'I'm a key worker' is the most overused phrase atm

[Imakeyworker]

Like a badge of honour. I heard one woman say it to 3 different people in a shop yesterday.

Technically I am a key worker.

Should I be letting everyone know about it?

And now a thread that's filling up steadily with people saying "I'm a keyworker"!

We are pretty much ALL key workers, most companies are able to provide you with a certificate that you are one.

A friend of mine is a marketing director and has been recognised as a key worker. I am not quite sure what the reasoning behind it was, but there you go!

Let them have their moment to shine!

Half the country are key workers.

I've seen a couple of these bumper stickers recently...how criiiiinge!

I'm a "frontline keyworker", would never say it out loud though.

And now a thread that's filling up steadily with people saying "I'm a keyworker"!

We're all amazing is the truth of it! 😂

I've changed my username to reflect

I read your username as I makey worker.
Now, I see what you did there...

I'm one, but I don't mention it. I don't use my NHS badge to go to NHS shopping sessions either - I'm not frontline and I don't need it.

However, I haven't heard anyone being ostentatiously a keyworker where I've been.

Popcorn

The second one... mustn't forget the hearts! 💕❤️🥰

I'm not a 'keyworker'.

But I do work in the 'essential supply chain' - will that do?

Oh my, this has been getting on my tits too! I'm pretty sure that those who are using this phrase, are sadly just very insecure people, who are jumping at the chance to make themselves seem important. I feel like saying to them 'congratulations, you have a job, now jog on!'

Diaclaimer: My job is classed as key work/essential, but I dont feel the need to scream about 24/7. It's my job, which I love, nothing more!

My friend worrks in a biscuit factory' on her profile she's put I'm a key worker??????

Yellow
Supply chain you say?
You're in! Without a doubt!

@Susiesoap7

If she makes biscuits then in my mind she IS a key worker ☺️

@BeforeIPutOnMyMakeup - I'm not sure whether or not that was a Freudian slip, but I realise not everyone with a chronic illness is like this. Fwiw, I have a chronic condition too, but don't feel the need to mention it to strangers in bus queues as my friend does.

Who are all these "keyworkers" who are furloughed then? If you're furloughed and we're managing to stagger on without you then you're not really very "key*

@Grasspigeons it doesn't distinguish between those who are at risk and it is not due to the jobs they do.

For example I am related to and know lots of key workers yet while some work for the NHS in hospitals they aren't at risk yet others are due to working in places like mental health units, prisons, transport services, other people's homes and offices where they have no PPE and/or have had multiple cases of Covid-19.

I agree. I'm also a keyworker but a useless one - I'm a teacher so I'm teaching from home and going in on a rota. Whilst I can honestly say I am working from home for hours and hours per day, I'm not on the front line for most of the time so I feel like I'm not actually able to help practically at the moment. I did have a strange experience on Friday when I was queuing to get into a Tesco Metro. The queue was 3 deep I'd waited for just 5 minutes. As I was called to go in, this lady (dressed in casual clothes and flip flops so not on her way to work) went to the queue organiser, showed her an NHS badge and said 'can I go first? I'm NHS'. The queue organiser said 'yes' and apologised to me. It wasnt a problem, I only waited another 2 minutes. In the store, the queue for the tills was really long. I walked around following the arrows to see if the self service till was open. As I approached, one of the cashiers shouted that the self service till was open and asked if anyone wanted to use it. The lady who had gone into the shop ahead of me shouted 'yes, me! I'm NHS, I'm a keyworker.' I stopped, thinking I should let her go in front, but in her haste to get to the front, she knocked a load of stuff off of the shelves. It would have been hard for me to help her pick them up as she was at the back of the queue, I couldn't get to her without passing a queue of people to closely and others had already started to help her put things back. I was two steps from the self service machine so I got on with paying for my shopping. She joined behind me literally as I took my receipt from the machine and proceeded to berate me for being ungrateful to the NHS and how dare I push in when I'd heard her say she was an NHS keyworker. She was carrying beer and burger buns so being the sarcastic cow that I am, I just said 'thank you for your service, enjoy your BBQ' and walked off. It really pissed me off though. I'm very, supremely grateful for the work that the NHS and other keyworkers have done. I feel very guilty that I cant actually do any more. But I don't think this lady's attitude was called for.

YANBU. The list of jobs that count as key workers is huge. I knew I would be a key worker but was pretty surprised to find my husbands job on there.

My county council sent me a certificate to prove my key worker status. grin
It made me laugh. It's only so if we are pulled over driving to work we still allowed get there. Highly unlikely to ever happen.

Sadly I'm afraid that shows that the UK system doesn't take this seriously..

Some of us elsewhere have been pulled over on the way to work ..have had had to open the conversation with the dreaded "I'm a key..." phrase, and then had to produce the certificate the employer supplies to avoid being fined..

For frick sake.

I'm at home, myself, no other adults keeping my two young boys healthy, happy, educated and alive. I think that's pretty "key". It's bloody hard work mentally and physically - but that's not classed as anything. That's classed as easy.

Everyone is a key worker. Everyone has it tough.

NHS workers most of all though I accept that. That's what I think when I hear "key worker".

I think the worst Facebook posts are those that say “repost this if you’ve been proudly going to work through this pandemic”
So ironic that my work shy dad who’s been on sick leave for more of his life than he’s been in work due to one issue or another has posted that this morning

One parent has been trying to get her child into school as she is a key worker apparently, though her husband works from home.

She's a beautician.

@GoatyGoatyMingeMinge there are lots of jobs where most of the work is ‘routine’ but some need to keep going at a time like this. For example, dentists, opticians etc. They do emergency work which can lessen the burden on hospitals but at a time like this when routine appointments are suspended a lots of people are furloughed cos there just isn’t enough work. So I imagine some are still working to provide basic cover and the rest are not.

I was a key worker for a day. Nobody clapped me. I was well pissed off

(Working from home rest of time and am joking about the pissed off ness)