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?

I'm not a key worker but I'm happy to continue to acknowledge that key workers are more vital to society than me.

Who are the back line key workers?

I suspect some were perfectly happy with the status quo before and want to go back to the default setting of key workers being of low status

I know lots of people who are apparently 'key workers' working in banking, IT etc. They are not badly paid or of a low status.

I think some people ie carers /delivery / taxi / supermarket workers and drivers are quite rightly described as key workers. We have dismissed their contributions for too long as a society because these occupations tend to be done by low paid BAME workers. Hopefully this raises their profile / salaries and increases their confidence

I think Lockdown is now overused too, surely that ended when Primark opened.

😂😂
That's a classic line, brilliant.

I also never would object to people who are NHS staff who can't work from home or carers, bus drivers etc getting school spaces.

What I object to is office workers who can wfh getting school spaces based on their key worker status whilst other people have to wfh and juggle home schooling their kids.

A straight forward answer Op - no we can't as the term has a definition, set by the government, which hasn't changed and still needs to be used to prioritise limited school places.

* What I object to is office workers who can wfh getting school spaces based on their key worker status whilst other people have to wfh and juggle home schooling their kids.*

As a previous poster said there are certain ‘office workers’ without whom a global economic Lockdown might have resulted in the End of Days. Banking staff (particularly those involved in fraud / financial crime / stress impact testing / call centre staff), IT staff (particularly those involved in ecommerce and key systems IT), back office taxi / delivery / logistics / engineering staff are all just examples. These guys would have been working 12-14 hour days and so required their key worker status to ensure they could do it effectively - even then many banks (HSBC / Nationwide for example) asked non-frontline staff not to send their kids to school so as not to clog the system - the work was still getting done but in the 12-14 hours after their kids were asleep. Many of my colleagues are close to burning out as a result.

As a key worker, I happen to consider myself a critical worker because I’m a frontline worker. Therefore, I’m very very very important. I am more important than all of you.

On a different note, we have always used the term frontline worker, as in “Bob knows sweet FA about this. When has he ever worked on the front line?” But we don’t think we are better because of it. We just do the grunt work. It’s not exciting and we are not special, except me, obviously I am the most special key, critical, frontline worker.

@formerbabe

” What I object to is office workers who can wfh getting school spaces based on their key worker status whilst other people have to wfh and juggle home schooling their kids.”

YABU for this comment. There are some jobs that are far more critical to society than others and they need to be able to focus fully and deliver a service.

@Kazzyhoward he's not classed as one unfortunately. Neither is my dad in retail. There seems to be a varied diaspora (if that's the right word) who aren't.

Another phrase I'd like to add to the get rid list is, the new normal. Sets my teeth on edge.

HeIenaDove

Isn’t context insightful, you’ve C&P 2 separate posts which have nothing do to with each other, in trying to make a cheap meaningless point, as per usual you just talk shite or C&P which 9/20 bares no relevance to the actual topic in hand or you try and derail the topic as soon as anyone mentions social housing

Why do you think going by your own cognitive dissonance (which can’t be seen plastered all over MN when it comes to social housing) that key workers believe they want preferential treatment?

You are aware that in housing associations, tenants for the vast majority are not “poor”, only about 35% of our HA are key workers and tenants are in professional roles such as IT consultants, doctors, directors and yes as you’ve pointed out supermarket staff.

Only 37% of our tenants are classed as low income households and only 22% are receiving some form of benefit (not including Child Benefit)

My HA owns tens of thousands of properties, some are key workers some aren’t, however since Covid-19 those individuals believe them citing the words key worker means someone will get out at bed at 4am to change their light bulb as they can’t manage it themselves apparently... we offer a handy man service at nominal cost... but why should they pay when they are a “key worker”!

Or they believe if their heating goes off they should get prioritised over someone who is terminally ill or actually has Covid-19 (they even formally complained about that one)! Citing that their neighbour was prioritised over them and how disgusting we were by prioritising them over them and they didn’t care if they were dying as they were a key worker

Or due to their key working hours, the gas engineers carrying out their gas service should attend at after 10pm at night to get their service done as they needed their sleep and couldn’t be available between the hours of 7.30am to 7pm Monday -Friday, neither could they have a Saturday appointment as that was when they relaxed due to them you know being a key worker again they were absolutely disgusted by our HA selfishness and raised formal complaint

9/10

I work in The City and am a key worker. Companies have still got to perform essential services such as buy and sell shares dontcha know. Where's our evening clap?

Where's our evening clap

Well the sex ban has been lifted now

I dont mind the term itself, but I do mind it being used as a reason to act like a twit. My town has had the FB posts of "my fence has come down, I'm a key worker so can someone fix it for free" or "I'm a key worker, can I be first in line" (for a hot tub).

However, my personal opinion is that many of these key workers were looked down on for so long, in their low paid roles or those jobs that have high staff turnovers which doesnt require vast amounts of education to do (not knocking anyone here btw) that they are thoroughly enjoying now being top of the pecking pile and finally getting some recognition. Whether we can argue if that recognition is reasonable or not is up for debate.

Lol at those who say I think I am superior. I have said that as a doctor, I am a key worker. I'm not expecting 'special treatment' or 'free bike chains', just childcare so I can work.

Yes, I signed up to long shifts. No, I didn't sign up to working in a pandemic without adequate PPE. Working on covid wards during the peak was hellish, and I challenge you to find anyone who would disagree with that, if they have been there.

I find that what makes me uncomfortable is the hero worship for doctors and nurses while other types of keyworker - less qualified, less glamorous, like shelf stackers or postmen or refuse collectors - are often mocked in quite a snobbish way for being proud of their keyworker status.

This is one massive part of it, absolutely. Where's the appreciation for supermarket staff who had to keep working in massively busy areas with pretty much 0 PPE. I've never understood why teacher unions kicked up more of a fuss than theirs. Where's the outrage and also benefits (discounts, queue jumps ect) for them and other similar workers?

Social class. Teachers have a voice, minimum wage shop workers don’t! It is bizarre but yet not surprising that Primark is open to everyone before the schools are.

There shouldn't be hero worship for anyone. There should be adequate working conditions, PPE, and support for all those working in key worker roles. There also needs to childcare and transport available to allow key workers to work. None of that should be controversial.

@Mulhollandmagoo I do t understand the relevance of the nature reserve??

@Graciebobcat I think it needs to remain, sorry.

Let me guess - You're a 'Key Worker'