What's going to happen when essential workers can't afford to get to work?

[noblegiraffe]

I was just reading another thread about cutbacks people are making to deal with the price increases, and some people mentioned WFH or WFH more often to save petrol money on going into the office. Petrol and diesel seem to be going up in price daily with no end in sight.

Public transport isn't cheap either, and prices go up in line with inflation.

Not that public transport is always an option - my school has very poor public transport links.

Obviously everyone is affected by price increases, but with real terms pay cuts promised by the government for several key public sector areas, how are they going to be able to guarantee a workforce that can actually afford to get to work? A couple of teachers leaving my dept for other schools cited cost of commute as a factor.

Thinking of the keyworkers - those who were so essential to the running of the country that they had to go out to work during a pandemic when everyone else had to stay at home. What is the plan to enable them to keep going out to work during this cost of living crisis?

Yes, I know but OP said teachers can't afford to live near the sought after schools, which is not the case IME . They do almost always live close to good schools (if they have DC) and almost never live in the areas that need them most.

’Almost always’? What is that assertion based on?

Following.

When I was on a low wage I would cycle, or use a cheap moped which did about 100mpg instead of running a car. Other options are to find a different job, closer to home.

They do almost always live close to good schools (if they have DC)

Teachers often choose not to live near the school that they teach at, for obvious reasons.

I have had to transfer to another service/team because the office is closer to my home. My former department fought me on that because they are so short staffed, but I had to be honest that I simply couldn't justify the cost of the commute. Also we used to pay for parking at our office which was £1 an hour so £10 per day some days. They have luckily now made it free to certain staff.
I also get milage because I do home visits, soon the mileage we get won't cover the petrol so I have started to walk to visits within a 30 minute walk, however, I have heavy kit to carry and its often unsafe because of the nature of my job we often need to make a hasty retreat. Also it adds so much time on to my visits taking me away from other work and we are already stretched for time.

We are down 2 whole teams of staff too so are covering their work. If we lose any more staff, I dunno, we are already at unsafe levels.

I feel like this about my role. Constantly dealing with vulnerable people day in day out, yet being paid 24k. Also need a lot of knowledge. Boss wont let us work from home even part of the week, even though the job could easily be done from home because she likes the company in the office!

I do wonder too. I popped into my local coffee shop on Friday and the lady behind the counter was telling me that she had previously been a carer in a hospital about 35km away. She said by the times she added in her cost to go to work, the long shifts and the abuse she got at times it made a lot more sense to take a job in a coffee shop that she can walk to work. She said her rate per hour is slightly less but removing the commute she is better off with a better quality of life.

I'm lucky enough to live a 20 min walk from the school where I teach but many of my friends who are also teachers are struggling with the fuel price hikes. With the 50% fuel increase predicted for October it's going to be a stressful time for many.

People need to learn to budget.

So you think there's a plan? And you assume it's one they're going to publicise?
What if the plan isn't to stop societal collapse? What if the plan IS societal collapse?

Quite and it wouldn't be the first time. The end of the mining industry, for example. "They" will consider it a necessary evil.

Oh, I love a good conspiracy theory.

What’s this one then? Why do you think the UK government wants societal collapse, but didn’t use COVID to achieve it?

@CraftyGin I'm pretty sure people are budgeting, we are really good at it and have no debts etc but money only goes so far when costs are rising and wages are not. With all the budgeting in the world you can't magic up extra cash.

How do you budget when you don't know how much petrol will cost by the end of the month? It's not a trivial increase.

Buy it at the start of the month?

This is one reason why schools are struggling to recruit support staff, I think. And how carers, vet nurses, dental nurses, nursery nurses are coping, I don’t know.

Keyworkers weren't and aren't all in the public sector. Many, many of them are in the private sector.

My employer in the private sector planned to increase pay for 2 years, but downgraded it to 1 year and then review it.

Many employers will likely do something similar.

Buy it at the start of the month?

Are you being deliberately dim?

Never let your tank go below half empty and you can then budget accordingly each time you need to fill up half again.

SUVs and other large cars just guzzle fuel, so will cost more. Hatchbacks would be a better choice.

Hatchbacks would be a better choice.

And yet there is an upfront cost to switching cars which is a barrier to making changes like that when the issue is that you are trying to make ends meet.

Indeed, it’s all very well saying that, but I own a battered old thirsty diesel and can’t afford to replace it to buy a hatchback.

Rather like suggestions that we all buy electric cars really!

That rather depends on a number of factors. Running an SUV will cost more in the long run if you're struggling to afford that one. All you're doing with that is making a really broad statement that offers nothing meaningful.

I've got a 15 year old hatchback that has been fantastic, but now need to get another one this summer. Savings in tandem with finance is what I'll be doing which means repayments for me will be less than £100 a month for 48 months max.

And no, I'm not on anywhere near £25k or anything like that.

Lift sharing, fewer cars with one person in them. I'd get a closer job myself, if it's less than an hour walk then I can easily walk or cycle, everyone hiring around here.

Running an SUV will cost more in the long run if you're struggling to afford that one.

It’s the Vimes Boots Theory of economics though.

Then don't let your tank go below half empty.

My diesel hatchback is 15 years old and definitely not battered in terms of interior as well as exterior condition. Just spent over £300 to fix major defects so it can pass an MOT. It passed it, but I've a list of advisories which would cost me more than it is worth to fix.

So, I'll be replacing it this summer with a 4/5 year old car. Certainly won't be electric or a hybrid!