This can be a touchy subject that delves into personal choice, and personal health information on the job.
Doing an inside/outside clean, I can understand the question - doing exterior only then keep your curiosity and politics to yourself and keep your distance.
What say you?
Iām still thinking on this, but I have a couple follow-up questions to add: if itās appropriate for a client to ask us, is it also appropriate for us to ask a client if they are vaccinated if weāre going to be working inside their home/business?
And would our approach change if we werenāt vaccinated but got tested regularly? For example, letās say one of my workers is not vaccinated, but heās tested and shows theyāre negative for COVID. Should their vaccine status then be a non-issue if a client asks? Or would the negative test result mean nothing?
Not trying to rock the boat, but these are things Iām considering, living in an area where people tend to be hyper-sensitive on this topic (SE Michigan was hit really hard in 2021)
Or do we just say, āscrew it. If the client is going to be that bothered by it, the jobās not worth it.ā (Genuine question, as I know a lot of people donāt care either way)
I know COVID is more contagious and dangerous for some than the seasonal flu, and many it has mild effects. Has anyone had to show a āflu passportā at any time in the past?
This is a new health problem we are all faced with - so deciphering what is going too far and what is appropriate to dig into someones personal health issues that come into ones home?
I would think that if the customer, or someone in their home, is COVID vulnerable then would not want anyone in their house while that person is there; and if other than family they would disinfect common surfaces after a service provider left. Vaccine or not.
So there again, if you are vaccinated then what does it matter - other than protecting the vulnerable who have a compromised condition. That is self responsibility since this is not going away, it is here for life.
From what I hear (Iām not on Facebook) this IS a touchy subjectā¦
Preface = I got Moderna vaccine (yes, I got pounded with āflu like symptonsā on my second dose, didnt leave the couch for 3 days.)
As far as my disclosure? I had my card laminated the day I got shot 2. I KNEW thise would be one of the first questions I recieved.
but to be honest, I actually dont see the question pop up as much until I openly announce that I have been. (Im cool disclosing my opening/greeting verbage, I just dont want to make too many posts in a row, and get flagged for spam)
outside only = never comes up
as far as customers āright to askā = people will require you to take your fuckin SHOES OFF, while they have dog hair all over their floor and you KNOW your white socks are going to leave their āspotlessā home a lot darker than they entered it.
oh, and did they mention that little Kenny has a Plantars Wart? NOPE.
but we DO SO. Its posturing, and we play along, knowing full wellā¦
Always love your take on things.
I also got both jabs of moderna, back in June. The vaccine card lives on my dash. I have not yet had the need to show it anyone.
Several customers have asked if I was vaxxed prior to my doing interior work. Happy to disclose that to them.
Question hasnāt come up for exterior work, yet. But even if it did, I wouldnāt take offense at it. Maybe theyāre wondering whether they can invite me in for a coffee break? Doesnāt have to be politically motivated.
But I agree, from a business perspective, it shouldnāt be a big deal/sensitive issue.
If you havenāt been vaxxed, just say so. But as a good business person, offer potential solutions:
āI would be more than happy to provide a contactless service. You can leave while I clean the interiors, and I will be sure to air out the house prior to your return. Also, if you move all items away from the windows, that will insure that I do not have to handle your stuff unnecessarily. My hands are in soapy water all day, so I would be surprised if anything could survive on them. And Iām also very conscientious about not touching my face when Iām working. I hope these safeguards will help you feel more comfortable with my visit.ā
And if not? 
Lol, joker.
But seriously, āThen Iām probably not the contractor for you. I know there are several good window cleaners who are vaccinated. (Like that guy in the green shirtā¦ whatās his name, infinity something or otherā¦)ā
Ask them if they like anal? If they answer then you answer 
. Problem solved!
I got the Janssen in May.
I had a client ask us to wear our mask on an exterior only job in late July in Las Vegas, literally 115āF! I told her I would not ask my guys to do that and she insisted. I called off the job. She called back shortly afterward and said sheād take her kids to her parents for the week if we would clean the windows!
