Ok Vin, I gotta chime in on this one. For starters, let me say no worries on losing a listener here, love ya man, your like the cousin I never met but somehow I have known for years. I am a healthcare worker and I agree the offers are bs. Nothing more than a "feel good" move to make companies more appealing to the public. That being said, I need to correct you on one small part of your "they knew what they signed up for" rant. Yes, they did, they knew what they might face, but they also expected employers to have their back in regards to proper PPE. As much as a movie buff as you are, I am sure you are very familiar with Dustin Hoffman and Morgan Freeman in "Outbreak". Lots of talent in that movie, Sutherland, Cuba Gooding Jr, the list goes on. Now Hoffman's character is a doctor who deals with the worst of the worst of viruses, etc. He knew what he signed up for. Even said that line in the movie. Now, imagine telling him to do the job without the suit, or to keep using the same suit and "oh sorry, the decontamination area is out of order." If he still does his job he is either a fool or a hero. Same situation, albeit on a slightly less dangerous scale. Covid doesn't turn your innards into liquid s*** in a matter of minutes or hours, but it has a high mortality in weeks. I don't want discounts on cars and I don't want thanks, truthfully I just want to do my job and do it safely so I can return to my family safely. Docs and nurses are the focus and that's wrong. I agree with you on cashiers, but also healthcare housekeepers who clean those damn rooms everyday, etc etc who have no medical training and are just trying to hold a job that pays more than minimum wage. Ok my friend, rant over, and yes still a loyal listener, every morning from 7-830.
Oh, wait, here is a fact. April 7 2020, I was issued a Stage 1 single use disposable surgical mask with a note that read, "Make it last" It has been disinfected so many times, the yellow color is gone. May 11 I was issued my second mask, a "kn95" which in short is China's version of an N95, but still not NIOSH approved. So after 34 days I got a second piece of substandard PPE. Now I have spent out of pocket close to $2800 on PPE for myself, and I'm fine with it because safety is more important than the blame game. Does that relinquish the employer responsibility? No.