time, for a few months, and it was really helpful.
HW: 3:14
Did your work become more difficult due to social distancing and mask use if that apply to your job?
GC: 3:20
Um, yeah, I mean, I think I mean, I think my work was a lot of physical labor. So having a mask kind of sucked. But like you get used to it. And social distance didn't really play an effect, because in my job environment, you really, you really social distance. Anyways. So
HW: 3:43
Gotcha. Did you experience any sort of stress increase while working during the pandemic?
GC: 3:50
Yeah, definitely. I think. I mean, I think, compared to, before the pandemic, there was more stress, just with dealing with remembering your mask and trying to social distance trying to watch what you say, because people have a lot of different beliefs. There's a lot of mixed media out there. So I think there's a lot of controversy.
HW: 4:17
So did you experience any sort of lack of motivational work during the early months of the outbreak?
GC: 4:23
No, I mean, I tried to just keep up my same, same work ethic as I did, didn't let the pandemic get the best of me.
HW: 4:32
All right. So you said you got a mask mandate? Did you have any sort of vaccine mandate as well to determine unemployment or employment eligibility, excuse me?
GC: 4:43
So the mask mandate wasn't really a problem with me. But when it comes to the vaccine mandates I was laid off at that time, but I do know that my work environment did implore a vaccine mandate and I know that a lot of people did leave because of it. I'm not sure if this was handled well, but I know that they did what they had to do based on the amount of people that work at that environment.
HW: 5:18
And then lastly, does your family experience any sort of hardships to job loss or near the complications because of the outbreak?
GC: 5:25
No, thankfully. My mother is in healthcare, so she had a steady job and my dad kept his job so there was no complications there.
HW: 5:38
Alright, well, that pretty much sums up all the questions I got for you. Do you have anything you got asked me?
GC: 5:43
Yeah, I was just wondering your favorite color is?
HW: 5:46
Probably orange. I've always liked it as a little kid and you can't really go wrong. It's a nice color. Also just love oranges.
GC: 5:53
Hear you, man.
HW: 5:54
Alright, well thanks for your time today. I really appreciate it.
GC: 5:56
Yeah, no problem.
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.