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You’re a hero. You’re saving us all. We can’t live without you. Your hair looks amazing today, what kind of conditioner do you use? People who are deemed to be essential workers keep hearing compliments like these since the coronavirus pandemic hit and now they’re posting jokes about it online.

To brighten up your day, Bored Panda has collected some of the most hilarious essential worker memes. Enjoy and remember to upvote your faves! And if you’re an Essential Panda, tell us what life is like for you now in the comments.

Essential employees are healthcare professionals, police officers, firefighters, grocery store employees, fast-food workers, truckers, and every single person who keeps civilization functioning during the quarantine. (Oh, and tax collectors are considered to provide essential services in some places, too.) Bored Panda spoke with Dr. Eddy Ng, the James and Elizabeth Freeman Professor of Management at Bucknell University, about essential workers. Scroll down for our interview with him.

#2

Unsung Heroes Of The Coronapocalypse

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Monika Soffronow
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And a lot of that is made in China and other low salary -countries. Keep that in mind the next time you accuse them of polluting. Together with the manufacturing, all of us in the west also exported the pollution that goes with it.

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alwaysMispelled
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And janitors and custodians! People are forgetting! And doctors and nurses aren't the only ones treating patients, there are nurse's aids, and respiratory therapists, etc...

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Glowdaddy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I work for a company that makes airplane parts, and we are considered essential. We work in our cubes or at machines ( I see the same 10 people everyday), Grocery workers are heroes not because they are working but because they have to deal with the public.

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Jen Smith
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also the IT personnel! My guy works IT at a hospital, so he goes everywhere.

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Alexis Barker
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

WHAT ABOUT HVAC WORKERS THEY KEEP THE FREEZERS AND THE AIR CONDITIONING RUNNING!

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Casey Fowler
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Interesting how not one mention of veterinary healthcare workers. Which is what I do... We've been busy, business as usual even after quarantine.

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Dónal Ó Murchadha
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I told said you had to leave your home seek refuge for 8 hours somewhere else, would you choose the super market or the factory?

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Angela
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an NHS nurse, I for one feel like we SHOULD clap everyone else too! We are all in this together, all of us doing our bit!

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#3

Essentials-Workers-Jokes

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Nicola Roberts
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

True. My sister works as a carer, and she called herself cannon fodder. I'm like you're an essential worker - you're so important! I tell her this while working from home....

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"Although we hear the term 'heroes' being used to describe many essential workers, the term is apt because they perform work that can bring harm to themselves and potentially their families," Dr. Ng said. "Not all heroes are idolized or worshiped, but there is certainly an element of bravery and self sacrifice here. Thus, the term hero is an expression of gratitude by the collective or community who are dependent on these essential workers. Since many of them are not being paid much or don't have a choice but to come to work, the term 'hero' also provides intrinsic motivation and fulfillment for these workers."

The professor added that there's greater recognition of how critically important these workers are now because our health, safety, and survival depends on them. "This gratitude will pass when the pandemic is over and things return to normalcy, thus it is important for us to recognize their contributions now."

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#5

Why Would Heros Need Money?

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Mark
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know someone who is a nurse, she says while people clapping for you is nice she would rather feel safe at work and have a pay rise, the later not dependant on the current health crisis either!

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#6

I Prefer Money

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Colin L
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agreed. Money where your mouth is folks: support hazard pay for essential workers.

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"Few employers (e.g., Cargill, Safeway) are providing better compensation but that also reflects a rapidly declining supply of labor (workers are getting sick) and employers enticing others to join the labor market," Dr. Ng explained. "Employers need to do more, such as providing the tools to perform these jobs safely. At the very least, they need to provide a pay premium ('hazard pay') when asking workers to perform work that can expose themselves to harm."

#7

Essentials-Workers-Jokes

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Colin L
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Want to know where the $1200 figure comes from? It's a months wages at minimum wage.

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#8

Essentials-Workers-Jokes

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Max Han
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This goes especially to the millionaires, billionaires, etc

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#9

They Are Still Heroes! Bless Them.

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Colin L
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would love for the CEOs to be here exposing themselves with their essential workers. I wonder if wages would improve?

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We’ve all heard how these hard-working Pandas are being called heroes, but is that term being overused, especially when we look at how little they’re being paid for their efforts?

