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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel that it's unfair that keyworkers cant be furloughed

213 replies

glitterwobbles · 19/05/2020 07:56

Just want to rant mainly at the government. My husband and I are both keyworkers. I have currently moved out of home as have been exposed to covid 19 and didn't fancy taking it home to my family.
Because of this my husband has not been able to work and is on a zero hours contract so no work no pay.
Apparently key workers can not have furlough pay. All we are asking for is 3 weeks pay as I hope to go home at the weekend.
I know its pathetic but I feel let down by the rules. I have continued to work while many around me have gone off with stress. I have not had a day off sick since 2012. My husband is on a zero hours contract as the flexibility has allowed us to manage childcare needs.
I dont want a medal and realise life is hard for lots of us right now but feel financially punished for being keyworkers.

OP posts:
IncredibleSulk · 19/05/2020 10:28

Try reading previous comments.

Also, please let me know how to work full time around 9-3pm school hours?

IncredibleSulk · 19/05/2020 10:32

Also to the posters who think the OP is overreacting by not living at home...

Research. Research the PPE front line workers are given. A surgical face mask is not adequate PPE. It might reduce the risk but it doesn’t eradicate it. All very well to sit at home and make judgement but if you spent all day around known and potential Covid patients which just a pinny and a surgical mask for PPE I’m sure you’d be hesitant about going home to your family too.

Nicknacky · 19/05/2020 10:35

IncredibleSulk So how long does she live out the family home then? Life goes non and the virus isn’t going away soon.

Weallhavevalidopinions · 19/05/2020 10:36

I feel for you working in a stressful role and staying in nurses accommodation and not seeing family.

Can you get tested so that you can home for a while? If husband works nights then surely school should look after your children since you are keyworker? Our local school has very few children attending so a couple more wouldn't hurt. I am not sure how many your local school(s) have but if you haven't already ring them and check?

Good luck and thank you for working through all this. Ignore some of the mean comments - some people are sat at home doing nothing and don't realise how tough it is for people out in stressful roles each day.

Best wishes

Caryler · 19/05/2020 10:38

Same here, keyworker industry - those who who cannot work due to shielding or childcare etc are furloughed.

Weallhavevalidopinions · 19/05/2020 10:39

Sorry I made a mistake of course he cannot work at night if you are not there for the children.

Some households are mixing to help each other out, do you have a non vulnerable parent that could move in to help?

People are visiting partners they don't live with (and up to them) so surely a person helping out with children (sleeping in) if not vulnerable will help you?

Best wishes

IncredibleSulk · 19/05/2020 10:44

@Nicknacky it’s a personal decision isn’t it. I’m not saying she should do it indefinitely, I’m saying that people making flippant comments who have no idea what they’re talking about should think twice and consider how they would feel in that situation.

SansaSnark · 19/05/2020 10:45

@glitterwobbles As I understood it, people can be furloughed due to childcare issues- although not if they are paid via public funds. However, as your husband is on a zero hours contract, then I guess it may just be easier for his employer to say he's not needed at the moment.

It sounds like you are in a really tough situation, and I'm sorry that people are struggling to read the thread. Lots of schools are open for longer hours than just 9-3, but obviously not overnight and I would guess any overnight childcare would wipe out your income.

I can fully understand why you chose to move out at the time as well.

No solutions, but lots of sympathy, OP.

glitterwobbles · 19/05/2020 10:45

Thanks incredible sulk for understanding. The PPE can not remove all risks. so decided to remove risk to family by moving out for what I think is an appropriate time frame. Same amount of time that we are isolating our patients who are positive.
Life will go on and hopefully won't be in this situation again ie major outbreak. But will review the situation again if it does.

OP posts:
Vanhi · 19/05/2020 10:49

If you have younger children, and opted for your husband to work on a ZHC to save on childcare, which is perfectly reasonable, I'm afraid that that is what you are being "financially punished" for. ZHC's are always risky and you must have realised this when you decided to go down that route.

Thing we deciding on a ZHC is that the decision isn't really a free choice. Very few people actively want that level of insecurity. And very few people outside of those in disaster planning would have foreseen what we're now going through.

Furloughing wasn't intended to help someone in the OP's situation but I do get why she's frustrated and wanting to sound off. It's a horrible situation and when you're right at the sharp end of this, it must feel like ingratitude.

YorkshirePuddingsGreatestFan · 19/05/2020 10:52

I'm a keyworker but my employer refused furlough. I'm shielding due to getting "the letter." I've had to claim benefits. I think it's harsh and that I should have been entitled to it as I'm following Government health advice to stay at home.

I can't work from home and my job involves being among the general public all day so they're not willing for me to return to work because of the letter.

glitterwobbles · 19/05/2020 11:02

Yorslshire pudding.
That's really unfair I hope your benefits go someway to covering your loss of earnings.
I also hope that you are coping emotionally. it's tough shielding but necessary . Hang in there this time will pass xx

OP posts:
ToothFairyNemesis · 19/05/2020 11:03

The furlough scheme is for people whose employers do not have work for them. The definition of a key worker is someone whose work is of high importance ("key") to society. By definition, if your work is key it's there to be done, so you can't be furloughed.
@WhateverHappenedToMe no you can be furloughed for childcare /caring responsibilities it’s in the official guidelines.

Flamingofolie · 19/05/2020 11:06

The furlough scheme includes a "clause" about childcare and shielding.

