• The economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic could see the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement slowly down, according to one early retiree.
• Sam Dogen, who retired at age 34 with $3 million, told Business Insider he thinks the trend will be replaced by what he calls the DIRE movement, which involves retiring late.
• He said "there is a lot of devastation" financially in the FIRE community due to the pandemic.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The coronavirus pandemic might see a slow decline in the FIRE movement.

At least, that's what one early retiree thinks. Short for financial independence, retire early, the FIRE movement has grown in popularity over the past 20 years among those seeking financial freedom before the typical retirement age of 65. But Sam Dogen of Financial Samurai, who retired from his Wall Street job eight years ago at age 34 with $3 million, told Business Insider he thinks the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic will send many early retirees back to work.

"And many people who have not yet reached FIRE will probably have to extend their working careers by three to five years to make up for their equity losses," Dogen said. "The bear market will flush out 'fake FIRE' people, those who do not solely live off their investment income because they have a working spouse or simply switched careers to make money online."

Nationwide shutdowns to help slow the spread of the coronavirus have sent the US economy plunging. Several Wall Street firms have predicted that the US will fall into a recession from the shock of the pandemic. If the US enters a yearlong recession, Dogen said he thinks the DIRE movement will supplant the FIRE movement "as people get much more realistic about their finances."

People will retire late, not early

Dogen coined the term DIRE, which stands for Delay, Inherit, Retire, Expire. A recession would likely make it difficult for many to save for retirement, thus causing them to delay retiring. With no hopes of retiring early, Dogen explains, they might instead rely on an inheritance to kick in for their retirement strategy, but that typically doesn't come until later in life. 

By the time they have enough money to finally retire, they'll likely be well past the age of 65 and retire late, he said. After a life of working, he anticipates that they'll look back with regret at not having been able to retire early.

"Unfortunately, I think a recession is all but a certainty at this point," Dogen said. "Hopefully, we'll see a V-shaped recovery in the second half of the year as the coronavirus gets better contained. But it's going to be really tough-going for a while."

He said that even with his conservative portfolio — which consists of just 20% of his net worth in equities — he's "still down hundreds of thousands of dollars." While the rest of his net worth consists of real estate, bonds, cash, and business equity, he says the lost money on his existing equity exposure is still "very painful."

"A lot of FIRE folks are putting on a strong face," Dogen said of the current health and economic crisis. "But I can assure you that behind the scenes, there is a lot of devastation."

SEE ALSO: A 36-year-old New York lawyer who makes $270,000 says he lives off rice and beans so he can save 70% of his salary. He's part of a growing movement of pinching pennies to retire early.

DON'T MISS: 17 habits of self-made millionaires who retired early

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Healthcare workers in Iran have been posting videos of themselves dancing in hospitals to boost morale.
• Iran is one of the worst-hit countries by the coronavirus pandemic, with nearly 30,000 confirmed cases.
• Across cultures, dancing has become a popular way to cope with the isolation and anxiety of the pandemic.
• View more episodes of Business Insider Today on Facebook.

In Iran, dancing in public can be punishable by law. 

But in the era of coronavirus, that hasn't stopped doctors and nurses from doing whatever they can to boost morale.

Healthcare workers across the Middle Eastern country have been posting videos of themselves dancing, often in full protective gear, in hospitals overwhelmed by coronavirus patients.

Iran is one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, with more than 29,000 reported cases as of Thursday. However, critics have accused the government of covering up the true numbers.

At a time of fear and distrust in the government, dancing has boosted morale, said Joan Wittig, a professor of creative arts therapy at Pratt University.

"These workers in Iran who are posting these fabulous videos, they're not necessarily feeling joyful all the time. They're having a whole range of emotional experiences," she told Business Insider Today. "And if they allow themselves to start where they are in whatever that might be, in depression, in despair, in hopelessness, in exhaustion, once you start moving … there's room for new emotional experiences."

It is illegal to commit an "indecent" public act in Iran, and dancing can sometimes by punished under the country's strict religious laws. Many of the healthcare workers in the videos have their faces covered with face masks, which also conceal their identities.

The flurry of dance videos is one of many examples of people using dance to cope with the coronavirus crisis.

"Dance is communication, and as such, it fulfills a basic human need," Wittig said. "We need to communicate, we need to be, in connection with each other. And dance allows us to do that. And it allows us to do that across cultures, across language, there are no barriers."

SEE ALSO: How a coronavirus safety-themed dance took the world by storm, according to the TikTok star who created it

DON'T MISS: People are circulating the #IStayHome hashtag as they document their lives under lockdown

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• The coronavirus pandemic has spread across the US without being contained, forcing business closures, job losses, and a plummeting stock market. 
• Leaders from some of the companies most affected by the pandemic are forfeiting their paychecks.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

There are now over 69,000 reported cases of the novel coronavirus in the US. 

The outbreak has created an unprecedented challenge for the economy. Many sectors shut down virtually overnight, causing a wave of job losses and a plummeting stock market. 

Companies across the country are grappling with the sudden financial stress caused by the pandemic and taking measures to mitigate the inevitable blow it will have on business. 

Leaders from some of the companies most affected by the pandemic, particularly airlines, are forfeiting their paychecks as the pandemic worsens. These leaders include the cofounders of Lyft and the CEO of Marriott. Yahoo Finance also reported on the trend of business leaders taking paycuts.

Keep reading for the full list.

SEE ALSO: The coronavirus was declared a pandemic right at the start of spring renting season — and is sending it into deep freeze

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Delta Air Lines

On March 13, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian sent out a memo to all Delta employees updating them on how COVID-19 is impacting the company and the steps being taken to "protect the financial position of the company."

Bastian said Delta would offer voluntary short-term, unpaid leaves and institute an immediate hiring freeze. He also announced in the memo that he would be giving up 100% of his salary for the next six months.

Alaska Air Group

In a memo released on March 16, Alaska Air Group — the parent company of Alaska Airlines — laid out an update on its financial and operational outlook amid the pandemic. These included offering employees unpaid leaves of absences for 30-, 60-, and 90-day timeframes, and freezing hiring except for essential roles.

In addition, the memo said that as of March 7, CEO Brad Tilden and President Ben Minicucci had reduced their base salaries to zero. 

United Airlines

In a memo that was sent out to United employees on March 15, CEO Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby laid out pandemic responses including schedule reductions, a hiring freeze, and introducing a voluntary leave program.

In addition, Munoz and Kirby reduced their salaries to zero through June.

Allegiant Air

In a memo to employees on March 18, Allegiant laid out a strategic plan of operations during the pandemic. The plan includes halting hiring and reducing airline capacity.

In addition, the memo stated that CEO Maurice Gallagher and President John Redmond would take a full pay cut.

Lyft

In an email to drivers, Lyft co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green said they would donate their salaries through June to support drivers during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Marriott

In a video message, Marriott CEO and President Arne Sorenson responded to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the company by, among other things, suspending new hires except for critical positions and stopping all hotel initiatives for 2020.

In addition, he said he will not be taking a salary for the balance of 2020 and his executive team will take a 50% pay cut.

General Electric

On March 23, General Electric Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. released a statement to employees about how it is handling the economic impacts of the coronavirus. The company will reduce of its total U.S. workforce by about 10%, among other things.

In addition, Culp will give up his full salary for the remainder of 2020. The vice chairman of GE and president and CEO of GE Aviation, David Joyce, will give up half of his salary starting April 1.

United Talent Agency

The Beverly Hills-based United Talent Agency has announced that it will cut the salaries of its staff as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Los Angeles Times reported.

A person familiar with the situation told the LA Times that CEO Jeremy Zimmer and co-Presidents Jay Sures and David Kramer will give up their salaries for the rest of 2020.

Union Square Hospitality Group

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1240002340544843776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
We've created a relief fund for @ushgnyc team members. To seed the effort, I'm immediately contributing my entire compensation & our exec team is taking a meaningful pay cut. Thru 3/24, 100% of all USHG gift card sales will go to the fund. Join us please. https://t.co/E82YicvQcR

Danny Meyer, the CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) and the founder of Shake Shack, donated his entire compensation to USHG at the same time that he laid off 80% of the company's staff. He also set up a relief fund for his workers, he wrote on Twitter.

Texas Roadhouse Inc.

Wayne Kent Taylor, the CEO of Texas Roadhouse, has given up the rest of his annual base salary and bonus to help pay front-line employees during the coronavirus pandemic. The change will go into effect starting with the March 18 pay period.

In 2018, Louisiana Business First reported that Taylor made $1.3 million, which included his base salary of $525,000.

• Niagara Falls' Cave of the Winds experience lets you get right up to the falls.
• It was previously only accessible in summer months, but a newly built viewing platform makes the experience available in the winter, too.
• In early March, I took a trip to see the falls. The icicles, snow-covered trees, and frozen blue ice mounds were beautiful.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Living in Western New York, I sometimes forget that we have a natural world wonder basically in our backyard: Niagara Falls.

There are many ways to view the falls, like a simple hike through the park or a ride on the legendary Maid of the Mist, and some extreme ones like a helicopter ride over the falls to get a bird's eye view. But one of my favorites is Cave of the Winds, which falls somewhere in the middle of this range. At around $7, the experience is affordable, and depending on what time of the year you go, you can basically reach out and touch the falls.

Until recently, you could only get up close to the Bridal Veil Falls section of Niagara Falls in warmer months. This year, however, a newly built platform gives visitors the opportunity to get a close view of the falls in the colder months and take in the ice that's formed from the falling waters amid frigid temps.

Here's what it's like to visit Cave of the Winds in the winter.

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Upon arrival, you'll purchase your tickets at the ticket counter before entering the museum. Inside, a waiting room has historical write-ups about the falls on display. You're then guided into the next area to watch a brief video about the history and the individuals involved in using the falls for energy.

Although the video was kind of goofy, with fake lightning in the room, and cardboard cutouts of historical individuals, it was still informative and entertaining.

From there, you're brought to a third room full of benches. Then, an elevator attendant comes and tell you it's time to head down through the caves.

You'll head down to the cave and walk through it. From there, a short path leads you to the falls. It's a short walk — it took us about five minutes.

Once you head down the elevator, you're guided through a stone tunnel that leads you out to a path. If you look left, you'll see Horseshoe Falls. If you look right, you'll follow the path to see Bridal Veil Falls.

The entrance to the Cave of the Winds is inside Niagara Falls State Park.

When you're done experiencing the Cave of the Winds, you can take a stroll along the path inside the park to get a view of Horseshoe Falls.

If you visit Cave of the Winds in warmer months, you can get so close that you need to wear a poncho to protect yourself from getting drenched. During the cooler months, the platforms are removed so they can be protected from wear and tear. But now, a new, permanent deck allows visitors access to views like the one below.

The Buffalo Niagara area gets some harsh winters, so the platforms are removed, treated, and placed back for safe use during the summer months.

