Reality check on the hysteria surrounding key workers

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I know we are going through an unprecedented situation where only some people’s work is needed to be done to keep us going, hence key workers are being praised and thanked - rightly.
However, to think that somehow jobs done by key workers are more valuable than others, is just hysterical and la la land, right? Most are only able to stay at home right now because of those who drive the economy, i.e not key workers. Without the corporate sector, finance, banks, tech and leisure and entertainment bringing billions into the country every year, there would be no key workers, no NHS. And this will be a super controversial view, but how can we compare the value of a super market workers contribution to those that create wealth. My husband is a super market worker and I am a key worker too, I just do not get the irrational hysteria.
Only in rich countries, do people have this privilege of trashing wealth creators because they have a silent minority creating value to keep public services running. Like it or not, warm words or clapping on a Thursday night does not buy ventilators, build hospitals, fund R&D, create tech advancement, pay for teachers, keep food prices low as they are in the western world or fund 80% of wages paid during this crisis.

I don’t really get your point. Without mothers none of us would even be here. We’re all interdependent.

and again...

Giving praise to those working, putting themselves at risk so people can continue to eat and be cared for, isn’t hysterical.

Whatever.

You’ve missed the point. As a PP stated, we are all interdependent.

This crisis has just highlighted how valuable some job roles are that we’re never given the spotlight before.

They are the most important ‘right now’ but eventually to keep going all the other job roles should come back into force.

It’s just nice to recognise those job roles where people have previously looked down on them (wrongly) and now we are able to clearly feel more gratitude.

DH Is one of those who’s normal role is sneered at but now is praised. It always good for us to be reminded how everyone matters - and this is why this is happening at this time during this crisis.

If jobs done by key workers are not the most valuable, why do they have to keep working while everyone else has a couple of months at home?

We would be utterly screwed without key workers. That is why they are called key workers.

By casting the spotlight onto key workers, it isn’t the case that ‘wealth creators’ suddenly have no significance or people are ignoring their importance. Rather, what this current situation highlights is just how important minimum wage and low paid work actually is. There is far too much lording it over others because we earn more or consider our positions ‘better’ than others. Simple fact of the matter is it takes all of us to make the country work and low paid isn’t the same thing as unimportant. In a few weeks, when episodes of EastEnders and other soaps come to a halt, we are going to start realising just how significant a role the arts broadly speaking play in our lives.

Saying that key workers are key right now is different to saying not-key workers are a waste of space.

We still value insurers, banks, astrophysicists, computer programmers and media creators. We can hold off a bit on using them though.

And without the very key of the key workers that nobody gives a shiny shit about nothing would happen anywhere ever. Trash the wealth creators and call everyone else hysterical for being happy that people are looking after the sick and needy if it makes you feel better.

And the key of the key workers? Farmers. Out there every day growing your food. Nobody ever cares, they only complain with their mouths full.

Right now, today, we'd all be screwed without key workers.

6 months ago, it was the other professions who were primary in keeping the economy turning. And we're (still are) handsomely paid for it.

But today, we're shouting about how thankful we are for the keyworkers, and ashamed at how they've been taken for granted and undervalued for so long.

I'm sorry if you feel it's wrong to value a bin man over a florist, but 🤷🏻‍♀️

Florists are fabulous and I certainly can wirk that kind of magic with a bunch of flowers, but a bin man, bus driver or supermarket worker are higher up my 'much appreciated' list right now. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Some financial industry jobs have been listed in the key workers list, so it is recognised that the financial world is an important one in keeping the country running.

The word is KEY.

Bankers are not key workers. They are of no use in any zombie apocalypse film and they are of no use to us now.

Am hoping the one thing to come out of this is a look at who gets rewarded with money in this crazy world.

I think the point is that 'key workers' tend to be on the low paid end of the spectrum. The ones who need tax credit top ups of their wages in order to pay their outgoings month by month. The ones everyone on this site say should look for better paid work so they don't need the top ups.

This situation proves that these workers are absolutely essential and should either be paid more generally, or should be left alone without being looked down on when they need to claim top ups for their poor wages.

We need everyone to be doing the jobs they do and more value needs to be put on the people who care for others or do work that keeps society ticking over. After that of course we need the workers whose jobs create wealth and add to the economy but we should definitely stop looking down on hard working people who happen to be paid poorly.

How is it hysteria for a society to put a huge importance on people who we are heavily relying on right now? It’s shameful that it’s taken a global pandemic for this government to wake up and grudgingly admit how important all of these people (nurses, HCA, carers, retail workers etc) are.

It is all about risk, surely? Many NMW are putting their lives on the line, literally. That kind of bravery deserves praise.

IheartNiled - I would say bankers are of considerable use, in that the very large amounts of tax they pay goes towards funding the vital NHS services that we need now. Both contributions are important in different ways.

The thing is, one set of roles gets paid well, seen as a career to aspire to, and gets to reap the reward of their own (and sometimes that of those below them) hard work, while the other gets looked down upon, underpaid, overworked and told they chose to work in that role so shouldn't complain or expect to be treated better.

Key workers are needed every day to keep the world running. They'll always be needed, no matter how much society or the economy changes. (At least until the day we really do have robots, and some roles even then are irreplaceable).
We are all as a society interdependent on each other. But sometimes it seems like those who are most vital reap the least rewards, and are least valued.
Even aside from that, right now those who are working hard to keep things running are being praised and valued - why is that a problem?

I can't believe the idiocy of people saying the bankers and other financial sector workers aren't needed right now. You understand that they are all trading don't you. In a market like nothing they have seen before.

I had one idiot tell me my DH wasn't a real key worker and at least he wasn't a Morrison's delivery driver being pushed around and given shit for substitutions and deliveries being late. He had just walked in the door after driving 2 hours both ways to and from work, staring at a screen and fielding calls for 14 hours, looking like he had gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. He actually looked like he was going to have a heart attack. He wasn't responsible for a delivery or intubating anyone but for billions of pounds of investments which meant pensions and investments wouldn't completely tank.

Everyone who is a key worker is a valuable member of the workforce doing their best and it's a poor show to keep making comments about who is more or less valuable in this climate. Dustmen, nurses, delivery drivers, sewage workers, doctors, insurance workers, travel agents, shop workers, postmen, teachers, school and hospital admin, council workers, police, the list goes on and on and they all have a valuable role to play.

If people weren't losing their lives the news would be focusing more on the economic impact of the virus which is far scarier in the long term than what we are experiencing now. Lehman's going to shit was like a kids tea party compared to what's happening to the economy now.

Won't someone pleeeeaase think about the bankers!

Risking your life to take care of others is worthy of praise and thanks above others.

This post feels a bit like those men on international women's day who ask when men's day is.

Everyone is important in their own way.

Right now, the key workers are getting the praise they've always deserved and never got.

'Wealth creators' get the spotlight pretty much all of the rest of the time and frankly have enough privilege, wealth and opportunities that they can get over not being clapped for right now.

Today is key worker day, but life is wealth creator day.

Bankers are on the key workers list though . Rightly so, they are busy processing all the mortgage holidays and loans for small businesses.

Only in rich countries, do people have this privilege of trashing wealth creators because they have a silent minority creating value to keep public services running.

That's the most entitled capitalist first-world nonsense I have ever read. If you believe "wealth creators" don't get "trashed" in poorer countries, go to one and walk down the street wearing very expensive jewellery and see how long you live.