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AIBU?

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Original poster

Why is my NHS employed SIL 'working from home'?

266 replies

emptyfridge · 02/04/2020 13:55

Really confused as to why the government are taking on thousands of volunteers to support the NHS and we are constantly being told of the immense pressure staff are under when my perfectly capable SIL is working from home apparently catching up on paperwork?

OP posts:
GoofyLuce · 02/04/2020 17:15

Hi OP

I don't agree with your post but your allowed your opinion. She is allowed to work from home so she is doing the right thing by doing it. If she wishes to send her child into school during this pandemic then I would have thought she'd have a valid reason for it - after all no one would want to put their child is risk If it wasn't necessary.

I don't agree with the way everyone is ganging up on this OP. If she was on the street would you all crowd round her and shout at her in the numbers that you are on here? I think not as that would be disgusting...so why do you think its acceptable on the internet? Hmm

Greenpop21 · 02/04/2020 17:15

@Lewji No not NHS but other work is hard, confidential, requires concentration etc.

QueenOfPain · 02/04/2020 17:16

I work in the NHS, and I’m working from home for the foreseeable. I am able to do my work from home, and it is vital that I continue to do so. Since I’m doing telephone triage of calls sent through to the GP OOH service by 111 and this is a massive part of diverting demand away from the hospitals and encouraging self care at home.

It simply wouldn’t work to send me to the front line to do some of the tasks that they’re asking volunteers to do, since that would be a waste of my skill set, and a volunteer couldn’t back fill my job.

LemonSquash94 · 02/04/2020 17:17

@QuakingQuiche

Oh sorry, I work in business intelligence for the NHS. Last week I worked 70 hours and was on call at the weekend. All from home. Way above the ‘job I signed up for’ but I do it because I love my job and I care.

I didn’t realise that because I’m working from home my role is less important, it isn’t. The work that the team I’m a part of has been crucial for the operation of the wards and hospital, without hours and hours of work the view of ill patients wouldn’t be a third of what it is.

Working from 7am-7pm every day apart from Sunday leaves little time to go shopping, so if I want or need to make use of NHS supermarkets I will otherwise I won’t have food for the week.

The golden status NHS workers get at the moment should be reserved for those on the front line shows how little you actually know about how a hospital operates.

Lweji · 02/04/2020 17:19

No not NHS but other work is hard, confidential, requires concentration etc.

Is it key work?

Or would you be the first to complain that the NHS isn't coping with the paperwork side?
Imagine people not getting results from tests. Not having appointments booked or cancelled. Their doctors not getting information on time.
Because the key worker had to sort out their children's school work, fights and tantrums.

formerbabe · 02/04/2020 17:19

I think all the social media fawning over nhs hero's has made a lot of people forget that there are lots of people working in the background not necessarily doing the obvious life saving front line stuff....never the less, it's still vital.

Greenpop21 · 02/04/2020 17:22

@lewiji I am in awe of the NHS and absolutely recognise that admin is extremely important. My point was in response to those saying you can’t work from home AND look after children. I’m saying millions are doing just that. Key workers and non key workers that need to keep the economy running or we’ll have nothing left to return to.

Namelesswonder · 02/04/2020 17:22

I work for the NHS, I’m a Researcher. I’m doing as much work as possible from home just now. I’m working 70 hour weeks, 6 days a week, I’m home schooling 2 children. I’m damned if I’m going to feel guilty because I went to a supermarket during the NHS hour (7-8am) before I started work last Saturday. The NHS is a massive organisation and everyone plays a vital part.

Original poster
emptyfridge · 02/04/2020 17:25

OK I get it thank you.
Sorry to the hundreds of people I've offended. Having a very stressful day, no excuse I know.

OP posts:
Dyrne · 02/04/2020 17:29

Some posters need to realise that “working from home” covers a very broad brush and just because they can juggle childcare and WFH, it doesn’t mean that everyone can, especially in something like the NHS.

I was on a call today and my boss’ child wandered in announcing that they needed a “wee wee”. Now imagine that had happened while doing a consultation with a woman who had just been told their chemo had rendered them infertile?