I'm an avid winter hiker and I've always loved seeing waterfalls of any kind in the winter more than in than the summer. The icicles, snow-covered trees, and frozen blue ice mounds make waterfalls that much more beautiful. If you can stand the cold, I highly recommend giving the winter experience a chance.

Visitors can spend as much time on the viewing deck as they like. From start to finish, the entire experience lasted about 30 minutes for me.

As the months go on, staff will add in more of the normal Cave of the Winds ramps before putting it all completely back together and allowing visitors full access to the falls. Don't worry, though – if you don't make it here this winter, it'll be available next winter, too.

• In 2017, Logan and her partner, "Cheezy," bought an old school bus for $15,000.
• They spent more than a year renovating the bus into their tiny dream home.
• They now spend their days traveling around the country and helping local farmers through their freelance business, Ramblin Farmers.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Logan and her partner Justin, also known as "Cheezy," met in 2014. They immediately bonded over their shared dream of living off the grid. 

Over the course of the next few years, they spent time working on local farms together and decided to pair their passion for farming with traveling. 

In 2017, they bought a bus for $15,000 and spent more than a year turning it into their new home. They said they learned how to transform the interior by watching YouTube videos and reading blogs. In January 2019, they were finally able to hit the road.

To realize their dream of living off the grid, the couple started a freelance farmhand business called Ramblin Farmers. Through Ramblin Farmers, Logan and Cheezy are able to offer their short-term farm services to small-scale organic farms around the country. They document their journey on their Instagram.

Business Insider caught up with Logan to find out what it was like to renovate the bus. In the tell-all interview, she walked Business Insider through what life has been like since hitting the road, and how they've been managing through the coronavirus pandemic. 

If you have a renovation story you'd like to share, get in touch with this reporter at Lbrandt@businessinsider.com.

SEE ALSO: A Maryland couple bought a 120-year-old church for $320,000 and now live in it with their 3 kids — here's a look at how they turned it into a home

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Logan and Cheezy met in 2014 in Austin, Texas. Logan told Business Insider that they bonded over their shared dream of living off the grid and obtaining self-efficiency.

After they met, Logan and Cheezy spent two years traveling around the country and exploring the outdoors.

In 2016, they settled down in Oregon so Logan could enroll in a sustainable agriculture program at Oregon State University. While Logan was working toward her degree, she and Cheezy worked at local farms in the area. It was then that they became passionate about becoming small-scale ecological farmers.

They decided to pair their dream of becoming farmers with their desire to live off the grid. In 2017, they bought a 2008 Chevy 350 from a used bus dealership for $15,000.

When they purchased it, it looked like a typical bus with rows of leather blue seats. It took them over a year to convert into a tiny home.

Logan explained to Business Insider that they watched YouTube videos and read blogs to learn how to transform the interior.

"It required cooperating between the two of us, planning, budgeting, and teaching ourselves things that we had no idea about," she said. "We knew nothing about carpentry, we knew nothing about being an electrician, or about solar power."

The hardest part of the process was gutting the bus, Logan said. It took them over a month to rip everything out.

"The gutting process was definitely challenging," she said. "We wanted to get down to the bare bones of the bus so we could start from scratch."

For their energy needs, Cheezy designed a 600-watt solar system. Logan explained that the project took months and months of research before it was completed.

They also spent a lot of time researching how to make the bus as nontoxic as possible.

To do this, they insulated the space with sheep wool and used ancient wood preservation techniques, which required burning and charring the wood, to give it a furniture-store finish.

The space boasts tiny-home living essentials including a small kitchen area with a refrigerator.

A stainless steel freshwater tank under the sink can store up to 12 gallons of water. They have portable jugs, too.

"We primarily fill up either at national forest sites where they have well water or from farms we're visiting," she explained.

As for showers, the couple has a Planet Fitness membership.

"We opted not to include a shower in our bus because there's this amazing thing called Planet Fitness," she said. "We're always trying to stay physically active for farming, especially in between seasons and in the winter, so we go and work out there and we shower."

After they mounted the solar panels and wired the lights, the refrigerator, the fans, and the outlets, Logan said they hired an electrician to make sure everything was good to go.

"It was actually kind of funny," she said, laughing. "The electrician was so impressed. He couldn't find anything wrong with the system and basically, almost, offered Cheezy a job."

In addition to the essentials, they installed homey things like a tiny wood stove and a bookshelf.

The couple was finally able to hit the road in January 2019.

Their plan is to travel to small organic farms around the country and figure out where they want to start a farm of their own.

But Logan explained that they have no intentions of settling down any time soon. For now, they have found a way to merge farming and travel through their freelance farmhand business, Ramblin Farmers.

Through Ramblin Farmers, Logan and Cheezy are able to offer their short-term farm services to small-scale organic farms around the country. They launched in 2019, and have served clients all around California and Oregon. They plan on heading to Arizona next. But for now, as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, the couple is hanging low at a farm client in Sonoma, California.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Logan and Cheezy have used their Instagram account to spread a message of positivity during hard times. They have also stressed the importance of the continuation of farming.

"Sowing seeds is an inherently hopeful act. Despite all the chaos in the world, farmers are still planting & planning for the future," they wrote in a caption. "Now is the time for us all to come together, count our blessings, and keep sowing seeds. Whether your seeds are literal or figurative, what do you think you can do NOW to give you hope & excitement for the future?"

They've even started a video series that will give detailed instructions on how to identify plants you can forage, how to access your own "nature's toilet paper," how to make herbal tea blends that are good for the immune system, and how to sow seeds.

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When it comes to business, the outbreak has, of course, shifted their work. Logan explained to Business Insider that since the restaurants and chefs their client usually sells to are closed, they are helping them transition to to a veggie box model.

A vegetable box scheme is an operation that consists of delivering boxes of fresh, locally grown organic produce to a customer's home or to a local collection point.

This article is part of Business Insider's ongoing series, How I Renovated It, where we talk to homeowners around the country about the process, budget, and transformation that goes into a renovation. If you have a story you'd like to share, get in touch with this reporter at Lbrandt@businessinsider.com.

• The coronavirus pandemic has forced companies to operate remotely — and that includes welcoming new hires and showing them the ropes from your respective homes.
• Plenty of managers of remote companies have been doing this for years, and they said to make sure you make new employees feel welcomed — and you need to prepare for a different way of checking in on them.
• Pick a time to onboard them that works for your schedule, prepare their first day in advance, and make sure there are resources to help them learn who's who.
• Be patient with the virtual process and encourage them to collaborate with others early.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

For the past few weeks, the COVID-19 crisis has meant that companies worldwide have had to transition their operations to employees' homes. 

Almost overnight, Zoom calls have replaced in-person meetings, Slack has replaced the water cooler, and workers have adjusted to life in a virtual environment.

Until, of course, they face situations they've never dealt with remotely before — such as welcoming and onboarding a new employee, sans the norms of the office.

One thing is clear: This isn't a situation you want to approach the same way that you have in the past. 

"I have found that with virtual onboarding, planning is crucial. With people spread out, the relaxed atmosphere of being able to 'pop your head in to see how everything's going' vanishes," Carolyn Peer, CEO and cofounder of Humaxa, Inc. who's led virtual teams of up to 20 people and currently manages a remote group of six, told Business Insider. "It's impossible to be overprepared. I've learned that the hard way!" 

For anyone currently facing this situation for the first time, seasoned managers of remote employees share their best tips for getting a new hire up to speed and feeling like part of the team as soon as possible.

Pick the right time — otherwise, when you're most available 

Rather than having a new hire start as soon as possible, make sure you pick a time that's going to work for you and the team, recommended Yaprak DeCarmine, CEO of Game Jolt who has a virtual team spread across the US, Australia, Germany, and Israel. 

"In the past, we've had folks start in the middle of important projects, which really hindered the quality of their training," she cautioned. "I've learned to carefully pick start dates on weeks where I can be on call for whatever they need, whenever they need [it]." 

Start the process before your employee starts

Claire Humphreys, cofounder and COO of Wethos, an entirely remote company with 21 employees plus a network of more than 4,000 freelancers, noted that her company's onboarding process gets rolling long before an employee starts working. 

"We want to make sure that they join the team on even footing, with a strong foundation that's intentionally built to set them up for an empowered beginning with our company," she shared. 

Before their start date, new hires are provided with HR documents, healthcare options, and log-in information for essential accounts. "This sounds like boring paperwork, but it's critical to making sure our new hires feel safe and secure. We think of it like an onboarding care package," she said.

Her team also makes sure that new hires know exactly what their first day will look like. 

"With a remote team, your first day can simply feel like opening up a computer and signing into Slack. What next? We provide structure by pre-scheduling meetings to provide a few tangible milestones for the first few weeks," she explained. Those meetings include a chat with the operations/HR lead, a check-in with the CEO or COO about the state of the company, "shadowing" opportunities with other departments, and a 30/60/90 day planning session with their direct supervisor.

If you're planning to onboard many people over the next few weeks or months, consider how technology can help you make the process more efficient. 

"When we had an influx of six remote employees all at once last year and we knew more were coming, we took the time to formalize what the onboarding should be," added Yulia Eskin, who led a team of more than 20 in a prior role as a technical team lead at a healthcare tech company in Silicon Valley. She created an onboarding schedule, assigned it to a trainer on the team, recorded everything, and saved it in Confluence, the company's internal knowledge base.

Help them understand who's who

While meeting a whole new team of people can be overwhelming for in-office new hires, not meeting people face to face can add a whole new challenge. 

"Every new hire is likely wondering, 'Who are all these people on this call and what are their roles?'" noted Humphreys. "[Creating] a deck that outlines each team member, their responsibilities, and how the team functions and operates every week will help alleviate the 'I don't know what's going on!' anxiety." 

Shanna Tellerman, CEO and founder of Modsy, which has 100 employees, all of whom work virtually, agreed. 

"One really helpful tip is to ensure each employee uploads a picture and has their role stated in their Slack profile," she said. "Managers should also identify key people across the company and proactively set up one-on-ones for their new hires in the first two weeks. Help them quickly get a sense for who they will be working with and the key people they will interact with regularly."

Facilitate collaboration

Beyond introducing team members to each other, managers should take the extra step of helping facilitate their shared work. 

Part of DeCarmine's process is assigning go-to contacts for each new employee so they always have someone to turn to. 

"In addition to having a primary person to go to for guidance and questions, I've learned it's important to assign a secondary person as well," she advised. "Not knowing who can help you and who you can interrupt is a terrible and lonely feeling that is amplified when you're working from home."

Eskin likes to use the approach of pairing people up on specific work tasks or projects. "Especially early on, either I would pair with them on a task or I would pair them up with some of the more seasoned engineers on the team. This way they get to develop relationships with everyone," she said.

Job van der Voort, CEO of Remote, who runs a remote team of 20, also noted that managers should make sure to build bridges outside of the team the new employee is on, be that sales, engineering, or marketing. 

