Emotion: fear
Problem: job crisis
Situation: My son had heart surgery this year and is in the midst of being diagnosed with CP. I work with a lot of people and am terrified I could catch COVID and it will kill him.

user: Good afternoon/evening

assistant: Hello, how are you tonight?

user: Doing great. How about yourself?

assistant: I'm doing well how can I help you tonight?

user: So, the issue I'm having is work-related. My son had heart surgery a few months ago. He now has a pacemaker. He's also in the middle of testing for CP. My job requires that I be around a lot of people. I always wear a mask...but sometimes the people I am with do not. Nor do they respect the 6-foot boundary. A simple cold gives my son a fever of 103. Im scared that if I continue to work, Im putting him in danger. But if I stop, I can no longer afford bills. My son just turned 2.

assistant: I can see where this would be frustrating. As parents our biggest goal is to keep them safe and healthy. Have you thought about having a conversation with the people you are around to inform them you'd wish they wear a mask?

user: I have. A few people respected my wishes. But one in particular stands out. A gentleman who told me he had a medical condition and proceeded to get in my face. He got angry at my request. In my shoes, what would you do? Because I feel like Im stuck between a rock and a hard place lol

assistant: I understand how you feel. Can you tell me a little more about how it makes you feel when they don't honor your requests?

user: It makes me feel trapped. Frustrated. I would never intentionally try to put someone else in harms way and I feel like I don t *don't get the same courtesy I feel frustrated because I'm REQUIRED to deal with people. I work in construction. I feel trapped because, what are my options? Continue to work.....my son gets sick and dies. His pediatrician has already warned me how deadly this could be for me. And if I quit? No money? I have a 5 year old I have to take care of too.

assistant: I can see exactly how frustrated you are in this situation. Before I share some ideas do you have any ideas of ways to combat this issue?

user: I've spoken to my boss. He was sympathetic about it all....At this point I'm not sure what to do.

assistant: Alright. Have you talked to your boss about working in areas where you can be around people less? Or possibly going part time for now and finding a lob that puts less danger on you and your family?

user: Those are fairly decent ideas. The struggle for money would still be an issue if I worked part-time. And I doubt I could find a better job at this particular time. With that being said, I didn't think to see if the boss would let me work in the office for a bit. I know my fellow employees would respect my wishes. Any other suggestions?

assistant: We are going through some really tough times right now and I think that most people are very sympathetic. Especially for those who are in your shoes. Our children are our top priority and seeing them sick hurts us more than anything. How do you feel about talking to your boss about working in the office for a bit until things calm down a little? Do you get paid vacation time in your job?

user: That sounds like a reasonable thing to do. I do get paid vacation