I was furloughed: 6 people who worked at restaurants, as substitute teachers or tour guides, and more share how they're getting by with no income

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I was furloughed: 6 people who worked at restaurants, as substitute teachers or tour guides, and more share how they're getting by with no income
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Being furloughed means you're put on unpaid leave while business is shut down.

  • The coronavirus pandemic has shut nonessential businesses down for the time being, and many workers have been told to stay home in efforts to flatten the curve.
  • Instead of layoffs, many companies have opted to furlough employees, or enforced unpaid time off.
  • Employees who've been furloughed but need to bring in income have come up with a variety of alternative routes for cash flow, including freelancing, tutoring, and redesigning their websites.
  • Some of these six workers have filed for unemployment, and some are worried about their coworkers.
  • Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Worldwide, COVID-19 is having an incredibly detrimental impact on thousands of businesses.

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In an effort to flatten the curve and slow the spread, many people are staying home. Some states are even mandating it with lockdowns - about one of every three Americans is required to remain in their house for the foreseeable future.

But while this is probably the safest way to go (for now), it doesn't erase the fact that there are many horrible secondary effects of this pandemic.

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Companies across the nation are experiencing huge declines in business. Many smaller ones have had to shut their doors completely, at least for the time being. And when this happens, when the bottom line suffers, people lose their jobs. And in the case of COVID-19, which has escalated so rapidly, they had very little time to prepare.

In lieu of layoffs, several organizations chose to furlough their employees. Like Marriot, which started furloughing tens of thousands of employees on March 17, and GE, which furloughed 50% of its maintenance and repair employees for at least three months.

An employee furlough is when an employer requires employees to take unpaid time off. It's different from a layoff because, when the company can be fully operational again, the employees are (usually) guaranteed their jobs back.

Despite that positive aspect, these workers are suddenly receiving much less pay - or none at all. We spoke to six people who've lost work as a result of COVID-19. Here are their stories.

Ammar Shahid, a digital marketing manager in New York City, is furloughed to work part time and is substituting the $1,000-a-month loss by freelancing

When M. Ammar Shahid's company leadership realized the severity of the situation, they knew they needed to reduce labor costs. So, HR gathered everyone together and told them they'd be furloughed half-time.

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Ammar Shahid

Ammar Shahid

Ammar Shahid.

"I felt somewhat comfortable with this decision because I was anxious about [the impact the virus could have on] my family," Shahid said, adding that he's still nervous about the long-term consequences.

For the foreseeable future, Shahid works a few hours each day, completing certain tasks and communicating with his team remotely. He believes, because of his decrease in hours, he'll lose about $1,000 of income each month.

To make up for this, he's picked up some freelance gigs writing about comics and fashion. Luckily, he had former clients and referrals who helped him land these opportunities. On average, he writes three pieces a day and makes about $15 per piece.

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Nastia Bendebury, an outdoor guide in Portland, had all tours cancelled and is still waiting on her paychecks while she searches for freelance gigs

Being an outdoor guide for a few different companies in Portland, Oregon, includes many different types of activities. On any given day, Nastia Bendebury could be taking participants to see majestic waterfalls, leading them through the city on bikes, or guiding them on a moonlight snowshoeing or Pacific Crest backpacking excursion.

As the COVID-19 outbreak rapidly turned into a pandemic, Bendebury learned that there would be no tours, and thus no need for guides.

"The notifications came gradually," she shared. "Since the tour industry moves a little slow in the winter and spring, there weren't any reserves in the companies' accounts. After the first wave of [tour] cancellations, we were told our paychecks would be late. The second wave drained the accounts, and now our paychecks are a big open question. I assume we'll get them at some point? Maybe? Who knows."

Nastia Bendebury

Nastia Bendebury

Nastia Bendebury.

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Bendebury estimates that she'll lose around $2,000 each month. Fortunately, she has six months of living expenses saved up.

For now, she's going to work on her science communications website - Demystifying Science - full time. She'll also try to do some freelance writing, online teaching, and editing. Last year, she ran an editing business that helped her cover rent. However, as she explained, "teaching and editing is uncertain - I've lost much of my client pool from last year, and spooling up again will take some time."

Michael Shilo DeLay, a substitute teacher in Portland and Bendebury's fiance, is tutoring and focusing on their side project

Bendebury isn't the only person in her household who's lost work because of COVID-19. Her fiance, Michael Shilo DeLay, lost his main source of income - substitute teaching - when schools in Oregon shut down. (Oregon's governor recently extended the school closures through April 28.)

"Being a sub is a great job for someone working on independent projects," DeLay said. But "for subs, unlike salaried teachers, we only get paid when we get to teach. Now that schools have closed, there's no income available for me."

Business Insider is looking for more real-life stories about the coronavirus. Got one to share? Email editor Alyse Kalish at akalish@businessinsider.com.

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As a sub, DeLay's income varied depending on how often the schools scheduled him, but, on average, he made $1,500 to $2,500 monthly. (So, if you're doing the math, that means the Bendebury-DeLay household will miss out on $3,500 to $4,500 each month).