"For a remote organization, 'cross-pollination' like that doesn't happen accidentally … you have to force it somehow," he said. He recommended team-wide calls (if the team isn't too large) or bringing together a random selection of people outside of your group. 

Iggy Moliver, head of product and strategy at Remedy Point Solutions, which has 38 employees — 75% of whom were remote pre-COVID — noted that for remote employees, there's a tendency to be task-oriented and work in silos. 

"You may hear things like, 'I did my part' or, 'That's not my responsibility,'" he cautioned. "It is easy to forget being warm and empathetic when you don't actually see your coworker struggling with a problem or going through a tough time. You can lose the human side of being teammates."

Build in social activity 

On that note, just like the office isn't all business, all the time, the remote workplace shouldn't be, either. 

"We try to learn about each other's lives outside of work and spend time on each call just chatting, like you would by the coffee machine," said Moliver.

Just as you'd schedule team lunches or coffee dates for a new hire, try to create social interaction virtually. 

"Working by yourself and away from your team gets lonely, so it's up to you to create a company culture through virtual tools like Slack and Zoom," offered DeCarmine. "Having a 'general' or a 'random' channel is a great way to build a team atmosphere like a virtual water cooler would in the physical world." 

Tellerman shared similar traditions at Modsy. "Each team has their own Slack channel, but we also have a tremendous number of channels for various interests ranging from music to books to dogs," she said. "Throughout the year, we host company-wide spirit weeks over Slack where we ask a thematic question each day of the week and people post pictures and personal stories." 

van der Voort added that he has new hires do a "coffee call" with everyone on the team — a 15- to 30-minute call just to get to know everyone outside of work — and employees have outside of work activities, like playing video games together or holding Zoom-based Dungeons and Dragons sessions.

Touch base regularly and often

Nearly everyone we talked to emphasized the need for regular touch-points with new hires. 

Tellerman recommended weekly one-on-ones for at least 45 minutes. "Whenever possible, do this with the camera on," she explained. "Your time with your remote employee should be spent building trust, building personal rapport, and especially watching their body language to read between the lines on how they may be feeling."

In a new hire's early days, Humphreys recommended even more frequent check-ins. "Put a daily touch-base on their calendar to fill the void of the daily swing by their desk," she recommended.

But don't assume that those early encounters are enough. Moliver noted that one month into the new employee's tenure a people lead conducts a culture interview to understand the person's perception of the company and practices. 

"This provides an opportunity to assess our culture and course correct any issues," he said. "Check in often for feedback to ensure that the employee's perception matches what you are trying to communicate."

Be patient with the virtual process 

Humphreys noted that managers should expect an extra week or two of onboarding in a remote setting. Over time, she's adjusted her process to reflect that. 

"At one point, we were trying a week-one daily 'onboarding' to each department, which in the end left the new hire more confused at the end of the week than when they started," she recalled. "Take the pressure off them to learn everything and fill their days with company meetings where they can instead sit in and be a sponge to how everyone operates — as if they were in an office overhearing other teams talk about their projects and collaborate."

Eskin similarly encouraged managers to overcommunicate and repeat things as many times as necessary. "Not everyone has a great memory or is very focused and can retain information right away. Don't get upset if people forget something you've explained. Be patient!" she said.

And, added Peer, "The remote onboarding experience will always be more tricky than an in-office onboarding experience, but that doesn't mean that it can't work well." 

Her most important advice? "Think through every detail. Be rigorous during the planning process. Be precise and disciplined. Being hyper-organized will help everyone involved have a great experience," she said.

SEE ALSO: 6 CEOs and executives who've been managing remote teams for years share the tools they use to keep their employees motivated and happy

NOW READ: CEOs who've lead large remote teams for years reveal the best ways to manage employees when everyone's scattered across the globe

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Isabelle Robinson is a sophomore at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York City.
• She was a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in February 2018 when a former student killed 17 students and staff members. A week and a half later, Robinson and her friends were expected to be back in class.
• As panic about the coronavirus outbreak grew, Barnard College encouraged students to leave on-campus housing as soon as they could.
• Robinson described the unparalleled "chaos" that she has now experienced twice — and the long-term effects it can have on students.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In February of my senior year, a gunman walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and killed 14 students and three employees. My classmates and I were summarily given a week and a half off of school to collect ourselves. Then, after a steady stream of vigils, burials, and funeral receptions, it was time to go back.

We went back, but the learning didn't exactly continue. I don't blame my teachers for this in the slightest — it is no easy feat to explain calculus or the Electoral College to a class of over 25 traumatized students when you have also been traumatized. To this day, I have never read the second half of "Frankenstein," nor did I bother studying for my AP exams. By late May, my friends and I were cutting class as often as we could, taking refuge in the classrooms of teachers who understood that we had little to no brain capacity left for final projects. We had far more important things on our minds.

Just over two years later, there is a new epidemic to worry about, and it's not the ever-increasing rate of gun violence. With the rapid outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, thousands of students have had their way of life and their studies radically disrupted by evacuations and quarantines.

I'm one of them — and I cannot help but notice the subtle but alarming similarities that connect these events. Once again, our government and many of our schools have failed us, and students will suffer as a result. And when students suffer, there is only so much time and energy left over to learn.

Harvard University was one of the first institutions to announce a policy of mandatory evacuation in response to COVID-19. Students — including first-generation and low-income students who had relied on the university for meals, housing, and work-study — were given just five days to pack all their belongings and leave campus for the rest of the semester. For many, this was a crippling expense; for others, it was simply impossible.

The rest of the Ivy League was soon to follow: Students at Yale were given only four days to vacate campus, the University of Pennsylvania gave students five days, and my own Barnard College of Columbia University followed suit in urging students to depart as soon as possible— after we were initially told that we could return for our possessions after spring break.

The havoc this announcement wreaked was unparalleled. Scrambling students posted on Facebook begging those who were still on campus to pack up their dorms to be eligible for a housing refund. The few students allowed to remain on campus pleaded with others to donate their surplus food items to local food pantries supporting students facing meal insecurity.

It was chaos. It still is chaos — many students are still processing the fact that they have lost their housing, their main source of income, their internet access, and much of their support system for the rest of the semester. Others have immunocompromised family members who are at a higher risk of getting seriously ill from the virus, who they will have to care for if they fall ill. What mental energy does this leave for studying, taking exams, and participating in class?

The most frustrating thing about this situation is that it did not have to unfold this way. Just as the government might have averted the violence that occurred at my high school by implementing policies to prevent gun violence, the escalation of the COVID-19 outbreak could have been impeded by taking the protective measures advocated by medical professionals as early as late January. If the Food and Drug Administration had taken action earlier, if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been more flexible, if testing had been made readily available, there's no telling how many deaths could have been prevented — and how many lives wouldn't have needlessly been thrown into disarray.

The federal government has largely failed to lead the way in this time of crisis, and numerous universities, including those considered the best in the nation, have stumbled as well. Rather than remaining calm, they initiated policies of mass removal that were equal parts dangerous — was it really the best idea to send thousands of students away on cross-country flights during a pandemic? — and inequitable.

After an elongated spring break, online classes will begin for thousands of university students who have suddenly found themselves in their childhood bedrooms, in their emptied residence halls, or crashing on a charitable alumnus' couch. I, however, have the good(ish) fortune of having experienced something like this before. I know what it's like to reenter learning after a horrifying turn of events, glassy-eyed and exhausted. I know what it's like to not be able to think about anything but what life was and no longer can be.

However, one thing has changed since I was 17 and counting the days until graduation. I have learned from my Barnard and Columbia classmates that if students make enough noise, occasionally the administration will hear us. Already, students across the country have petitioned their universities to switch to mandatory pass/D/fail grading to make the semester more equitable for those coping with a variety of difficult situations. Some have even succeeded: After initially switching to an opt-in pass/fail system, Harvard Law implemented mandatory pass/fail grading in response to a letter expressing student concerns. Elle Woods would be proud.

Instances like this are what give me hope during this crisis: Despite the failures of administrative and government bureaucracy, we students care enough about each other to advocate for the common good and salvage the learning left to be done. After all, that's all we really can do. Perhaps we will come out of this more united than we were before.

SEE ALSO: US live coronavirus updates: 593 people have died, New York cases top 25,000, a growing number of states have ordered lockdowns

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NOW WATCH: A top economist has a radical plan to change the way Americans vote: weighted voting

• One of the first known clusters of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States was at a senior living facility in Washington state, where two-thirds of its residents fell ill, dozens of employees tested positive, and 35 people died.
• Nursing homes across the country quickly sprang into action, enacting lockdowns and limiting visitations.
• Hebrew SeniorLife in the Boston area took major precautionary measures weeks before lawmakers started taking action, but now one of its facilities is dealing with an outbreak.
• View more episodes of Business Insider Today on Facebook.

Research points to the obvious: People over the age of 60 are at the greatest risk of death from the novel coronavirus, as are the immunocompromised and those with preexisting respiratory conditions.

That is why nursing homes across the country started acting quickly when it became clear the virus, which was first identified in Wuhan, China, was on its way to the United States.

Hebrew SeniorLife operates nine senior living facilities across the greater Boston area and cares for 3,500 people on a daily basis.

As of this publication, the organization has confirmed at least seven cases of COVID-19, and the death of a resident, at the Jack Satter House in Revere, Massachusetts.

In a press release, Hebrew SeniorLife President and CEO Lou Woolf said, "We know that this virus is so aggressive, that it can get past the most diligent practices. Despite the strictest guidelines in place at Jack Satter House, including no visitor policies, suspension of communal dining, deep infection control screening for all employees that include temperature checks, we are seeing an escalation of cases."

Woolf spoke with Business Insider Today about the lengths he went to to try and avoid an outbreak.

Back in January, as soon as the virus was detected in the United States, Woolf and his staff started to implement protocols to keep the seniors in their care healthy and safe. The plans, he said, came together in a matter of days.

"We initially limited visitors to designating one visitor from the family that we could barely be in touch with and screen them carefully," Woolf said. "And now there are no visitors in any of our sites except for really essential visits."

At first, some family members thought the policies were too strict, but Woolf said that quickly dissipated as more people began to understand the severity of the situation. Now, he says, families of seniors are thanking him.

"As everybody knows, they are the population that is most vulnerable to this," he said.

Other containment and mitigation measures Hebrew SeniorLife have taken include the opening of a special unit within one of their facilities in Roslindale, Massachusetts.

"We took a 24-bed unit that we have and we prepared it in two sections. One for patients who are suspected and one for patients who have confirmed. So we are ready to accept patients in a secluded area so it doesn't put our other patients and the people who are really here for the long term in jeopardy."

Woolf and the management at Hebrew SeniorLife are also constantly revisiting their policies to keep their communities healthy and safe. 

"We have no timeline on these things," he said.

SEE ALSO: An immigrant in an ICE detention center tested positive for the coronavirus. Immigrant advocates are fearing the worst.

