It was a cold winter night in Tbilisi, Georgia when 27-year-old Ana woke up feeling a sharp pain in her chest and a high fever. Despite feeling extremely unwell, she knew that she had a shift to work at the online casino where she was employed.
“I couldn’t afford to miss work,” Ana recalls. “I needed the money to pay my bills and support my family.”
Ana had been working as a dealer at the online casino for the past two years, and she was grateful for the job that provided her with a steady income. However, on this particular night, she found herself facing a difficult decision – should she call in sick and risk losing her job, or should she push through the pain and go to work?
Ultimately, Ana decided to go to work, even though she knew that she was putting her health at risk. She arrived at the casino and began her shift, feeling shaky and weak. As the night went on, her fever worsened, and she found herself struggling to concentrate on dealing cards and interacting with customers.
“I worked for 12 hours straight, shaking with fever,” Ana says. “It was the most difficult shift of my life.”
Despite her best efforts, Ana’s condition continued to deteriorate throughout the night. By the time her shift ended, she could barely stand up straight, and she knew that she needed to seek medical attention immediately.
After finishing work, Ana went straight to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia. She was hospitalized for several days and received treatment to help her recover. Thankfully, Ana made a full recovery and was able to return to work after a week of rest.
In light of her experience, Ana is speaking out about the challenges faced by casino employees in Georgia, many of whom are forced to work in unsafe conditions and risk their health in order to make ends meet.
“I hope that my story will shine a light on the struggles that casino workers face,” Ana says. “No one should have to choose between their health and their job.”
As Ana continues to recover, she is grateful for the support of her family and friends, who helped her through the difficult experience. She is also thankful for the opportunity to share her story and advocate for better working conditions for all casino employees in Georgia.
“I hope that no one else has to go through what I did,” Ana says. “I want to make sure that casino workers are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”
