Would you go to work on Monday if you were a teacher?

[HibiscusCotton]

I take calls for a school, been a few emails tonight saying people need to self-isolate. It’s a tight knit community and I wouldn’t say anything but I know they are scared in some cases and there are no symptoms in the house fairly reliably. I’m not going to challenge anyone on this! We already have allowed those with vulnerability or family vulnerability to be off, this is people with healthy families now calling.

I understand to be honest people are scared right now with the news about young fit people getting very ill.

I do praise NHS staff who will work crazy hours and be very frontline, but to some degree it’s some expected level of the job- but massively intensified. If you are a teacher, nursery work, retail worker etc you didn’t sign up with the idea of any risk. You’re probably not much of a hero. You have no protection at all, no more cleaning available at work and you’re exposed to exactly the same risk as NHS parents due to mixing with their children. You also have people being negative if they see you out and you still can’t access the supermarket if you have kids (friend is a single parent teacher, no online slots,small shops won’t let kids in here, supermarket empty post work and she brings her daughter back home with her from the same building. She’s actually said she’s scared of getting photographed out on the bus home with her dd and being put on the local fb group where people are shaming those who go out quite viciously.) In most cases you are also exposing your family to risk, maybe parents who live with you, partners or children. I have to admit personally I’m getting more and more worried with all the news that DH is on London transport daily and working with high contact with young kids. He will work while he can, but I am getting worried for our children and him.

So, with all the news around you right now, if you worked in retail/ teaching etc would you:
YABU- go to work as usual, out of duty or confidence you’ll be ok
YANBU- self isolate your family and yourself to protect. Either calling in saying your child had a cough or you couldn’t work due to family/ personal vulnerabilities

I’m just wondering what the general feeling is. I’m a bit on the fence personally. We are both working, but I don’t judge those who don’t feel able to for mental health or physical health reasons. I understand how staff with anxiety have felt overwhelmed in particular.

My school has asked for volunteers to go in each day ( about 8 staff ) on a rota. Those not on the rota are working from home. I don't understand why different schools have approached it so differently. There is no need for all staff to be in. One of the reasons we had to have partial closures last week was not all staff were able to go in.

I’m early years and have severe asthma. I’m
I’m tomorrow.

@Thehop that's shocking, you really shouldn't be going in if you have severe asthma, you should be self isolating at home. Why are you expected in? You should have been told to stay at home.

Oh I see Hibiscus.
We were in for extra cleaning/sanitising last week throughout the day. Not sure how long we can keep it up for though as we are down to two of us from a team of four.
I'm praying that there aren't too many children tbh, so that areas will be closed off. It will be exhausting otherwise.

Of course I will, it's my job. My kids will be at home with DH wherever possible, and I will be as sanitary as possible. I don't have blind confidence that I won't get it, but pragmatism states I just get on with it for now.

Some people seem determined to paint anyone who is questioning the wisdom of having a full quota of staff in as pathetic, malingering, shirkers...

I have no issue with working or supervising the children of key workers. However, I can't see why people don't understand that teaching can be done FROM HOME. We are still earning our wage. It is completely nonsensical to have more staff in than children which is what some schools will have tomorrow.

We are classed as key workers and if we can help the NHS and other important key workers by minding their children for them then we will do it. If myself or my family need the nhs in the next few weeks or months I will hope that they will be there doing their jobs because someone is looking after their children for them.

I am a teacher.

Our LA has told us we have to be in work. About 1/5 of children signed up and more expected.

DD2 is going to her primary school - our local LA is insisting on 2 parent key workers, the LA I work for seems to have a 'let everyone in' policy.

DD1 is at home alone. I don't like leaving her all day (Y8 in high school) but it seems the safer option than exposing her to the virus.

Hopefully, DH will get permission to WFH and I can let DD2 stay home.

I am NOT happy about going in, but as teachers we have a responsibility to, if only to keep the children of medics in work....we might need them!!

Sorry I realised that might not be clear. I live in one local authority area, and work in the neighbouring local authority area.