DON'T MISS: Drugmakers are developing coronavirus vaccines in record time — but it will still be months before one is available

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• Hundreds of online AA meetings are now available from all over the world, connecting people in some of the hardest-hit areas of the COVID-19 outbreak.
• The meetings address a vulnerability for alcoholics — isolation — and help to recreate the community that keeps many sober.
• AA meetings were held online previously, but never this many, with this many people attending.
• The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. You can find online meetings here.
• In accordance with AA's tradition of anonymity, the author is writing under a pseudonym.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

I recently celebrated 14 years' sobriety. Except I couldn't actually celebrate, not in the way we usually do in my Twelve Step meetings.

Normally my friends would clap and cheer and hug me while I pick up a chip, as we call them in AA, a copper medallion with my number of years, XIV, on it.

But the church in the Castro District of San Francisco isn't holding my "home group" meeting, nor are the churches and recreation centers and meeting halls in New York, and Seattle, and so many other places around the country right now. They are empty of the folding chairs and ancient coffee makers and vulnerable speeches and corny jokes that constitute AA.

We are all in our separate homes. And that can be dangerous, because alcoholics are notorious for isolating, for withdrawing from social situations — sometimes with a bottle.

So on Tuesday night I went to an AA meeting in New York and one in Seattle. And on Wednesday I went to one here in San Francisco.

I "went to" the meetings on video conferencing apps, which have been a phenomenon of the COVID-19 lockdowns. The data being shared on Zoom meetings has boomed by an estimated 2,000%. A videoconference meeting doesn't really take place in any one location, of course — unless that location is the cloud.

But groups based all over the world are hosting their meetings online, with their core members and using their format. There are meetings in China, Italy, Spain, and New Orleans — seemingly everywhere the virus has been, and many places where its effect is just beginning to be felt.

When I posted on social media about the wealth of online meetings now available — there are hundreds— reporters from news outlets approached me. My employer, Business Insider, asked if I would like to write a piece myself. I'm doing so under a pseudonym to protect my anonymity, and to protect AA from the possibility of seeming like I speak for the program. I do not. This is just my experience.

Now, as for why I am writing this: People need to know — maybe you or someone you are close to — that you can fire up Zoom or Google Hangouts, or Cisco WebEx, or a conference call, and spill your guts to a meeting, or just sit quietly listening. You may have been to thousands of AA meetings or none. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. You can find online meetings here.

Virtual meetings can help

AA meetings were held online previously, but never this many, with this many people attending. This mass adoption raises issues about anonymity and community. Not everyone has a computer. Maybe online meetings are too convenient and don't provide the experience that has helped millions get sober.

If you drink normally, you may be wondering, "Why not just drink — even if you have a problem? Right now, while locked down, who could that hurt?" I can answer that. I drank myself into the emergency room years ago. I know many people who did. Do you think hospitals need that right now? Do you think healthcare workers need to deal with millions of people whose immune systems are severely compromised by binge drinking?

What if we need to drive someone to the hospital? I drove many times in a blackout. What if, drunk, I needed more booze and went on a calamitous excursion to get it?

Instead, I can try to be of service to someone who is alone or suffering. That service is what keeps me sober.

We don't divulge what happens in AA meetings. (We have a saying: "What you hear here, what you say here, when you leave here, let it stay here.") But I can tell you that folks in the Seattle meeting I attended were feeling the effects of the virus and shutdown very acutely. It was good to be there, to talk and to listen.

More than 100 people were on the videoconference meeting from New York, from all over the world. At the end of the meeting there was a moment of silence that was profound. It reminded me that I am never alone in my alcoholism. I can always, even now, find help and give help.

Deep in that peaceful stillness, something happened that I will never, ever forget. Someone, somewhere, flushed a toilet. And the entire call exploded in raucous laughter. It was perhaps the happiest moment I have had since my city was asked to shelter in place.

Web conferencing is uniting the virus-stricken world, one embarrassing day at a time.

Sam Malone is the pseudonym of a Business Insider employee and a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

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NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos reportedly just spent $165 million on a Beverly Hills estate — here are all the ways the world's richest man makes and spends his money

• Designer Joseph Altuzarra spoke with Business Insider ahead of the premiere of Amazon's "Making the Cut," where he serves as a judge alongside Naomi Campbell, Nicole Richie, and Chiara Ferragni.
• The show is hosted and executive produced by former "Project Runway" judges Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum.
• Altuzarra told Business Insider that Amazon is on the forefront of transforming the fashion industry and that this competition model could disrupt the way consumers interact with fashion.
• He also spoke about the challenges young designers face, and the advice he gives those hoping to succeed in the fashion industry.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Joseph Altuzarra knows a little something about fashion. He is, after all, a contemporary fashion icon who launched his eponymous label 12 years ago, picking up a slew of awards in the meantime. Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle is known to favor his work, while Awkwafina wore one of his gowns to the 2019 Met Gala.

It's no wonder that, when Amazon came looking for an expert for its new fashion competetion show "Making the Cut," Altuzarra was chosen to sit alongside the likes of Naomi Campbell and former Vogue Paris editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld, to judge the next set of aspiring fashion entrepreneurs. 

"When I was approached initially about the show, I really never would have thought that I would do anything like it," Altuzarra told Business Insider. "I'm sort of a newbie for all of this."

But he adapted quickly, becoming a mentor to those on the show and a leader in a competition seeking to "serve as a platform for young designers." He also ended up learning a lot himself about what the future of fashion will entail.

"Making the Cut" sees Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn return to their fashion competition roots

"Making the Cut" is Amazon's latest foray into the fashion retail sphere. Hosted and executive produced by former "Project Runway" hosts, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, the show brings together 12 designers who travel to New York, Paris, and Tokyo, to undergo challenges which test their abilities in design and entrepreneurship.

Altuzarra said that, as a judge, he made sure to give advice to the up-and-coming designers. One piece of advice he has for all of those breaking out in the industry: to be careful with social media. Social media was not as prominent as it is now when he started out 12 years ago, and today, designers often have trouble cutting "through the noise" of all the information on the internet, he says. 

"[My] biggest piece of advice [for young designers] is to really be authentic," Altuzarra said. "When you're a young designer, [authentic is] the hardest thing to be, because you're constantly told by buyers and by editors and by the public what you should be. And sticking to your guns, even it's not the most popular thing at that moment — it's always the best thing to do."

These young designers will be judged by a rotating panel of fashion experts, which includes Campbell, Roitfeld, Nicole Richie, Chiara Ferragni, and of course, Altuzarra. Designers will be eliminated throughout the course of the season, with the final winner receiving a hefty $1 million prize. The show premieres Friday on Amazon Prime.

Amazon still has a chance to disrupt the fashion industry

A unique standout feature of "Making the Cut" is that the audience can buy winning designs on Amazon immediately after each episode has aired. As Business Insider previously reported, Amazon has been gradually building up its presence in the fashion industry over the past three years. 

In 2017, the company brought on Christine Beauchamp— who previously worked at Ralph Lauren Corporation and L Brands— as the president of Amazon Fashion. Since then, Amazon has launched its brands Goodthreads and The Fix, a collaboration with Calvin Klein, and a line with Drew Barrymore.

In May 2019, Amazon launched The Drop, a program where social media influencers design "limited edition fashion collections," which are then sold exclusively at the online retailer. The Drop collections are launched every few weeks, and, according to Glossy, are only available for 30 hours or until it sells out.

Amazon also launched Prime Wardrobe and Echo Look in 2018. Prime Wardrobe allows customers to select items online, try them on at home and only pay for the the items they want to keep. Meanwhile, Echo Look lets customers take photos of themselves in clothes, and has a "Style Check" feature that gives advice on which outfits look best. 

According to estimates from a Wells Fargo report cited by CNBC, Amazon made about $35 billion from its sales of apparel and footwear in 2018. While this was less than 15% of Amazon's total sales that year (about $232.9 billion overall), the $35 billion in apparel and footwear sales eclipsed other big names in the apparel industry, such as athletic retailer Lululemon, which brought in $3.3 billion in sales in 2018, and Gap Inc., which had net sales of $16.6 billion that year.

If Amazon's "Making the Cut" is a success, Altuzarra says it has the potential to further disrupt the fashion industry, which, he says, is "ready for new ways of interacting with customers." The show will also be able to attract a new generation of consumers, as both fashion and Amazon find new ways to market toward younger customers.

Generation Z has a spending power of nearly $150 billion — though the stability of that is perhaps uncertain as a possible recession in the US looms.

"Amazon is really starting to become a leader in the fashion space through initiatives like this," Altuzarra said. "I think it will make a difference." 

SEE ALSO: LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault lost a total of $7.7 billion over the course of one day as the coronavirus continued to hit luxury stocks

DON'T MISS: LVMH ordered 40 million face masks from China for France — here's how some of the biggest names in luxury fashion are funding the fight against the pandemic

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NOW WATCH: There's a formula to winning the Oscars, and it's all in the statistics

• Everlane is discounting its Cashmere Crew and Cashmere V-Neck to the lowest prices ever until Sunday, March 29. Women's styles are $75 and Men's styles are $95. 
• Right now, Everlane is also offering discounts on men's and women's loungewear bundles through March 29.
• We rated Everlane Cashmere Sweaters as the best cashmere sweaters you can buy overall. 
• See more: A running list of brands giving back during the coronavirus pandemic

If you've ever shopped at Everlane, you know the company is better known for its transparent pricing than it is for its sales. The company's mission is built around a "radical transparency" model that can edge out competitors on markups while keeping its quality level high, which means the business isn't a big fan of additional discounts.

But, Everlane announced mid-March that they'd be offering sales every week for the foreseeable future.

Right now, you can shop its cult-favorite cashmere sweaters for their lowest prices ever until Sunday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m. PST. Throughout the same timeframe, the company is also offering discounts on men's and women's loungewear bundles. 

Here's what's included in Everlane's Cashmere sale until March 29:

• Women's Cashmere Crew, now $75 (originally $100) [You save $25]
• Women's Cashmere V-Neck, now $75 (originally $100)  [You save $25]
• Men's Cashmere Crew, now $95 (originally $130) [You save $35]
• Men's Cashmere V-Neck, now $95 (originally $130) [You save $35]

Women's styles have a relaxed fit and are available in sizes XXS-XXL. Men's styles have a slim fit and are available in sizes XS-XL.

You can find our review of the Everlane Cashmere Sweaters here. We've previously ranked Everlane's $100 Cashmere Sweater for women as the best cashmere sweater you can buy online. 

The company estimates their cashmere sweaters would cost up to $250 traditionally, so they're a good deal at $130 on any given day. But, at $75-$95, they're a no-brainer. The company has technically offered lower prices in their Choose What You Pay sale for select colors, but this is the lowest price ever offered for the full range.

We suggest ordering true to size and buying soon if you want to have the first pick out of all 13 possible color variations. 

Right now, the company is also donating all of the profits from its 100% Human Collection to Feeding America to support coronavirus relief.

