Company recognizes worker’s value after firing him due to his COVID diagnosis

In a story of resilience and recognition, a man's journey takes an unexpected twist after he was unjustly fired from his job due to COVID-19. Reddit user u/Solid_Information shared her husband's story of being fired from his job of over 10 years. Layoffs are pretty common at work, even with jobs that have poor pay. The situation worsened during the COVID pandemic, when stepping out of our homes became risky, and jobs that involved outside work faced a significant hit. This is one such incident where a construction company, after firing an individual when he contracted the coronavirus, realised the actual value of his job and decided to bring him back.

The user began her note, "My husband was fired from his job in January of 2021 after 10+ years because we got Covid, and he was down for the count for a month." In a strange turn of events, one of the company's senior members sent the husband a text on the pretext that they wanted to keep in touch and inquired about his current job. The woman added that the company advertised her husband's former position with $5 higher pay than he received before his termination. She also highlighted the company's desperation by saying that this was the third time the job had been advertised ever since he was fired. She continued, "My husband was a construction manager. He took the job at 19, so he wasn't aware of the real value his work and position had." At the time that he was fired, the husband was making $17 for an hour of work, which is relatively meager. The post detailed how it's been a year and a half since the husband got fired and how the company still couldn't find anyone to work for the same position at such a poor rate. The wife then tactfully suggested that the husband reach out to the same company for work, but only if they give him $45 for an hour of work.

Users on the website were quick to agree with the unfairness of the situation. u/MoonSpankRaw commented: "I know you’re not really asking a question, but what he’s doing now definitely matters the most for how he responds to this. And I agree: go notably above what they’re offering!"

Others shared how the position of a construction manager is a very important one and one gets paid very decently for it. U/spacer87 commented, "What state are you in? I work for a contractor, and our construction managers are considered a leadership position and make well over $100k per year." A reaction by u/ahornyboto read: "Construction manager for $17? He’s severely underpaid, nothing less than 100k and with his 10 years experience I’d say he should be getting 150-200k."

"Managing construction sites, where workers can die and things can go wrong if proper standards aren’t maintained, for $17 an hour? Jesus Christ!" expressed u/SaveMeJebus21. A suggestion by u/Test_subject_515 read: "Don't ever work for that company again. They can drown in their own s**t. He'll probably be better off somewhere else."