Another colleague was lamenting the other day that their daughter had managed to spill water all over their notebook. Now imagine they were critical case notes or dosage calculations?

LolaSmiles · 02/04/2020 17:31

It seems convenient that you won't share her job and yet are determined to drip feed your annoyance at her using key worker provisions.

I agree that key workers shouldn't be using school unless absolutely necessary. However, I'm also fairly sure there's s range of tasks under paperwork that couldn't be done with the required privacy and attention if there were DC around. I'd certainly not be happy if someone was processing my test results with one eye on the children, or discussing my care with others in earshot, for example

Whilst you say you get on, you come across as someone who is very quick to be judge and jury of anyone having any perk you don't. I'd be taking "paperwork" as "none of your business because I can't be arsed having to justify my job to someone who probably has form for complaining any time they think someone else has something they don't".

Lweji · 02/04/2020 17:32

My point was in response to those saying you can’t work from home AND look after children. I’m saying millions are doing just that

Not to the usual office standard, unless you can lock your office or have older children.
The NHS is also under pressure with the extra burden.

Elderflower14 · 02/04/2020 17:33

I don't know... Why don't you ask her??? 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄

Pinksaffire · 02/04/2020 17:34

Because she can do her job at home.
I’m a nurse in a senior management position. We are taking it in turns to work from home. The less people at work the better.

Apolloanddaphne · 02/04/2020 17:35

If they have closed the area or clinic she works in, as they have done in most hospitals, it probably makes sense for her to do the paperwork that needs done whilst she is not on site. It is possible they don't need her in the hospital just yet. What job does she do in the NHS?

JustOneSquareofDarkChocolate · 02/04/2020 17:35

I work for the NHS in a non-clinical non-patient facing role and work from home. I am sending the children to key worker school on the days when I have long conference calls. I cannot run the calls when they are screaming.

Yes I know other people are working from home with kids there but the school knows exactly what my role is and were happy to take the DC every day if I wanted. So I am sending the DC and I can do a better and more efficient job for the NHS when they are not here. What I do is directly related to Covid-19 response but you won't hear about it on the news.

Original poster
emptyfridge · 02/04/2020 17:40

She’s an occupational therapist.

OP posts:
Chienloup · 02/04/2020 17:42

Oh I forgot to mention, as well as doing my job as a psychological well-being practitioner, delivering Skype appointments, I also have 3 primary-school kids at home,2 with additional needs, and putting in fulltime hours. Bugger off OP.

lyralalala · 02/04/2020 17:43

She’s an occupational therapist.

So, patient confidentiality will be an issue. You can't have kids interrupting her when she's talking to someone about their need for a commode or how much they are struggling to bathe.

She's probably also snowed under with the people who have been punted out of hospital earlier than planned to make space for this

247SylviaPlath · 02/04/2020 17:43

ODFOD

I work in the NHS in a support function my team have been working 60-70 hour weeks AT HOME for the last month trying to keep everything afloat implement and support new processes etc. We’ve been on our knees and we still have families lives, illness and issues of our own, but we keep going.

I try not ever to be directly rude to people particularly on forums like this but you are a moron. You have zero idea about what it looks like to individuals working across any industry/ organisation / role unless you do it yourself.

Dyrne · 02/04/2020 17:49

If she’s an occupational therapist then paperwork” is definitely code for “I’m doing a shit load but I’m not going to breach patient confidentiality to justify myself to my nosy SIL”

LolaSmiles · 02/04/2020 17:53

If she’s an occupational therapist then paperwork” is definitely code for “I’m doing a shit load but I’m not going to breach patient confidentiality to justify myself to my nosy SIL”
This.

MintyMabel · 02/04/2020 17:54

Our OT is working from home. She’s actually done some of the stuff for us she’s been saying she would do.

Laaf80 · 02/04/2020 17:59

So doing her job well and accurately could mean the freeing up of beds and associated resource?

I’d say that’s a pretty vital job just now. Wheels in a cog and all that.

Laaf80 · 02/04/2020 18:01

FFS - cogs in a wheel!

OP, when I’m struggling I find it much better to use the examples of others to make things easier rather than begrudge them for things I cannot access.