Sound off: who among us is "essential", and who isn't?

Manufacturing Engineer at Abbott Labs in Maine. More essential than I thought I'd ever be.

Outdoor Industry / Climbing....very non-essential.

There were 1300 people in my building.  mostly Engineers, mostly R&D.
There are 50 of us left, with tight protocols around how we enter and leave labs, how many of us are in a room, and when or what days we work.
The idea being that if someone got sick, they don't want everyone left exposed, and if some did get exposed, there would be people to call back in.
In-building folks do the hands-on work, WFH folks do the data pulls, compiles, and some of the report writing.

Are we essential?  Yes and no.  We can't really mothball the development cycle for products, and we're keeping everyone employed.
I think that goes into the calculations, depending on where you are.

Commercial construction.
I’m not sure how “essential” it truly is although we do jobs for food service, gov’t and aerospace. Along with the oil companies, lawyers and tech firms.
I think it’s more essential for the economy.
Either way I’m super grateful to be working. 

Ralph Swansen wrote: Commercial construction.
I’m not sure how “essential” it truly is although we do jobs for food service, gov’t and aerospace. Along with the oil companies, lawyers and tech firms.
I think it’s more essential for the economy.
Either way I’m super grateful to be working. 

The developer is paying a lot for that loan, and the people that financed it want their money. 

Construction projects are so dependent on the schedule it would be foolish to stop all construction. You don't know when that welder will be available again, or electrician. They are on to the next project.

Buck Rio wrote:

The developer is paying a lot for that loan, and the people that financed it want their money. 

Construction projects are so dependent on the schedule it would be foolish to stop all construction. You don't know when that welder will be available again, or electrician. They are on to the next project.

There is a ton of money tied up in big commercial. And any delay in the schedule costs big. Not everybody understands that. 

All City Staff are generally considered essential. Even if your main focus is GIS and modeling. Woo....Corona time

Ralph Swansen wrote:

There is a ton of money tied up in big commercial. And any delay in the schedule costs big. Not everybody understands that. 

I work with Commercial Lending for a big bank

Buck Rio wrote:

The developer is paying a lot for that loan, and the people that financed it want their money. 

And there we are. So long as they get paid, what's a few laborers.

I'm the Structural Engineering Manger for our company and we design towers, mounts, perform construction engineering for modifications and maintenance of telecommunication towers, buildings, watertanks, etc.... So anytime a new tower gets built, antennas get upgraded, towers, buildings and foundations need inspections whether it's a privately owned, or government owned communication tower we are involved. My 7 month pregnant wife was let go from the Marriott two weeks ago so currently I'm the only one working and for us the telecom world has not even remotely slowed down it's actually gotten a lot busier. My wife works in the trade show industry and they were hit as far back as January. One of the largest trade shows in the US in Anaheim, CA "Expo West" which is for the the Natural and Organic Products/Food industry which normally takes every employee out of their office in Boulder, CO flew out there, got halfway thru move in and then got shutdown before they opened. Immediately most of their contracted employees were let go, but some that were great at their job they were offered permanent employment. Some were not so lucky.

The only thing that really affected our business is our inspection department is having to drive separately to tower sites and air travel has been minimized. Honestly, I wish they'd avoid air travel altogether, but I have no control over that department. I sent everyone home to work remotely about 2 weeks before the orders went out that schools were closing. So everyone is working fulltime in my department albeit remotely from home.

jarthur wrote: 
The only thing that really affected our business is our inspection department is having to drive separately to tower sites and air travel has been minimized. Honestly, I wish they'd avoid air travel altogether, but I have no control over that department. I sent everyone home to work remotely about 2 weeks before the orders went out that schools were closing. So everyone is working fulltime in my department albeit remotely from home.

Good example of how to adapt to this new reality. NIce job.

Anyone have a link to the Mt. Hood thread?

I make climbing equipment and my wife is a doctor, I guess together we might be " useful"!

Franck Vee wrote:

My dream job right there. Not being American, as I just mentioned, makes me pretty happy theses days but also makes it way less likely I'll ever work at NASA. We do have a space agency in Canada but we just don't have quite the same scope. The robotic arm stuff is pretty nice.... but it's not quite the Voyagers, Insight or Dragonfly.

Dont lose hope! Actually most people, including me, who work under NASA are basically contractors or though another company (Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, etc). Becoming a federal employee for NASA HQ actually isn't super appealing with the political climate.
I'm not a US Citizen either so its definitely doable, though you'll be limited to what areas you work in. I do camera design so that doesn't need Secret Clarence, but rocket design would for example.

I'm part of the Dragonfly team actually! 

Jim Titt wrote: I make climbing equipment and my wife is a doctor, I guess together we might be " useful"!

Jim, no. 

Hey look I’m sure you’re a great guy, but we need your wife and not you. If people are still buying  gear they’re just clogging up the crags. I would focus more on your relationship.

Thanks to all the loopholes in the rules, basicaly everything is considered essential. I know stores that sell hiking gear that are classified as essential apprarently. 

B P wrote:

Jim, no. 

Hey look I’m sure you’re a great guy, but we need your wife and not you. If people are still buying  gear they’re just clogging up the crags. I would focus more on your relationship.

Sometimes climbing equipment is search and rescue equipment. 

Kyle Elliott wrote:

Sometimes climbing equipment is search and rescue equipment. 

I was hoping to sound a little sarcastic

 I'm not aware of any states that are shutting down liquor stores (thankfully), and it would appear that dispensaries are in the clear as well. (I assume due to the medicinal aspect?)

PA shut the liquor stores a couple weeks ago. You can still buy wine in grocery stores (bad selection) and beer at beer distributors. No liquor tho. 

Can’t speak to the dispensaries but if the state were to cut off liquor sales the hospitals would be inundated with people in withdrawal. I’m not condoning it, but unfortunately I’d rather have a bunch of respiratory illness case that ETOH withdrawal, not to mention they probably pay better.