The fact is, “thank you’s” don’t pay the bills and being an everyday superhero doesn’t pay all that well. So a lot of essential employees have that in common with comic book superheroes!

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Some essential employees are sick and tired of being complimented, celebrated, and hailed as heroes. Why? Because they don’t have any choice: they work their low-paying jobs because they need them to survive.

#10

Heroes, Just Like The First Responders

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WilvanderHeijden
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And Imagine Captain Chaos sitting on the stern tweeting : "If we are sinking why am I 150 feet above the see? Fake media. Not good. Enemy of the people. Immigrants are playing sad music. No one here plays sad music. Only they do. "

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#11

#essentialworkermeme

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Abby
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is exactly what's happening to my mom! She works in a hospital and they keep changing policies. Somehow a nap policy got added and they recommend doctors and nurses to take a 20 minute nap during their shift. They said you could only have one mask until it got wet or destroyed so people started using homemade masks. Then they said take as many masks as you want. Then they banned cloth (homemade) masks. There have been a bunch of other policy changes too. Some have been good like for units dealing with coronavirus there are pay raises available. There have been so many policy changes and my mom is pretty stressed

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#12

Essential Worker

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N G
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm with Tinky winky, without beer and crisps, society would collapse

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For instance, Nelson Santiago quit his job at Wendy’s in Waco, Texas, when he felt “disrespected and humiliated.” He and his coworkers received a bag of candy from Wendy’s corporate HQ, but Santiago was making 8.50 dollars an hour: he didn’t want candy—he wanted hazard pay and safe working conditions.

“For them to say a simple thank-you while they sit in the comfort of their homes with their families protected and reaping the benefits of these chains still being open—it is insulting," Santiago told Business Insider.

#13

Essentials-Workers-Jokes

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Wottermehlon Doge
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of my real good friend's parents are both doctors. Both of them have made wills and other paperwork because they are entirely unsure if they are going to make it through this

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#15

Hang In There, Essential Workers

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Colin L
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is why unions are important. Here in Washington state Kroger (which also owns QFC, Fred Meyer's, and others) has refused to raise wages for essential workers. But the bus union has gotten better wages and requires passengers to wear masks.

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Meanwhile, a Taco Bell manager told Business Insider that he was working up to 65 hours per week for no additional pay because some of his coworkers quit due to their hours being cut.

If we call somebody a hero, we should make sure they’re being treated like one, don’t you think? Luckily, some powerful people think so, too. US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is proposing legislation that frontline heroes get up to 25k dollars as part of a financial crisis-rescue package.

#16

It Do Be That That These Days

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Bob Beltcher
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Its not as fun as it seems. I've been working from home for a month now, it sucks and it's frustrating. As an auditor I have to rely on the people I'm auditing to upload stuff, otherwise, I have no work. Then my boss wants to know why I have no work. Then I have to call muktiple times a day asking when they're uploading work. I know it's not as bad as what other are going through but it still sucks.

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#19

Essentials-Workers-Jokes

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Consequential_mishaps
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Essential". Call them exactly how their employers see them, expendable. You don't pay them enough so they have to risk their lives for minimum wage but hey at least in the uk we all clapped for them at the same time, maybe they can pay their bills with that.

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#20

Essential Workers Gang Rise Up

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Dilly Millandry
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What would people need to go in for in the 'once every two weeks' scenario? Genuinely curious.

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#22

I Made Myself A Sticker

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Jack Chandra
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They drive a Mercedes. They're getting paid. I've much more sympathy for minimum wage cashiers who have 100+ people standing in front of them every day.

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#23

I Prefer The Real Heroes

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Colin L
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm teaching remotely, and some of my students are essential. I'm doing everything I can to accommodate them.

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#25

From The Dark... We Became Heroes

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Chris Jones
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Many delivery drivers have increased targets for delivery numbers as people are ordering more and the companies attitudes are 'oh well, the roads are empty so you'll get round faster'. Don't think it's been made easier for them at all.

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#30

Talk To Me Nice .
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#coronavirusiscoming #corona #coronavirus #selfquarantine #socialdistancing #stayhome #memes #fliptheswitch #ny #nyc #raulsalghul #raulhudson #cosplay #waifu #ahegao #cuomoforpresident #essential #nonessential

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