YorkshirePuddingsGreatestFan · 19/05/2020 11:07

Thanks @glitterwobbles xx

I'm a single parent so we've had a 65% cut in household income. I'm getting by at the moment as I've got a mortgage holiday. I hope I'm allowed to go back to work before I have to start paying that again otherwise I won't have enough money coming in to cover our basic living costs.

minisoksmakehardwork · 19/05/2020 11:10

You are in a difficult situation OP but no more so than many others who don't have alternative accommodation to reduce the risk of infection transmission.

Unfortunately you will likely have to do what many key-worker families do when there is a shielding person in the household. You can change before you leave work - even better if you can shower first but I don't know if that is an option open to you. If you can't, change and put clothes in a separate bag. As soon as you get home, those clothes go in the wash and you go in the shower. Anything you touch gets wiped down/sanitised after use and the bathroom gets cleaned. If you have 2 bathrooms, one is dedicated for your use only. if not, you become the last person to use the bathroom and clean it when you are done. Practise social distancing at home, so you might sit at one end of the sofa or in a different seat without close contact with your family. If your DH is working nights in theory you could use the same bed but with different duvet and own pillows. Otherwise, if you can, separate sleeping arrangements. But the chances are showering would be enough to rid you of any contact germs.

I know it is hard, you can't be the only one who is in this position.
The other alternative is your DH contacts his employer to see if they can switch him to the day shift for the time being and your DD goes to school.

MadameButterface · 19/05/2020 11:17

gobsmacked by the lack of sympathy/empathy here towards this poster tbh, yes she is in a difficult position but none of it is her fault, and her life must be incredibly stressful. Nhs workers are dying at work, her dh could potentially be very sick if she passes the virus to him, and people are calling her lazy and being patronising and sanctimonious about the life decisions she's made that have brought her to this point? ffs. I wonder how many of the posters on here who have posted so unpleasantly would be happy to say those things to her face if they were in the unfortunate position of needing her care.

VerityB1 · 19/05/2020 11:20

Dear Glitterwobbles, it is v hard isnt it. I understand they can furlough on zero based, but many employers are choosing not to ... sometimes this is because they feel it is unfair people are being paid when doing nothing and others are picking up their duties and sometimes because of the cash flow/admin in claiming back them the money.

Fishfingersandwichplease · 19/05/2020 13:19

@Incrediblesulk couldn't agree more. Not always as easy as that.

minisoksmakehardwork · 19/05/2020 13:55

I think it's hard for us who aren't seeing the inside of a covid-19 ward to truly understand.

As I understand it, OP works in nursing and has full PPE but has recently been exposed to covid-19 and has remained at work although not going home. To me, a member of the general public, it sounds like she shouldn't even be at work but isolating for 7 days. Although I understand I may have interpreted OP's words wrongly. If this is the case then she should be off sick and paid sick leave.

Everything else about her husband and daughter would be irrelevant if this were the case as her DH would be able to take 14 days leave from his job in order to care for his child while his wife isolates.

Alternatively I instead assume that recently OP has removed herself from the family home as her work with covid-19 patients is raising anxiety and stress levels in the home. Which leaves her in the predicament of not having night time childcare for her daughter and therefore her husband, on a zero hours contract, has said he is not available to work at this time.

OP's situation now is that this is directly impacting on her finances as they have dropped to a single income household.

OP has two choices and neither are palatable. The easy but financially impractical choice is to relocate for the duration. The difficult choice is to remain home but isolate and socially distance within the home, sanitising etc on a regular basis in order to reduce the risk of transmission.

DH works with a colleague who has a high risk shielding partner. They have managed to stay in the family home by adhering to what some of us would see as excessive practices when it comes to returning home. as little as possible from work is brought home, and they don't work in a particularly high risk environment - certainly nothing like a covid ward. They shower and put fresh clothes on when leaving work, including shoes. Uniform is bagged before getting in the shower and bagged again with a clean bag after the shower, followed by sanitising hands again. Shoes are changed when finishing work and again when getting home - the home is effectively a clean environment. Nothing from outside the home is brought in before it has been cleaned - grocery shopping etc gets wiped over thoroughly before it enters the house. Wallets stay in the car and phones are sanitised before being brought in. I think they have even been known to bag the phone before going out and disposing of the 'soiled' bag on their return home and then sanitising their phone. They have a shower and clean clothes if they have to go shopping at all and limit their shopping to one shop on any given day.

The DH here is still able to go to work so is likely lower risk, although higher risk than non-asthmatic Joe Public. So I think OP has been a little unreasonable to expect a freebie pay packet because of the choice she has made to not be at home but continue working after contact with covid-19. If this were any other member of the public than a nurse, people would be baying for blood for someone who had been exposed yet knowingly continued to work.

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 19/05/2020 14:10

no you can be furloughed for childcare /caring responsibilities it’s in the official guidelines.

Yes it’s in the guidance but it’s just that’s guidance and has no legal standing, employers don’t have to adhere to what the government is giving guidance on, their is no legal legislator that employee legally have to act upon the guidance.

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 19/05/2020 14:11

*Employers

LakieLady · 19/05/2020 14:24

it feels like there's a general assumption that everyone is either working from home or on furlough

Anyone making that assumption obviously hasn't been out of the house since lockdown and seen the bus drivers, supermarket workers, delivery lorries, police officers etc about! There are a bunch of guys putting in new traffic lights and stuff down the road from me, they've been working there for about a week.

It's never wise to make assumptions about other people's assumptions. Wink

Washyourhands48 · 19/05/2020 14:29

Another entitled person thinking they deserve special treatment because they have kids is all I am seeing here. 🤷‍♀️

MarieQueenofScots · 19/05/2020 14:35

Another entitled person thinking they deserve special treatment because they have kids is all I am seeing here

Well then you're not looking very carefully or closely are you?

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