Experiments in capitalism: day 8

Ten days ago I had about five different employers. Over the course of last week at varying speeds and under different circumstances I lost all forms of income. I watched managers lay off employees. I watched businesses close their doors. I watched some stay open, hoping for the best.

I spent a few days in exchange with my primary employer who we’ll call “big business” (it’s all gone to shit really but I will try to keep things anonymous) in efforts to get paid sick time off. I do not know the particular rules or legalities surrounding paid sick time off. What I do know is that I had worked enough days at big business to accumulate 35 hours of sick paid time off. I was scheduled to work last week but work canceled last minute because of covid. I asked to use my sick paid time off to bill those hours. I emailed one manager then another manager then director and HR–twice. (I spelled HR’s name wrong in the first email which probably didn’t help my case but also HR calls me Kathryn and Anne interchangeably so the point is: HR and I don’t know each other well.) Ultimately they would not pay me my sick time off and I let it go.

A few days later I got a text from “small business”. “We owe you money. How can I send it?” “What money?” “You actually have quite a bit of PTO.” I was surprised. I hadn’t been working very much at small business and I didn’t realize I had been accruing PTO. But the part that really got me was: small business had way less means than big business, but they paid me anyway.

It’s not really about people. Everywhere I work(ed), I work with good people. It’s about the integrity of relationship. The bigger the company the poorer the relationship. And if the people at the top don’t know the people at the bottom, what inclines them to give? Law and obligation.

Mostly this week I’ve been selfish and hoardish. It’s how we’ve all been trained, after all. But, I’ve also witnessed sparks of spontaneous generosity. More than one person told me that if they get cash from the government they will send it to a loved one: Mom who owns a small business. Brother who has two kids. And I try to tack down the generous spirit in myself. What is it that moves me away from selfishness towards generosity? I think it has something to do with community. When I feel strongly that I belong, giving doesn’t feel like losing.

So, if you are someone who has any say in the matter: give money to small businesses, families, and workers. Let us build a new economy, a better one. I can tell you, from being down here, that if you put money at the bottom it will go exactly where it is needed.