Please can we now ban the phrase -'key worker'

[Hoppybunny]

Way back in March it was relevant and distinguishing, but now the economy is creeping back to life why does every other post on mumsnet need to mention that they are a key worker! Surely every worker needs childcare provisions/access to shops etc and this badge of honour needs to end?

People whose children are allowed to go to school and have been throughout? Its a bit of a mouthful
Other children have been allowed to go to school. Not just keyworker's kids.

I am aware of the OP thanks. It seems to be more having an issue with how 'I am a keyworker' seems massively overused, than actually having an issue with keyworkers. Wanting the term banned seems rather extreme too from the post but I can see how it could be read that way I guess.

Going to leave this now as not getting replies to your post seems to have really angered you and I have no wish to argue, especially as I understand where your anger is coming from, same as I understand where those kicking off about not having childcare when made to go back to work is coming from (though misdirected IMO at wrong place). Just want to say that not replying to the deaths does not mean noone cares. Its depressing but its much more likely to mean its a common situation right now, as much as we wish it was rare enough for everyone to comment, if that makes sense? Also my post about pisstaking people in no way was meant about actual keyworkers. It was very specific kinds of people and often not even keyworkers at all who are using the term as some kind of free pass to be dickheads and expect praise for it.

Hope everything gets better for your husband soon. I did think at one stage it was going to get worse before it gets better but luckily, it seems thats not the case. Too many have been lost to this though. And so many who were saveable too but treat by the government as expendable basically. Depressing as fuck.

Sorry, just clicked on to title of course. Yeah I didn't take that literally at all, more an exasperated...overuse thing than anything else. But can again, see where you are coming from.

@Stuckforthefourthtime, none of them have additional needs. Colleague 1 has a 7YO, a 14YO and one somewhere in between. The 14YO sounds incredibly mature and sensible and deals with any arguments, and gets lunch for the smaller ones and for his dad! I've offered to adopt him,but oddly his dad doesn't seem keen.

Colleague 2 has a 1YO and a 5/6 YO. His wife has not long gone gack after mat leave and has come to an arrangement with a colleague that she will start at 2pm and the colleague will do the early shift. He arranges his work so that the critical stuff done over the phone is done in the morning, when he had an appeal tribunal (done by phone) in the afternoon,another colleague covered it.

The colleague who has it toughest looks after his partner's 6 & 8 year old. They are a bit of a handful and can disrupt meetings etc, so we all pitch in. He's done some of my work so that I can do the stuff that he can't because of interruptions.

It's easy for us to do that sort of thing, we're a very small team (6),we all do the same sort of work and only 2 are FT. We're used to being flexible because often the timing of things like tribunals can't be changed and we have to swap our hours around.

@lakielady and that's great it's worked out and you've been supportive. I'm just saying it doesn't work for everyone and that's ok.

Stop erasing key workers. I find this offensive.

Lol floaty

They will literally cease to exist.

Are they to be 'cancelled' as well

The term "key worker" should be used going forward as a mark of respect to those that gave service to society during the dark struggle against the pandemic. We didn't stop honouring war veterans after 1945.

My husband and his colleagues were told in March they were key workers. They cut the grass for the council (I mean they do other things but basically that's it).
They all thought it was a ridiculous phase and really made a mockery of true key workers. I'm not sure why the council said it actually, perhaps at the beginning they thought it was a case of furlough or, key workers.

It's just factual. An awful lot of people are required to keep things ticking over for 60 million people.

The ones I thought of was the people who work in sewage treatment plants. No one has mentioned them but they're pretty fucking key

Just shows a lot of people take a lot for granted I think.

It's not the phrase it seems, but anger at how some individuals are behaving.

So be angry at them. You can't ban words, especial key and worker!

Maybe accept that the people who do stuff like (thinking of the stuff that doesn't get mentioned)- run power stations, unblock drains, do road maintenance, make sure waste is treated properly, etc etc are pretty important even if they are usually pretty invisible.

Talk to the people who are pissing you off rather than dismissing the concept that there are a wide range of roles that keep things functioning at a basic level.

At the moment outdoor spaces are very important. Playgrounds are shut. Parks and other outside land has got more importance than ever.

Keeping it maintained so people can enjoy it is important, isn't it?

If he also cuts back at roadside that is pretty important.

I mean sure I don't clap and the fact DH is key worker makes us laugh. But, his role is important to help keep the transport going in London. Which in turn helps hospital workers and others get to work.

Is there a snobbish thing here about people who are often in jobs that people don't notice/ think are easy / think are shit getting recognition? Barring docs etc. Is it sour grapes about people who do the bins or work in a supermarket or drive a bus getting noticed and recognised and who do they think they are?

Because if it's individuals then ignore them/ tell them to stop being an arsehole. Rather than this frankly quite childish response.

Shiny Football Absofuckinglutely.

@ShinyFootball I posted a quick kneejerk response before fully reading the thread.
Obviously I am sorry for anyone who has died or knows people who have died for whatever reason.
I just think individual companies/individuals have taken the piss.
I have witnessed far to much kw bragging/blagging on facebook. As others have said many of these people only work part time and I know one family is constantly breaking lockdown. None of these people are frontlines NHS who I have great admiration for.
It really shouldn't bother me but DH is shielding and our lives have changed so much but we do it. We also have a dd who should have been having counselling/assesments but these have all stopped due to face to face issues. Now we have discovered we are back on the waiting list as her therapist left.
I am unofficially dhs carer although we received no benefits or help. Dd2 has an Eating Disorder related to what I suspect is undiagnosed autism. Shopping has been a nightmare as we were unable to get delivery slots.
Throw in a car incident which put my car off the road for a month. The company concerned were happy to take my money with a promise to squeeze me in between kw jobs but guess what the local branch outight refused. I am not the only person who found this. My db lives alone far away from us and was without his car for months as he couldn't get repairs done either.
Dh is still working full time from home and I am finally back very part time as treated as self employed although others do a similar role and are on payroll. No summer furlough holiday on the Govt for me though as I fell foul of the previous years income rules so I received a paltry amount and still not fully back.

O dear divide and rule on this thread. Guess I am now in the group of

"vulnerable and shielding moany twats"@Washyourhands48

Although in my defence I have never moaned on facebook just here.

Incidentally also respect anyone eho has to witness deaths like train drivers and was also shocked about the TFL lady who died of Covid after being spat on. Truly shocking.