Shop the Everlane Women's $75 Cashmere Sale here

Shop the Everlane Men's $95 Cashmere Sale here

SEE ALSO: The best cashmere sweaters you can buy

SEE ALSO: Everlane's 'Choose What You Pay' summer sale is going now — here are the top 16 best styles

Join the conversation about this story »

• Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the US Department of State has urged Americans to reconsider travel abroad, and the Centers for Disease Control has advised against gatherings of 50 or more people.
• As cities issue shelter-in-place orders, airlines cancel flights, and companies require their employees to work remotely to limit the spread of the coronavirus, more and more Americans are staying home.
• From livestreamed concerts by award-winning pop artists to 360-degree tours of iconic tourist destinations, Business Insider has rounded up some of the best ways to virtually travel during the global health crisis.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Catch a free concert performed live on Instagram by award-winning artists like John Legend thanks to the #TogetherAtHome campaign launched by the World Health Organization and Global Citizen.

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The World Health Organization and Global Citizen, a cause-based community of engaged citizens, have partnered to create the #TogetherAtHome campaign, a series of free concerts performed by award-winning artists on their Instagram Live feeds. In addition to John Legend, artists that have participated include Charlie Puth, Coldplay, Camilla Cabello, and Shawn Mendes. Global Citizen shares upcoming performances on its Instagram stories and posts concert recaps on its website.

Source: Global Citizen

Tune into the Metropolitan Opera's website each night at 7:30 p.m. ET for a free, livestreamed show.

In response to New York City's ban on public gatherings, New York's Metropolitan Opera has suspended shows for the remainder of the 2019-2020 season, which was set to end on May 9. Until operations resume, the Opera is streaming past performances for free on its website at 7:30 p.m. ET each night. The performances will be available to watch for 23 hours post stream.

Source:Metropolitan Opera

Listen to Broadway stars perform Broadway hits while their shows are on pause in a series of "Living Room Concerts" posted to BroadwayWorld.com.

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Like the Metropolitan Opera, Broadway has shuttered productions through April 12 due to New York City's ban on mass public gatherings. In the meantime, Broadway stars have partnered with Broadway World to produce a series of virtual mini-performances.

The performances, filmed by stars in their living rooms and posted on BroadwayWorld.com, are free to watch; however, Broadway World asks viewers to consider making a donation to The Actors Fund or Broadway Cares, which support entertainment professionals in times of need.

Source:Broadway World

Float through an amber kelp forest in the Channel Islands, hang out with manatees in Florida, and watch bald eagles nest in real-time on Explore.org, the world's largest live nature cam network.

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Explore.org has close to one hundred webcams set up in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries around the world and aggregates their livestreams on its website. These include the underwater Channel Islands Kelp Forest cam; the above-water Manatee Cam at Florida's Blue Spring Park; and the Decorah Eagles cam, positioned at eye-level with bald eagle nests in Decorah, Iowa.

Source:Explore.org

Trek through 31 US national parks thanks to Google Earth.

Google Earth has mapped out some of the most iconic national parks in the US, including Yellowstone, Denali, and Glacier National Park, in 360 degrees.

Source:Google Earth

Travel overseas to far-flung places through Google Earth's curated virtual tours.

Google Earth's Voyager discovery page curates a dizzying amount of country and city tours. Tours range from broad country tours like "Discover Bermuda" and "Discover Argentina" to more specific ones like "Tour the Staircases of Hong Kong" and "Tour the Onsens of Japan" ("onsen" means hot spring in Japanese).

Source:Google Earth

Tour Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal, and other world monuments through Google Arts & Culture.

Google Arts & Culture, thanks to its 360-degree mapping technology, offers an inside look at some of the world's most iconic attractions.

Source:Google Arts & Culture

Tour and browse the digitized collections of more than 1,200 cultural institutions around the world including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris through Google Arts & Culture.

In addition to iconic monuments and tourist attractions, Google Arts & Culture allows users to tour the world's foremost museums in 360 degrees and browse hi-res images of their collections. The collections are searchable by artist, art movement, and country, among other categories, and Google Arts & Culture's map feature populates nearby museums using your location data.

Source:Google Arts & Culture

Hike over six miles of the 2,000-year-old Great Wall of China virtually on TheChinaGuide.com, a website dedicated to China travel.

The China Guide, a Beijing-based travel agency, has developed a virtual tour of one the Great Wall of China's most iconic sections, Jinshanling to Simatai. This section crosses the border between Beijing and Hebei provinces and has been the go-to destination for many magazine shoots thanks to its sweeping views, according to the agency. It is currently closed to visitors due to safety reasons.

Source:The China Guide

Peer inside the enclosures of pandas, polar bears, and beluga whales across the United States thanks to zoo livestreams.

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A number of zoos and aquariums around the country have set up webcams in their most popular enclosures. The Houston Zoo, Monterey Aquarium, and San Diego Zoo each run multiple webcams. The Atlanta Zoo runs a dedicated livestream of their pandas, and the Georgia Aquarium runs a livestream of its beluga whales.

Do you have a virtual escape recommendation? Email this reporter at mwiley@businessinsider.com.

• The coronavirus pandemic has shut nonessential businesses down for the time being, and many workers have been told to stay home in efforts to flatten the curve.
• Instead of layoffs, many companies have opted to furlough employees, or enforced unpaid time off.
• Employees who've been furloughed but need to bring in income have come up with a variety of alternative routes for cash flow, including freelancing, tutoring, and redesigning their websites.
• Some of these six workers have filed for unemployment, and some are worried about their coworkers.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Worldwide, COVID-19 is having an incredibly detrimental impact on thousands of businesses.

In an effort to flatten the curve and slow the spread, many people are staying home. Some states are even mandating it with lockdowns — about one of every three Americans is required to remain in their house for the foreseeable future.

But while this is probably the safest way to go (for now), it doesn't erase the fact that there are many horrible secondary effects of this pandemic.

Companies across the nation are experiencing huge declines in business. Many smaller ones have had to shut their doors completely, at least for the time being. And when this happens, when the bottom line suffers, people lose their jobs. And in the case of COVID-19, which has escalated so rapidly, they had very little time to prepare. 

In lieu of layoffs, several organizations chose to furlough their employees. Like Marriot, which started furloughing tens of thousands of employees on March 17, and GE, which furloughed 50% of its maintenance and repair employees for at least three months. 

An employee furlough is when an employer requires employees to take unpaid time off. It's different from a layoff because, when the company can be fully operational again, the employees are (usually) guaranteed their jobs back.

Despite that positive aspect, these workers are suddenly receiving much less pay — or none at all. We spoke to six people who've lost work as a result of COVID-19. Here are their stories.

Ammar Shahid, a digital marketing manager in New York City, is furloughed to work part time and is substituting the $1,000-a-month loss by freelancing

When M. Ammar Shahid's company leadership realized the severity of the situation, they knew they needed to reduce labor costs. So, HR gathered everyone together and told them they'd be furloughed half-time.

"I felt somewhat comfortable with this decision because I was anxious about [the impact the virus could have on] my family," Shahid said, adding that he's still nervous about the long-term consequences.

For the foreseeable future, Shahid works a few hours each day, completing certain tasks and communicating with his team remotely. He believes, because of his decrease in hours, he'll lose about $1,000 of income each month.

To make up for this, he's picked up some freelance gigs writing about comics and fashion. Luckily, he had former clients and referrals who helped him land these opportunities. On average, he writes three pieces a day and makes about $15 per piece. 

Nastia Bendebury, an outdoor guide in Portland, had all tours cancelled and is still waiting on her paychecks while she searches for freelance gigs

Being an outdoor guide for a few different companies in Portland, Oregon, includes many different types of activities. On any given day, Nastia Bendebury could be taking participants to see majestic waterfalls, leading them through the city on bikes, or guiding them on a moonlight snowshoeing or Pacific Crest backpacking excursion. 

As the COVID-19 outbreak rapidly turned into a pandemic, Bendebury learned that there would be no tours, and thus no need for guides.

"The notifications came gradually," she shared. "Since the tour industry moves a little slow in the winter and spring, there weren't any reserves in the companies' accounts. After the first wave of [tour] cancellations, we were told our paychecks would be late. The second wave drained the accounts, and now our paychecks are a big open question. I assume we'll get them at some point? Maybe? Who knows." 

Bendebury estimates that she'll lose around $2,000 each month. Fortunately, she has six months of living expenses saved up. 

For now, she's going to work on her science communications website — Demystifying Science— full time. She'll also try to do some freelance writing, online teaching, and editing. Last year, she ran an editing business that helped her cover rent. However, as she explained, "teaching and editing is uncertain — I've lost much of my client pool from last year, and spooling up again will take some time."

Michael Shilo DeLay, a substitute teacher in Portland and Bendebury's fiance, is tutoring and focusing on their side project

Bendebury isn't the only person in her household who's lost work because of COVID-19. Her fiance, Michael Shilo DeLay, lost his main source of income — substitute teaching — when schools in Oregon shut down. (Oregon's governor recently extended the school closures through April 28.)

"Being a sub is a great job for someone working on independent projects," DeLay said. But "for subs, unlike salaried teachers, we only get paid when we get to teach. Now that schools have closed, there's no income available for me."

Business Insider is looking for more real-life stories about the coronavirus. Got one to share? Email editor Alyse Kalish at akalish@businessinsider.com.

As a sub, DeLay's income varied depending on how often the schools scheduled him, but, on average, he made $1,500 to $2,500 monthly. (So, if you're doing the math, that means the Bendebury-DeLay household will miss out on $3,500 to $4,500 each month). 

For now, DeLay plans on trying to earn money by tutoring and freelance writing for popular science magazines. But being brand new to freelancing is tough. "So far, no luck, but I've probably only emailed a dozen or so editors," he shared. "My understanding is that it'll take hundreds to get my first break."

Like Bendebury, DeLay will also devote a lot of time to the Demystifying Science blog, which he cofounded. Eventually, they'd like to turn it into a whole media platform across YouTube and social media. So, DeLay is working hard on a science YouTube account.

For DeLay, the way forward isn't quite clear yet. Thankfully, after working in academia for a decade, he has a decent savings account. Plus, since subs don't typically work in the summer, he saved up even more because he knew his summer months would yield less income. 

Ron Auerbach, a substitute teacher in Washington state, was furloughed for 6 weeks and filed for unemployment

Substitute teachers are affected all across the country. Ron Auerbach, an emergency sub for public schools and a university in Washington state, was furloughed for a minimum of six weeks. And while faculty and staff are guaranteed pay during school closures, Auerbach is hanging in limbo.

"It's very nerve-wracking because you just don't know what's going to happen," he shared. "Nor do you know how long this whole situation is going to last. And [since] you don't know how much money you'll have coming in, it's very difficult to know whether you'll be able to cover your expenses or not."

Shortly after being furloughed, Auerbach filed for unemployment. (And he's not the only one — 281,000 people applied for unemployment benefits between March 8 and 14 because of COVID-19. That's 33% higher than the week before.) Typically, people have to wait one week before they can apply, but Washington state has waived that requirement for now.

