Essential or Non-Essential

[bhop56]

I'm with Bob. I was a Director before retiring and the less I directed the more our team accomplished! I was Director Non Essential.

[Eric Cope]

Not sure what my business is considered, we have always fell between the cracks. We rent equipment, tools and party items. Obviously, the tents, tables, chairs, bounces houses,etc are dead and certainly not essential. We are still very cautiously open, doors are locked, everything is done over the phone, limited contact with the customers. We disinfect every piece that's returned. We see people/contractors wanting/needing to work and our equipment, backhoes,chippers, aerial lifts, etc are still in demand. Really don't want to be part of the problem. I feel we are considered home improvement which is allowed in NJ. As of earlier today our county of around 140,000 residents has 100 positives and 1 death. We are in Northern NJ. Whole different world right now........If the cases balloon, I'm going to close for a while. Wishing good health to everyone.

[FordmanNJ]

This whole essential and non essential is also shifting. When I posted on 28th, I was still working. Yesterday on the 31st, I was let go due to lack of business. I found out in the morning and the decision was actually made a few days prior. They were hoping for something to come in during that time before the talk. The company I was working for did not have enough business to keep the current staffing levels. They reduced staffing which was 2 techs, 2 office workers, and 1 warehouse worker. Their plan is to bring us back once things stabilize either financially or overall. Right now only the owners (father and son), the warehouse manager, and I thin kthe bookkeeper are staying to run the company for the time being. Neither here nor there, I cleaned out my desk, cleaned out shop tooling for the office from my boxes, loaded my tool cart and shop box on to my truck, set my voicemail and E mail to report otherwise, and left. I turned in my company credit card to my boss for safe keeping. Left certain other items behind on my desk as well.


@Eric Cope, Small world. I know you. I use to deal with you when it came to Bobcat skidsteers. My wife rented a popcorn marker in February for a party we were having. My wife asked me if I knew anybody in the area, I said your place since it's only 5 minutes from my parents. From my understanding, if you have a retail store front, I think it gets tricky. However, since you rent equipment, it makes you essential. New construction is halted. However if you need to supply equipment due to weather emergency you can still be open. From my understanding in general, B2B suppliers are allowed to be open. So if you are renting an chipper to someone that is a business, you have to practice the distancing thing but you can still function. good luck...

[Eric Cope]

This whole essential and non essential is also shifting. When I posted on 28th, I was still working. Yesterday on the 31st, I was let go due to lack of business. I found out in the morning and the decision was actually made a few days prior. They were hoping for something to come in during that time before the talk. The company I was working for did not have enough business to keep the current staffing levels. They reduced staffing which was 2 techs, 2 office workers, and 1 warehouse worker. Their plan is to bring us back once things stabilize either financially or overall. Right now only the owners (father and son), the warehouse manager, and I thin kthe bookkeeper are staying to run the company for the time being. Neither here nor there, I cleaned out my desk, cleaned out shop tooling for the office from my boxes, loaded my tool cart and shop box on to my truck, set my voicemail and E mail to report otherwise, and left. I turned in my company credit card to my boss for safe keeping. Left certain other items behind on my desk as well.


@Eric Cope, Small world. I know you. I use to deal with you when it came to Bobcat skidsteers. My wife rented a popcorn marker in February for a party we were having. My wife asked me if I knew anybody in the area, I said your place since it's only 5 minutes from my parents. From my understanding, if you have a retail store front, I think it gets tricky. However, since you rent equipment, it makes you essential. New construction is halted. However if you need to supply equipment due to weather emergency you can still be open. From my understanding in general, B2B suppliers are allowed to be open. So if you are renting an chipper to someone that is a business, you have to practice the distancing thing but you can still function. good luck...

Hi FordmanNJ, Thank you for your business, I really do appreciate it. I'm sorry for you and your family regarding your layoff. I spoke to a Town of Newton NJ ( nearby town of my business) police officer today and expressed my concerns regarding staying open for business. Later today he texted me and said he did a little research and said I'm OK to remain open assuming I'm following the rules. Thank you for the reassurance, I needed to hear that. I don't want to be part of the problem. Tough times. I'm hoping that my 33 year old business can weather this storm. If I can help you or you parents, let me know. Take care, stay safe.

