My boss left me the option to not work, and take vacation pay, or stay home unpaid. I am the only employee aside from the 2 owners, and they have been out of the office prepping their house to sell. Luckily, this week, I am just working at the shop configuring, programming, and testing for an upcoming out of town project.

Any clients requesting work done in their home, for the foreseeable future, will be required to sign a liability waiver before I step foot on their property. Today, I scheduled a hang and bang for an older couple for this coming friday. They did not express any concern. I did tell them they still had to sign the waiver though.

No one knows what the situation will be in a week or a month or in 3 months. But this mess will cause all kinds of labor related issues. Guys not willing to work. Can you fire them for this? Probably depends on your state and/or your ethics as an employer. Guys willing to work but clients or agencies not allowing them work in their homes/businesses. Now what do you do? Pay your people to mop the floor at the shop? Organize the vans?

I can unfortunately see situations where people have to subcontract to those willing to work, but those people inflating their labor rates because of the demand. I can also see some "pro bono" work getting done in the spirit of helping out. Hopefully the latter is more common than the former.

It would be nice, but not at all practical, if everyone would just put everything on pause for a month or 3. Let things settle down. I have heard of some places freezing mortgage and utility payments, so people who cannot work will not have to worry about paying bills they cannot afford to pay. I have heard of banks giving people up to 90 days or more grace periods on car loans, etc. to give some relief.

The future is uncertain, and we can only look ahead so far. Worry about today and take tomorrow as it comes. Wash your hands and do not cough on people.