In response to COVID-19, the federal government has also made some adjustments to the guidelines for unemployment benefits. The criteria to qualify have been changed for the time being, which will be an enormous help to those who are laid off or furloughed due to the pandemic. 

Though he hasn't tried to find any other work yet, Auerbach is considering applying to work at an essential service business, like his local supermarket. 

"With other businesses closed down, what's available is more limiting. Finding other [income] to help supplement the job loss isn't very easy," he explained. "So the fear and worries over what you'll do, how long it will last, how you'll make it through, are constantly on your mind." 

Kevin Longa, a culinary guide based in San Francisco, is shifting his focus to monetizing his filmmaking

As a culinary guide, Kevin Longa took people on food tours around the city's Mission District, sharing the unknown stories of chefs and food entrepreneurs. "And, of course," he explained, "our guests would eat their delicious food!"

On Monday, March 16, though, the tour company had a mandatory meeting. Through tears, the owner explained that she needed to cease operations. It was a devastating blow, as they were slated to expand to more cities this year. "Those hopes and dreams were dashed in pretty much an instant," Longa said.

Longa immediately filed for unemployment to make up for the $1,000 he'll lose each month. "[Applying] is tedious, as expected, but not completely painful," he shared. "The website worked fairly well — now, I just need to wait and see whether there will actually be funds to fulfill [my] claim."

Like some of the others, Longa is taking advantage of this newfound free time and will focus on his main line of work, filmmaking. For the past few years, he's been creating an international food documentary series called "TASTE With Kevin Longa." He hopes to release it later this year and to monetize with Patreon, merchandising, and sponsorships.

"It's unlikely that I'll make money from my film projects in the short term," Longa said. "But I was always creating 'TASTE' for the long term, anyway. My closest fans have been supporting me through my Venmo account."

Jill Lemieux, a restaurant manager in Boston, filed for unemployment — but worries about her colleagues who rely on tips

The restaurant industry has been hit hard by COVID-19, as many states are forbidding restaurants from providing dine-in services. Jill Lemieux, a manager at Pier 6 in Boston, is one of those restaurant employees who's been affected.

"The owner of my restaurant group (Navy Yard Hospitality Group) was in touch with us daily, giving us updates with information he received from the mayor's and governor's offices," she explained. "The last email from him was Sunday, March 15, letting us know the decision was made to limit all Boston restaurants to take out and delivery only."

The following morning, he held a conference call to let all employees know they'd be furloughed. He reminded them to file for unemployment benefits and reassured them that they would most certainly have jobs when the ban lifted. (Lemieux recognizes that she's lucky to be part of such a big restaurant group. The future is much more uncertain for smaller establishments.)

Initially, she felt defenseless. "No fault of my employer," Lemieux said. "We were doing everything we could to keep our work environment safe, and still the situation was and is much bigger than we could get a handle on."

To get by financially, Lemieux filed for unemployment, which should cover her basic costs of living. Though her income is significantly impacted, she was clear that the front-of-house staff will suffer much more, as tips are their main source of income. Some workers, she said, will probably lose close to $3,000 each month. 

SEE ALSO: 5 small businesses that pivoted to help their communities and customers during the pandemic — and boosted their bottom lines

NOW READ: How to network with recruiters and keep the door open for future job opportunities — even while hiring is down

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NOW WATCH: What if humans tried landing on the sun

• The Senate passed a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill on Wednesday to bolster the US economy during the coronavirus pandemic.
• After more than three hours of debate, The House passed the bill on Friday afternoon.
• The restaurant industry, which employs 15.6 million people across the US, will take an estimated $225 billion hit because of the outbreak— but the new stimulus bill could offer some relief for restaurants.
• The aid package would offer more than $300 billion in loans to small businesses for payroll, mortgage and rent payments, utilities, and other expenses. Some loans could be forgiven.
• The bill, which still needs to be signed into law by President Trump, would also expand unemployment benefits, allowing laid-off workers to claim an extra $600 per week in benefits.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

On Friday, after more than three hours of debate, the House of Representatives passed a $2.2 trillion aid bill to offset the economic blow dealt by the coronavirus pandemic.

Businesses are closed indefinitely across the US, a record 3.3 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week, and a recession is a near certainty.

The restaurant industry, which employs 15.6 million people in the US, has been hit especially hard. There have been mass layoffs as many of the country's more than one million restaurants have had to either close down or pivot to relying solely on takeout and delivery. The National Restaurant Association estimates the industry will take a $225 billion hit because of the pandemic, and that between five and seven million restaurant workers could lose their jobs by June.

The association's executive vice president of public affairs, Sean Kennedy, said in a statement that the industry still has many challenges ahead, but the bill is "an important first step to help restaurants weather the storm, take care of our employees, and prepare for when we are given the signal to open our doors once again." 

The National Restaurant Association and other groups, including the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), have analyzed how the new Senate bill, which still needs to be approved by President Trump, would affect the industry. 

More than $300 billion in loans to small businesses 

If it becomes law, the bill would establish the "Paycheck Protection Program," which would provide eligible small businesses with government-backed interruption loans to be used for expenses including payroll, mortgage and rent payments, and utilities.

The loans, meant for small businesses with less than 500 employees, are meant to incentivize businesses to keep employees on payroll, according to the IRC. The money could be used to pay for any employee compensation, including the equivalent of cash tips, which many restaurant workers rely on.

The covered period of the loans would be February 15, 2020 to June 30, 2020, and some loans may be forgiven if the business maintains its workforce, according to the IRC.

The maximum loan amount per restaurant is the equivalent of two-and-a-half months' payroll or $10 million, whichever is less.

Restaurants with more than 500 employees per location could also be eligible for a loan if they operate under the North American Industry Classification System code beginning with 72.

To apply for the loans, which would operate directly through financial institutions, restaurants would not need to prove any specific hardship, only make a "good faith certification" of the loan's necessity and that it would be used to retain employees, according to the IRC. 

Payroll-tax relief

Businesses that continue to employ workers through the coronavirus crisis would receive tax credits and be allowed to defer their payroll taxes so they can keep paying employees, as Business Insider's Jennifer Ortakales and Bartie Scott recently reported.

Nicole Kaeding, the vice president of policy promotion and an economist at the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, told Ortakales and Scott that employers could delay paying payroll taxes for 2020, then pay 50% in 2021 and the other 50% in 2022.

"This is important because it gives small businesses in particular cash flexibility right now," she said. "The tax isn't forgiven, but they don't need to send the federal government a check right now."

However, employers who apply for small-business loans would not receive the tax credit.

An extra $600 per week in unemployment benefits for laid-off restaurant workers

The new $2 trillion stimulus package would allow people to receive an extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits for up to four months — on top of the amount they get from the state.

That's a significant boost from the average weekly unemployment-insurance check, which was $385 in January. 

"The $600 per week on top of unemployment for our workers is critical," Scott Gerber, CEO of Gerber Group, which owns and operates 10 bars and restaurants across New York City, Washington DC, and Atlanta, told Business Insider. 

Unemployment benefits had already been expanded in response to the pandemic ahead of the new proposed stimulus package. On March 18, Congress and President Trump passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which expanded benefits and gave grants to states for processing and paying unemployment claims.

The federal government also issued guidance to states to allow more flexibility with granting unemployment benefits to employees who can't go to work because their workplace was shut down, workers who are quarantined, and those who leave work because of a risk of exposure or infection or to care for a family member.

SEE ALSO: The new stimulus package would allow people to claim an extra $600 in unemployment benefits a week. Here's what you need to know if you're applying.

DON'T MISS: READ: Here's how the government wants to spend $2 trillion to protect the economy from coronavirus' effects

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NOW WATCH: The rise and fall of Pan Am

• Billionaires hoping to avoid the coronavirus pandemic are chartering superyachts. 
• Yachts are thought to be more "hygienic" and less "monitored" than cruise ships, which have been the site of several COVID-19 outbreaks.
• According to the latest available estimates, there are over 500,000 reported cases of the coronavirus in the world and more than 25,000 deaths. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Billionaires are hoping to avoid the coronavirus pandemic by self-isolating on superyachts, The Telegraph's Alan Tovey reports.

Tovey spoke with Jonathan Beckett, the CEO of yacht broker Burgess. Beckett told The Telegraph that wealthy people are looking for ways to "weather the storm" and that a yacht "in a nice climate isn't a bad place to self-isolate."

Large yachts have enough storage room to hold supplies that can last for months, Tovey notes, meaning the vessel can spend a longer amount of time at sea without docking. Of course, renting superyachts for months at a time is pricey, with some charging £100,000 ($118,944) a week plus crew costs and the largest of yachts costing over £500,000 (almost $600,000) a week. 

"One family has taken a yacht for nine weeks, and we have also had two long-term bookings for yachts of 130 ft and 230 ft," Beckett told Tovey. "Clients are arranging for their children to be schooled on board, with cooking lessons from the yacht's chef and time with the crew in the engine room learning about technology."

The travel industry at large is suffering, but certain luxury travel sectors are actually seeing a boost

The travel sector has been hit hard amid the coronavirus pandemic, though not all areas of the industry are suffering. As commercial airlines ask for a bailout and hotels empty out, private jet and helicopter use has been on the rise as the very wealthy flee coronavirus hotspots. 

Business Insider's Hillary Hoffower previously reported that though cruise ship ports have closed, superyacht marinas have remained open. Experts told Hoffower that this is because yachts are believed to be more "hygienic" and less "monitored" than cruise ships. As Hoffower pointed out, poor hygiene was one reason why the Diamond Princess Cruise ship went from having 10 cases of the coronavirus to 700 in the course of two weeks.

"Each yacht is disinfected between [charter] groups on board, the air is purified on most yachts, and cleanliness standards are very high," reads a press release issued by superyacht firm IYC in early March addressing coronavirus concerns. "Some of the yachts use special air filters that control [and] reduce the spread of pathogens."

While superyachts typically have a "diligent" cleaning crew, close quarters can still put those aboard on risk for contracting the virus. 

"If you are passing by other guests in a marina it's outdoors, whereas cruise ship terminals and luggage pick up is indoors," Stefanos Makrymichalos, CEO of superyacht firm IYC, told Business Insider. "Ports of entry for ships are being monitored while marinas are not, as there is no evidence of risk."

As a result, yacht charters are still being encouraged (with precautions), though many boat shows have been called off. 

SEE ALSO: The Maldives government turned an abandoned island into a 'luxury' coronavirus quarantine facility

DON'T MISS: Cannes, the world's most glamorous film festival, has been postponed until further notice because of the coronavirus

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What's inside the Mariana Trench

• The UK's Birmingham Airport will be used for temporary mortuary facilities, West Midlands Police announced, as COVID-19-related deaths increase in the country.
• Authorities are working to convert an aircraft hangar into a morgue to act as a central hub for the region's fatalities, with smaller facilities closing to staff the airport site.
• The novel coronavirus has affected every level of British society with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince Charles both testing positive for COVID-19.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Police in the UK are turning to major airports for mortuary facilities as cases of the novel coronavirus on the British Isles continue to rise and current facilities struggle to keep up. 

