When a Test Center Becomes a Sweatshop (#2: The Harmonious Days)
This is a long story about my fellow social scientist Bjørn working at a rapid antigen test center in Berlin.
(The content has been approved by Bjørn. The information regarding concerned people’s identities has been changed to protect their privacy)
Part 1 of the story is here; part 3 is here; part 4 is here.
The cozy days
Bjørn’s worked for Nicolas and Daniil since day 1 (the 20th of December). Maia — a girl from Hungary — also worked here from the onset; she needed money to attend a language school. Actually, they expected more teammates to work together. But the test center was open in late December, right before Christmas and New Year. So most of them would come only after their vacations.
The test center had a sluggish start since there were not so many customers in the first week. Sometimes, there wasn’t even one person coming in for an hour. So, everyone brought a laptop or books and “worked from the test center.” In the meantime, Nicolas and Daniil often prepared coffee and tea for everyone. They even bought sandwiches, Chinese noodles, and pizzas from time to time. It seemed like a perfect working space if we put aside the thought of making…