To each their own.
My MO:
While wearing a mask at the door, I tell my clients from the get go, āIām vaccinated and had Covid last Thanksgiving.ā Most say, āWeāre vaccinated too! Donāt worry with the mask.ā Some will put a mask on and I tell them that in their home they donāt need to do that for me. This usually gets the majority of the others to tell me not to worry and take my mask off too.
Be respectful. Understand this virus is changing our world and be willing to say no-without explanation.
Be safe my friends.
Oh manā¦ masks are a whole other ball of wax, huh?
This is the note Iāve been sending to customers prior to their appointments for interior work:
āā¦
I also wanted to mention that Iām not currently working masked indoors (I just canāt tolerate wearing one for extended periods). I would prefer to keep as much social distance as possible, though, and I keep a mask on me at all times in case I need to be in the same space as someone else.ā
So far, that has been an issue for only 3 families Iāve worked for, all of whom had individuals with compromised immune systems. I offered the previously mentioned solution of leaving while I did the interiors, and letting me air out the house prior to their return.
If I were not in VT, where there are a record % of vaccād homes and still relatively low case numbers, Iād still probably only be doing exterior work. I just canāt stand wearing a mask for any longer than a grocery store trip.
As it stands, I try and only book one interior job per week, so if I were to get exposed somehow on one job, I would hopefully hear about it and/or experience symptoms before I could bring it into my next customerās home. Many of my customers are elderly, and of course I care a lot about their wellbeing.
(And on a personal note: itās a KN95 or nothing, for me. If Iām gonna wear one, I might as well be getting some protection out of it, too. But thatās probably one of the reasons I canāt really tolerate it for very long. The KN95ās are much more restrictive than a lot of the stuff people wear.)
Havenāt worn a mask in who knows how long. That got old after 15 days to flatten the curve for me.
All great responses to this issue.
Funny thing about this guy who asked is he didnāt wear a mask or keep much distance before finding out if I had vaccinated. So, was it political for him? Trying to show he was in charge? Or just is clueless about the whole thing?
Early on I had a few customers ask me to wear a mask, I agreed if we would be in the same room but also explained that it fogs my glasses so would pull it down while we remained separated. That has changed now as no one asks to mask up, and this guy was the first to inquire about jab-no-jab.
I like the offer to to stay socially distanced. I havenāt been using kn95ā¦Iāll get on that. Iām in the season where most folks are doing inside and outside getting ready for holidays. And again like you most are elderly clients. Itās. But most of mine seem to lean to the more conservative aside Iād but thankfully youāre smart enough to get vaccinated but arenāt that worried about it .
My answer is yes. Vaccinated or not. I wear an N95 face mask for interior work which protects both parties
All the best posts get deleted, lol. 60-80% is better than nothing, imo. But a good reason not to trust them implicitly; they can definitely provide a false sense of comfort. Also itās a good example why everyone should be wearing them when indoors around other people, since itās really about reducing the amount of large droplets and particles floating around in the first place, vs trying to filter everything thatās already airborne.
I use the mask as infrequently as possible, and it gets replaced after 3-4 hours of wearing, in total. Sits in the sun on my dashboard between use, to hopefully aid in disinfecting it.
Why get the vaccine if it works no better than a mask of any kind?
Not sure I get the question? Masks max out at 60-80% effectiveness, which has no bearing on the severity of the illness if you do still catch it.
The vaccines have reported efficacy rates of 80-90%+, with breakthrough cases shown to be much less severe on average than for those who are unvaccinated. Those were my reasons for getting vaccinated.
But I really donāt want to start a debate about the subject. I understand that some people have serious reservations about the vaccines. And Iām a proponent of bodily autonomy. You just need to manage risks in a thoughtful and conscientious way, no matter your choice.
Guy walks into a bar, looks up at the bartender, and says
Bartender looks up and says
lol. Sorry, but I thought that was funny as shit.