I'm finding this thread quite worrying. It sounds as if schools (in England) are basically business as usual. Everyone who can stay at home should be at home right now, pupils and adults. We need a skeleton staff to look after genuine key worker children. Everyone else should be working from home. We are supposed to be at home to keep others safe not in some how-brave-am-I contest.

you’re exposed to exactly the same risk as NHS parents due to mixing with their children.

You're not, though. I'm not saying there's no risk, obviously. But there's quite a lot of handwashing that can happen between CV patient in hospital >> NHS worker >> NHS worker's child >> child's teacher. Not all NHS workers are in hospitals or will even come into direct contact with CV either.

@MetallicPaints I can’t afford to stay at home on SSP and I’m needed in nursery at the moment. I’m taking every care possible (My husband has coronary heart disease and is allowed to work from home) and not going out other than to work. It’s such a difficult situation.

@Thehop so sorry to hear that, what a horrible situation to be in. Please look after yourself as much as possible

My sister work in a nursery which her daughter has to attend. My other sister works in a school that is in a deprived area so all kids vulnerable. She has been handing out leaflets to ms regarding numbers to call for domestic abuse.

My other sister works in a private school where kids are sent as a last chance saloon as they've been expelled from everywhere else.

My brother works in The Range.

My mum and her husband are over 70.

I really fucking wish everyone could stay at home, but none of my sister's can.

I would NOT go to o work if I didn't have to.

These are disturbing times and I have cried lots today. First time in 42 years I haven't seen my mum on mother's Day. But this is bigger than I'd and we will come through it

How on earth do you know about symptoms in their home ???! What a load of tripe.

I am a teacher having to self isolate after my child had a cough and a high fever last weekend and it was devastating to not go in and say goodbye to my exam classes and support my school and students

The idea of you taking calls and passing judgement on the credibility of their need to self isolate paints a pretty poor picture of you to be honest.

I’d be in in a heatbeat and will be when I can even though it means having to put my own two young Children Into two different settings and therefore between the 3 of us our exposure is through the roof .. to allow other key workers to get to work as that’s my job 🤷‍♀️

I'm a TA. All staff told to be in tomorrow.I just hope leadership don't try and get us all in the hall for a briefing. Depending how many if us are in, not sure we can stand 2 meters apart.

We're rota-ed already at our primary school. I'll be doing my share.

I’m a teacher, I’m in Ireland and our schools are closed!! Completely closed!! I’m sorry but I think the uk government has made completely the wrong decision on this one!!

I am going in. I am so worried. I'm a temporary teacher, haven't been at the school long, a single parent of 2 children under 4 and there are no grandparents to help out. I either bring my little boys with me or put them in day care. I am so nervous about the risks. I think we are implementing a rota thankfully, if numbers are as low as I hope.
This will prevent staff being in unnecessarily.
I want to play my part, I'm being paid, I want to help vital workers who are playing a critical part in the fight against Covid and who have no other childcare options. But I have seen comments online from parents who qualify and who want to send their children to school for reasons of mental health (theirs or their children's), because the mother in the family is pregnant or recently delivered, because of non- related health issues, because it's hard for them or their partner to work from home with the kids under their feet, because the children are missing the routine, or for financial reasons. These are all valid reasons in normal circumstances, just not now. We don't want to defeat the purpose of closing schools. But I bet for me to express this would probably elicit all the "moany" or "lazy" teacher comments. It's depressing.

Holdmenow who looks after the key workers children if the schools are completely closed?

And you @MetallicPaints thank you so much

If you don’t go just pray you don’t need the paramedics or nurses who dc you didn’t want to look after....

If you do go, let’s hope you don’t add to the numbers needing paramedics or nurses.

I’ll be going in. It’s not always as straightforward as some people are making out, though. People are (quite rightly) scared.

@OytheBumbler most I know have that have one key worker parent, the other parent has opted to stay home and take the covid-19 social payment our government has set, along with sick pay and parental leave.
Those with two key workers, work opposite shifts.

I'm in. I am paying for childcare tomorrow and hoping i cab wfh after that, cos it's 2 key worker parents round here. My childminder has also been.instructed only to take children fro. 2 key workers, so a lot of us are in trouble round here.

I thought the payment was only if your company can't employ you for a while?