[FordmanNJ]

Hi FordmanNJ, Thank you for your business, I really do appreciate it. I'm sorry for you and your family regarding your layoff. I spoke to a Town of Newton NJ ( nearby town of my business) police officer today and expressed my concerns regarding staying open for business. Later today he texted me and said he did a little research and said I'm OK to remain open assuming I'm following the rules. Thank you for the reassurance, I needed to hear that. I don't want to be part of the problem. Tough times. I'm hoping that my 33 year old business can weather this storm. If I can help you or you parents, let me know. Take care, stay safe.

No problem and thank you. We are good. My wife is still working. The on line unemployment claim is filed. The only problem I have right now is about a 1/2 filled beer fridge. That will need to be stocked up. I am more concerned about how long this is going to take to get things going again after this is though. My former employer is hoping to recall us in about 2-3 weeks, I'm like OK I hope so too. It all depends how this virus runs it course before things will get back going again.

Good luck weathering the storm...

[LV Naturist]

@FordmanNJ I agree this essential/non-essential is turning out to be a moving target. I was deemed essential early on, then non-essential and sent home (with pay, fortunately), and now have been deemed essential again and called back to work. My wife is still essential being in the construction business, although her job is becoming more and more stressful in that she wears several hats in the company. As the VP Accounting, she has to make sure the finances and cash flow are still running accurately, and now has to figure out all this stimulus stuff to take advantage of what's needed while still making sure they are doing it in compliance. Along with that, she also functions as the company's HR person and has to deal with all the nuances of furloughs, quarantines, paid family leave, etc., again making sure they are doing all that in compliance with ever changing rules. Needless to say, her work day is more often followed by a couple of adult beverages and rather intense venting...

John

[FordmanNJ]

@LV Naturist Now that sounds like a headache. I know my former employer is trying to take advantage of the stimulus business loans, grants and anything else. They are hoping to get something so they can bring at least a few of us back if not all. If I am recalled back, I might be facing the same issues as before with lack of work. So having me on the payroll is all good and stuff but if there is no generating income, I might be back out on the street. There is some starting discussions on the after effects once the virus has run through. Those are not sobering numbers.

[Rgjetboater]

Well, I work for an oilfield service company in Saudi. I got here February 25 and am still here. Saudi banned all flights in and out of the airport about 2 1/2 weeks ago and they're still banned. All public transportation is currently banned; taxis, buses, trains, etc. There has been one repatriation flight from Riyadh, one happening April 6 from Dammam and another April 8 from Jeddah. These flight are for US residents, legal US residents, etc. I'm unable to leave since my relief can't get in the country and who knows when that will be. I've pretty much resigned to being here April and maybe into May. Maybe essential to the company...for now.

[LV Naturist]

Well, I work for an oilfield service company in Saudi. I got here February 25 and am still here. Saudi banned all flights in and out of the airport about 2 1/2 weeks ago and they're still banned. All public transportation is currently banned; taxis, buses, trains, etc. There has been one repatriation flight from Riyadh, one happening April 6 from Dammam and another April 8 from Jeddah. These flight are for US residents, legal US residents, etc. I'm unable to leave since my relief can't get in the country and who knows when that will be. I've pretty much resigned to being here April and maybe into May. Maybe essential to the company...for now.

On an side note, I spent some time in Saudi in the early '80's unrelated to the oil industry (Elf One). We stayed in Riyadh and mostly Al Jubail for several months. I'm sure things there have changed in the past 40'ish years but back then it was like I had stepped back into the Old Testament. Ah, memories...



John

[FordmanNJ]

I figured I would raise this thread back up from the dead. On Monday, May 4th, I was recalled back to the office. The other company the owners own, they brought back their employees on the 18th. Since then, we have been performing clean up work in the office, tech department and warehouse. However since the week before Memorial day, our workload has been increasing. The amount of sales inquiries have also increased substantially. Most of the sales quotes are from customers who now want to schedule in house demos of the equipment before writing a check for down payment to get the equipment. I think the one owner said one company is looking to spend around 100K in equipment for a new location to be brought on line. Several of the shops I have spoken with said the covid signage is keeping them alive but now they are starting to see a transition back to regular orders coming in. Now my employers are hoping for an even larger sales increase from this whole mess. The one is thinking we will get a huge boost in the next couple of quarters if several of these sales go through. The other owner thinks it might be like nothing happened at all. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of months. I might not be able to take off due to volume of work. So we will see what happens next.