Birmingham Airport in the West Midlands region of Great Britain is working with local authorities to convert an aircraft hangar into a temporary morgue for victims of the COVID-19 illness. Authorities have identified a hangar on the airport's southwestern perimeter for the site, slated to initially accommodate 1,500 deaths, according to a statement released by West Midlands Police.

Authorities in the region are preparing for the structure to become the central hub for the entire West Midlands, with smaller morgues closing to staff the converted hangar. 

"This mortuary is anticipated to accommodate the deceased from across the region, including those not related to coronavirus," said an airport spokesperson. "Birmingham Airport will do its utmost to support this multi-agency response during these difficult times." 

Birmingham Airport is the country's seventh-largest airport serving the country, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, behind Edinburgh Airport and London's Luton Airport in terms of passenger numbers.

The revelation from West Midlands Police on Friday came the same day of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement that he had tested positive for the virus, one of the first heads of government from a NATO-affiliated country to contract the virus.

The virus has been indiscriminate in its UK tour as it afflicts every level of British society including Johnson, members of the UK cabinet, and even Prince Charles of the country's royal family. Over 750 deaths have been reported in the UK, a small fraction of the 25,000 deaths worldwide, as cases in the country near 15,000, prompting US President Donald Trump to later include the country in his March 11 travel ban after initially excluding it. 

SEE ALSO: 11 air traffic control centers have been temporarily closed after workers tested positive for coronavirus, highlighting a vulnerability in air travel

The nondescript building along the Birmingham Airport's perimeter is expected to house an initial 1,500 deaths but is capable of expanding.

Over 112 deaths out of the country's greater than 700 had come from the Midlands region of the country as of Thursday, The Guardian reported, with the airport site aimed at alleviating pressure from the area's current facilities.

Source: The Guardian

Birmingham Airport has seen a decrease in air traffic with local airlines serving the airport including Jet2.com and Ryanair largely grounding their fleets.

Read More: 55 global airlines have completely stopped flying scheduled flights due to travel bans, airspace closures, and low demand for travel — see the full list

Aircraft of now-defunct regional carrier FlyBe can also be seen at the airport. The airline was the first to collapse following the outbreak of coronavirus in Europe.

Read More: UK airline Flybe declares bankruptcy as coronavirus dooms the already struggling carrier

With the demand for air travel at all-time lows, airports have been shifting from their original purpose whether it be housing grounded aircraft or the dead resulting from a pandemic.

Read More: Delta, American, and other airlines are parking planes on closed runways at major airports as carriers struggle to store grounded airliners

The facility will be located on the opposite side of the airport from the commercial terminal, away from the airport's remaining passengers.

• Every American Express card features a program called Amex Offers, which gives huge discounts or bonus rewards points when you use your card for purchases at certain retailers, restaurants, or services.
• If you have cards like the Platinum Card® from American Express or the American Express® Gold Card, you can save hundreds of dollars each year, or earn thousands of extra points.
• Offers are specifically targeted to each person, and even each different card that person has. That means that having a few Amex cards means you'll likely get access to a wider range of offers.
• Currently available Amex Offers include cash-back deals with Wine.com, WineInsiders.com, and Blue Apron, plus retailers such as Lulus and Cole Haan.
• See Business Insider's list of the best American Express cards »

I love the Amex Platinum card for widely known perks like airport lounge access and 5x points on flights booked directly with the airline, but the card also comes with some lesser-known benefits that can save you money.

One of those benefits that's available through virtually every Amex card, but isn't the most widely known, is Amex Offers. In this past year alone, I've used offers to save money on purchases from J.Crew, Instacart, and FreshDirect, and to earn bonus points at Amazon.

What are Amex Offers?

The Amex Offers program provides cardholders with discounts at various stores, restaurants, or services, or, if not a discount, then chances to earn extra points.

The interesting part of the program is that each offer is specifically targeted to individual users and each user's individual cards. That means that you and I might get different offers, and I might even see different offers across my several different Amex cards. That adds a real benefit to having multiple Amex cards — even if you just use them to be eligible for more offers, you have a better chance of getting good ones.

One of the appeals of the Amex Offers program is that the offers continuously change. Offers can be for national brands, but are also targeted based on your billing address — for example, I have a few offers for shops and restaurants that have a New York City location.

Current Amex Offers

Here are some of the particularly interesting Amex Offers currently available. Keep in mind that some of may no longer be available, and some are specifically targeted.

• Spend $100 or more at Wine.com, get $30 back.
• Spend $75 or more at Boxed, get $20 back.
• Spend $50 or more at WineInsiders.com, get $50 back.
• Spend $25 or more at BarkBox.com, get $5 back (up to three times, for a total of $15 back).
• Spend $50 or more at Rover.com, get $10 back.
• Spend $125 or more at Levi's, get $25 back.
• Spend $150 or more at Cole Haan, get $30 back.
• Spend $50 or more at Lulus.com, get $10 back.
• Get 15% back on purchases at Starbucks, up to $5.
• Spend $175 or more at Glasses.com, get $35 back.
• Spend $150 or more at Sunglass Hut, get $30 back.
• Spend $250 or more with Marriott, get $50 back.
• Spend $250 or more at Theory, get 5,000 Membership Rewards points.
• Spend $65 or more at Teleflora, get $20 back (up to 10 times, for a total of $200 back).
• Spend $185 or more at The Wall Street Journal, get $75 back.

If you're interested in opening a new Amex card — in addition to getting access to more Amex offers, you can earn a lucrative welcome offer — take a look at our up-to-date list of best Amex cards.

$550 annual fee: Click here to learn more about the Amex Platinum card »

$250 annual fee: Click here to learn more about the Amex Gold card »

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• What's the best airline credit card?
• The best cash-back credit cards
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• Doomsday preppers are riding out the coronavirus pandemic in their bunkers, reported R.T. Walson for The Wall Street Journal.
• The founder of one doomsday compound told Business Insider he's seen a "huge surge in interest" in the business' offerings.
• Doomsday bunkers can range anywhere from $35,000 to $3 million.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Doomsday preppers are bunkering down during the coronavirus pandemic.

R.T. Walson for The Wall Street Journal spoke to several survivalists who have finally found a use for the worst-case scenarios bunkers they previously bought, now that the coronavirus is rapidly spreading across America.

"If we're out and about and we got it, we'd end up being fine, but I don't want to be part of the problem and be out there as a carrier and spreading it," a doomsday prepper named Joe, who has been hiding out in his $240,000 with his family of four, told Walson.

Several bunker contractors told Walson they've seen an uptick in spending on doomsday shelters since the coronavirus became a pandemic. However, one said that the pandemic hasn't affected sales, as it's an expensive purchase for something that takes months to plan and won't be delivered right away.

Drew Miller, founder of Fortitude Ranch — doomsday compounds in West Virginia and Colorado that double as a recreational facility and survival retreat — told Business Insider's Mary Meisenzahl that panic around the coronavirus has led to a "huge surge in interest" in the business' offerings.

He said the company has sold out its Colorado location, which has about 100 members, and is nearly selling out its West Virginia location, which has about 60 members.

"Most of our members are not traditional preppers, but business professionals, retired military, and law enforcement, people who recognize the need to get out of the city and suburbs" when things get bad, Miller told Business Insider. "It is really the 'collapse,' the halt in economic activity and loss of law and order that is the biggest threat," and members don't want to be left managing on their own.

Doomsday bunkers can cost millions

Doomsday bunkers have grown in popularity over recent years as people have come to fear climate change, a possible technological overthrow of society, and the potential of global nuclear warfare, reported Business Insider's Aria Bendix.

Bunker design companies have been popping up to accommodate these worst-case scenario demands, but these underground dwellings don't always come cheap. xPoint, in South Dakota, has bunkers that start at $35,000, but residents still need to pay $1,000 in annual rent, according to Bendix. But others, like the Survival Condo Project in Kansas, cater exclusively to the superrich. Here, she said, half-units are listed for $1.5 million and units are listed at $3 million.

Some luxury bunkers offer amenities like movie theaters, swimming pools, and rock walls. But most doomsday shelters, regardless of how luxurious they are, typically include a few key features, Bendix wrote: blast-proof doors, an array of freeze-dried food, and medical supplies.

Society often views survivalists as a tad extreme. "I don't think we're that much different from anybody else," longtime doomsday prepper Tom, who is using a bunker he purchased three years ago to escape the pandemic, told Walson. "People used to consider preppers to be this odd, crazy bunch of people. Now a lot of the people that were ambivalent about my prepping, those people are incredibly interested in what I do now."

Doomsday preppers are certainly well-prepared for an apocalypse: fitting in the midst of a pandemic that has been called "apocalyptic" by everyone from NYC hospital doctors to local politicians.

SEE ALSO: Bill Gates has been warning of a global health threat for years. Here are 11 people who seemingly predicted the coronavirus pandemic.

DON'T MISS: 'We're not worried about it:' Photos show the coronavirus pandemic isn't stopping spring breakers from crowding beaches and partying on booze cruises

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NOW WATCH: How networks treat the Democratic debates like reality TV

• It can be a challenge to get into the New York University Stern School of Business, ranked No. 13 in the country by Bloomberg Businessweek and No. 12 by US News and World Report.
• The business school's acceptance rate sits at just 26%.
• Business Insider tapped alumni and admissions for their advice on how to get in, which include highlighting what you plan to get out of NYU Stern and emphasizing if you're an entrepreneur.
• They also suggested really spending time prepping for your interview and filling out the photo essay to showcase your personality.
• Deadlines to apply have been moved to May amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

It can be a challenge to get into the New York University Stern School of Business if that's your institution of choice for business school — its most recent class sported an acceptance rate of just 26%, according to Lisa Rios, the executive director of MBA admissions.

And it's easy to see why. NYU Stern sits at No. 13 in the country (out of 94 schools) in Bloomberg Businessweek's 2019 rating of the best business schools and took the No. 12 spot in US News and World Report's 2019 list and the No. 17 spot in The Economist's list of the top full-time MBA schools globally.

Not to mention, notable graduates of the school include former Chair of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan, Charlie Scharf, the CEO of Wells Fargo, and Dan Schulman, the president and CEO of PayPal.

Application deadlines have been moved from March 15 to May 1 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, although the required contents of the application are unchanged.

As difficult as it may be to get accepted to NYU Stern, Business Insider has collected tips and advice from insiders who've been there before and seen it all. Learn what worked for these Stern grads and what you should do to boost your chances of getting into this auspicious school.

Be open about what you want out of the program and what you can give to the school

In the application process, it's integral to focus on two main ingredients, said Andrew Kwan, a 2019 grad and supply-demand planner for Apple. "My application demonstrated a deep understanding of Stern's core values of passion, curiosity, and community and how the school's unique offerings would best supplement my goals," he noted.