Michael Shilo DeLayMichael Shilo DeLay

Michael Shilo DeLay.

For now, DeLay plans on trying to earn money by tutoring and freelance writing for popular science magazines. But being brand new to freelancing is tough. "So far, no luck, but I've probably only emailed a dozen or so editors," he shared. "My understanding is that it'll take hundreds to get my first break."

Like Bendebury, DeLay will also devote a lot of time to the Demystifying Science blog, which he cofounded. Eventually, they'd like to turn it into a whole media platform across YouTube and social media. So, DeLay is working hard on a science YouTube account.

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For DeLay, the way forward isn't quite clear yet. Thankfully, after working in academia for a decade, he has a decent savings account. Plus, since subs don't typically work in the summer, he saved up even more because he knew his summer months would yield less income.

Ron Auerbach, a substitute teacher in Washington state, was furloughed for 6 weeks and filed for unemployment

Substitute teachers are affected all across the country. Ron Auerbach, an emergency sub for public schools and a university in Washington state, was furloughed for a minimum of six weeks. And while faculty and staff are guaranteed pay during school closures, Auerbach is hanging in limbo.

"It's very nerve-wracking because you just don't know what's going to happen," he shared. "Nor do you know how long this whole situation is going to last. And [since] you don't know how much money you'll have coming in, it's very difficult to know whether you'll be able to cover your expenses or not."

Shortly after being furloughed, Auerbach filed for unemployment. (And he's not the only one - 281,000 people applied for unemployment benefits between March 8 and 14 because of COVID-19. That's 33% higher than the week before.) Typically, people have to wait one week before they can apply, but Washington state has waived that requirement for now.

Ron Auerbach

Ron Auerbach

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Ron Auerbach.

In response to COVID-19, the federal government has also made some adjustments to the guidelines for unemployment benefits. The criteria to qualify have been changed for the time being, which will be an enormous help to those who are laid off or furloughed due to the pandemic.

Though he hasn't tried to find any other work yet, Auerbach is considering applying to work at an essential service business, like his local supermarket.

"With other businesses closed down, what's available is more limiting. Finding other [income] to help supplement the job loss isn't very easy," he explained. "So the fear and worries over what you'll do, how long it will last, how you'll make it through, are constantly on your mind."

Kevin Longa, a culinary guide based in San Francisco, is shifting his focus to monetizing his filmmaking

As a culinary guide, Kevin Longa took people on food tours around the city's Mission District, sharing the unknown stories of chefs and food entrepreneurs. "And, of course," he explained, "our guests would eat their delicious food!"

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On Monday, March 16, though, the tour company had a mandatory meeting. Through tears, the owner explained that she needed to cease operations. It was a devastating blow, as they were slated to expand to more cities this year. "Those hopes and dreams were dashed in pretty much an instant," Longa said.

Kevin LongaKevin Longa

Kevin Longa.

Longa immediately filed for unemployment to make up for the $1,000 he'll lose each month. "[Applying] is tedious, as expected, but not completely painful," he shared. "The website worked fairly well - now, I just need to wait and see whether there will actually be funds to fulfill [my] claim."

Like some of the others, Longa is taking advantage of this newfound free time and will focus on his main line of work, filmmaking. For the past few years, he's been creating an international food documentary series called "TASTE With Kevin Longa." He hopes to release it later this year and to monetize with Patreon, merchandising, and sponsorships.

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"It's unlikely that I'll make money from my film projects in the short term," Longa said. "But I was always creating 'TASTE' for the long term, anyway. My closest fans have been supporting me through my Venmo account."

Jill Lemieux, a restaurant manager in Boston, filed for unemployment - but worries about her colleagues who rely on tips

The restaurant industry has been hit hard by COVID-19, as many states are forbidding restaurants from providing dine-in services. Jill Lemieux, a manager at Pier 6 in Boston, is one of those restaurant employees who's been affected.

"The owner of my restaurant group (Navy Yard Hospitality Group) was in touch with us daily, giving us updates with information he received from the mayor's and governor's offices," she explained. "The last email from him was Sunday, March 15, letting us know the decision was made to limit all Boston restaurants to take out and delivery only."

Jill Lemieux

Jill Lemieux

Jill Lemieux.

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The following morning, he held a conference call to let all employees know they'd be furloughed. He reminded them to file for unemployment benefits and reassured them that they would most certainly have jobs when the ban lifted. (Lemieux recognizes that she's lucky to be part of such a big restaurant group. The future is much more uncertain for smaller establishments.)

Initially, she felt defenseless. "No fault of my employer," Lemieux said. "We were doing everything we could to keep our work environment safe, and still the situation was and is much bigger than we could get a handle on."

To get by financially, Lemieux filed for unemployment, which should cover her basic costs of living. Though her income is significantly impacted, she was clear that the front-of-house staff will suffer much more, as tips are their main source of income. Some workers, she said, will probably lose close to $3,000 each month.

Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email covidtips@businessinsider.com and tell us your story.

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