Finding work during the COVID-19 crisis

With the rise of the "gig economy," and as more employers are cutting costs by moving employees off-site, the remote (from home) job market has been steadily growing. That is, until the coronavirus hit the U.S., bringing the American economy to a screeching halt. Finding a job in any job market can be challenging, but with more than 17 million people out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now undeniably more difficult.

For people on dialysis, being out of work can mean the difference between paying health insurance premiums or co-pays for medical appointments and prescriptions, and paying their rent or putting food on the table. For people with kidney transplants, being out of work can mean not being able to afford the costly immunosuppressive medicines they need to keep their body from rejecting their donated kidney.

Though there is a lot of competition for jobs right now, resources are available to help people find remote work. Because people with kidney disease are high risk for serious cases of COVID-19, remote work is a safe way to earn an income while quarantined at home. We have put together a list of websites that either list available remote jobs or list resources that can help you find and apply for remote jobs. Keep in mind that most remote jobs will require you to have access to a computer, phone and the internet. If you do not have internet access right now, some internet providers are giving people free service during the COVID-19 emergency.

1. The Penny Hoarder
2. Steady
3. FlexJobs
4. Forbes
5. Jobspresso
6. AngelList
7. Remote OK
8. We Work Remotely
9. Remotive
10. Indeed
11. ZipRecruiter
12. Glassdoor
13. PowerToFly
14. SkipTheDrive
15. Virtual Vocations

We know these are difficult times, but the American Kidney Fund is here to support the kidney community. If you are a dialysis or recent transplant patient, you can get information about applying for a $250 grant through our Coronavirus Emergency Fund from your social worker or transplant coordinator. You can also apply for a grant yourself by visiting gms.KidneyFund.org. (Because the need for assistance far outpaces our available resources, we are placing applicants on a waiting list and providing grants as we raise additional funds.) If you would like to make a contribution to the Coronavirus Emergency Fund to help kidney patients during this time, you may do so at KidneyFund.org/emergency. 

This information is current as of April 16, 2020. You can find more information and resources for kidney patients by visiting our special coronavirus webpage at KidneyFund.org/coronavirus. AKF will update the page with important information for kidney patients and their caregivers as the coronavirus crisis continues to unfold.