Going into business school, Kwan wanted to make a career switch — he had worked in financial services in wealth management and wanted to ensure he was exposed to a range of new experiences.  "Stern's experiential course work, company visits, and networking opportunities allowed me a wide breadth of chances to really see where my MBA could take me," he said.

Answering the question "What mark I would leave on the school?" is also helpful to think about. The impact Kwan wanted to leave at Stern related to the leadership skills he wanted to acquire and harness during his MBA years. 

"Through my various interests, I knew I could take on roles within clubs that would allow me to make decisions that impact student life, whether this was to plan yearly conferences, to organize events that helped educate students on different opportunities, or to work with the school administration to drive new initiatives. I knew that Stern prides itself on being a highly student-driven community and that I would be able to take ownership on aspects that were important to me," he added.

Kwan stressed highlighting the opportunities that only NYU Stern, as opposed to other MBA programs, could provide. "As a career switcher, working previously at Citibank, I knew that Stern and NYC would provide me many opportunities to explore different functions and industries through internships, experiential learning, and a focus on international learning. By showing how these things would compliment by previous experiences, I was able to demonstrate both how Stern would benefit me as well as what I would give back to the community," he said.

Get comfortable talking about yourself in interviews

Lasith Lansakara, who graduated from NYU Stern in 2008 and is now a senior manager at Deloitte Canada, pointed to the in-person interview as a key way to impress admissions officers. "Be clear how you can further [your] career through Stern," he advised, "and also touch on your personal interests. Don't be afraid to talk about yourself." 

In his interview, Lansakara spent some time revealing his passion for graphic design and why it meant a lot to him. "I wanted to showcase the right side of my brain. I figured that since most of the application process focused on logic and structured thinking, I wanted to paint a more rounded picture of myself. I think it probably did help the admissions committee get a deeper understanding of me," he explained.

Steven Avila, a 2019 NYU Stern graduate and associate at New York-based McKinsey, agreed that it's important to get comfortable telling your story. 

"Be prepared to share what happened to you in the past to get you interested in Stern," he said. "It's OK if you come from an unconventional background, like how I came from government, working for over two years at President Obama's Department of the Interior, and told Stern how the school would unlock doors that wouldn't be open to me otherwise. Getting an MBA would offer a versatility to where I could work, because I know companies like Amazon hire MBA grads as well as investment banks and consultancy organizations. Also, being a school in New York, Stern is so close to the many companies I'd be looking to work for after graduation."

Are you an entrepreneur? Say it loud and proud.

When Lia Winograd, a 2019 grad, applied to Stern's MBA program, she made sure to highlight her work as the founder and CEO of Pepper, her body-positive bra company. In the essay required by every applicant, "I looked at how I came from a world where I'd seen many business situations from a variety of angles," she said. "With my startup, I was able to figure out things from the ground up, and how I plan to fund and scale Pepper to develop it from where it was then."

When she applied to Stern, she said she already had tangible results for her idea for Pepper. She and her team had launched a successful Kickstarter campaign, which was fully funded in the first 10 hours and raised 470% above its original goal. "We had paying customers and validation for our idea, which I wanted to scale rather than launch from scratch during my MBA program," she said. "Most MBA applications I've seen touch on having a passion for entrepreneurship but nothing to back that up."

She said applicants should hone their essay to reveal who they are beyond their academic profile. "You can put so much energy into getting good grades [that] you don't invest energy into other parts of the application, like the essay. It can give Stern a clear idea of your identity and your personality," Winograd added.

Don't skimp on highlighting your other extracurricular work

Applicants shouldn't be shy about listing any volunteer responsibilities on their applications, even if they feel irrelevant to business school. 

For example, Avi Gutman, a 2010 grad who now works as a GMAT math teacher, said he told NYU Stern in his essay and interview about an impressive list of extracurricular work under his belt: one year at Junior Achievement Southern Alberta in Calgary, where he visited classrooms to share with students what staying in school instilled in him, and several years volunteering for the Israeli military, where his primary role focused on evaluating new recruits.

"I've often been a collaborative person, in work and in volunteer jobs, so I let that shine through in the interview," Gutman recalled. "I showed them a few times where I put the team ahead of my personal goals."

Gutman said his essay describing his military service in Israel demonstrated those team-building assets he believed Stern looks for in applicants. In his essay, he wrote about commanding a team of 50 soldiers, interviewing as many as 900 recruits per day. 

"I collaborated frequently with the head of IT to optimize our reporting system, and the changes we implemented were adopted in other Psychotechnical Testing units across the country," he explained. "My innovations brought wait times down by 10%; employees were able to leave the base up to an hour earlier every day thanks to our improved efficiency."

Show who you really are in your 'Pick Six' photo essay

Relatively new to the application process at NYU Stern's MBA program is what they call "Pick Six." Since 2017, the school has asked applicants to submit six images, such as pictures or illustrations or graphic design work, along with captions.

"This is one of the ways for us to get insight into candidates outside of their academic profile and written work," said admissions director Lisa Rios. "They can have fun with it, too, and show us their personal side with Pick Six."

Lauren Marinaro, currently enrolled in her first year in the NYU Stern MBA program, said with her Pick Six selections that she "wanted [to] tell a story of who I am that no resume or essay could." Among the photos was an image of her and a friend finishing a half marathon to show how Marinaro has always been competitive and goal driven. Another photo revealed an MRI brain scan: "Since having brain surgery at the age of 16, I've taken a different approach to life, seeking new experiences and taking greater risks. The MRI scans were meant to capture this and my resilience," she said.

She also demonstrated her artistic skills by painting a portrait of her partner of 11 years. "Humor and creativity are aspects of my life I could not live without, and thus I thought the portrait I painted of my partner making a silly face would capture both these characteristics well," she said.

What stands out in the many photo submissions Stern has received since 2017 is a package of images showing the applicant's true self. "This reveals who they are as a person, and it doesn't have to be a photograph, but can be something like an emoji even," Rios said.

She said one of the missteps in this area, and other parts of the application process, is being inauthentic. "Don't be someone you're not," Rios said. "Don't show us something [you] think we want to see or hear. Employers are looking for graduates who are true to themselves and we want to see that in the application."

This article was originally published on Business Insider December 13, 2019. It has been updated with new information.

SEE ALSO: BUSINESS SCHOOL PREP: The ultimate guides to getting into the top MBA programs in the US

READ MORE: Here is the personal essay that got an MBA grad into the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business

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• The novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 576,000 people worldwide, and killed at least 26,000 people, has made its way into the upper ranks of several world governments.
• Officials in the US, Australia, Iran, and the UK have tested positive for the disease.
• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he has tested positive for COVID-19.
• Sophie Trudeau, spouse of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, tested positive for the coronavirus. Her husband is also under isolation, though he has not reported symptoms.
• Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and UK Minister for Mental Health Nadine Dorries both announced their positive test results earlier this month.
• Iranian media has reported that Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi have also tested positive.
• Sen. Rand Paul, two House representatives, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez have announced they've tested positive. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The coronavirus has reached some of the highest levels of government in several countries around the world, with top figures in the United States, Australia, Iran, United Kingdom, and Canada affected.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 576,000 people worldwide, and killed at least 26,000 people. It has spread to at least 176 countries and territories, leaving people across the world vulnerable to the virus. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he tested positive on March 27, and in the US, Miami's mayor and Sen. Rand Paul announced that they had  also tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Here is a list of top officials around the world who have been impacted by the coronavirus.

SEE ALSO: White House says Trump and Pence don't need to be tested for coronavirus because they had 'almost no interactions' with Brazilian official who tested positive

SEE ALSO: 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife, Sophie Trudeau

Sophie Trudeau tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a large event in London. Her husband, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, self-isolated as a precaution although he has not exhibited symptoms.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton

Dutton confirmed that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus after a trip to the United States. On that trip, he posed alongside Ivanka Trump and Trump's attorney general, William Barr days before he tested positive. He was hospitalized, per Australian protocol.

Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi

Harirchi confirmed he had been diagnosed with the coronavirus on February 25, days after appearing unwell at a press conference on the outbreak. On March 3, the BBC reported that 5 Iranian members of parliament had also tested positive for coronavirus.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Johnson announced on March 27 that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing a persistent cough and a temperature.

"I am working from home, I'm self-isolating, and that's entirely the right thing to do," he said in a video on Twitter. "But be in no doubt that I can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fight against the coronavirus."

UK Minister for Mental Health Nadine Dories

Dorries announced she had tested positive for the coronavirus a few days after attending an event with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, raising concerns about Johnson's exposure.

Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri

Jahangiri has contracted the coronavirus, Al Jazeera reported, citing Iran's Fars news agency. Al Jazeera also reported that two cabinet members had also tested positive for the virus.

Senator Rand Paul

Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, was the first senator to test positive for COVID-19.

His office said on Twitter on Sunday that Paul was "asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events."

He has been in isolation since, and is his staff is working remotely, according to the New York Times.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez confirmed that he had tested positive for COVID-19, after attending an event with a delegation from Brazil.

Suarez insisted he felt "healthy" but urged people who shook his hand or was in the vicinity when he coughed or sneezed since Monday should self-isolate as a precaution.

The delegation accompanying president Jair Bolsonaro included his press secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, who later tested positive for the coronavirus according to Brazilian media and CNN.

Prince Charles

A spokesperson for the royal family announced that Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, tested positive for COVID-19 on March 25.

The 71-year-old had mild symptoms but was in "good health," the spokesperson said.

"The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus," the statement said, referring to Prince Charles's wife, Camilla. 

Charles is now working from home and he and Camilla are self-isolating at their home in Scotland.

Senator Amy Klobuchar's husband, John Bessler

Senator Amy Klobuchar said her husband, John Bessler, tested positive for COVID-19 on March 23.

Klobuchar wrote a Medium post announcing the news, saying Bessler, a University of Baltimore law professor, had pneumonia but was not on a ventilator.

"He is exhausted and sick but a very strong and resilient person," she said.

Klobuchar said she did not get tested because she and her husband had been away from each other for more than 14 days due to travel.

Prince Albert II of Monaco

A statement from Prince Albert II of Monaco's office said that he tested positive for COVID-19 on March 19.

The 62-year-old was the first head of state to announce he had the virus, though his office said his health condition "poses no concern," according to the New York Times.

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican from Florida, was the first member of Congress to announce he tested positive for COVID-19 on March 19.

According to The New York Times, he was on the House floor before falling ill on March 13.

After he learned he was positive, a number of lawmakers, including Rep. Steve Scalise, Rep. Tom Cole, and Rep. Drew Ferguson announced they would self-quarantine.

Rep. Ben McAdams

Rep. Ben McAdams, a Democrat from Utah's fourth congressional district, also fell ill after voting on the House Floor on March 13. He announced his positive COVID-19 diagnosis on March 19.