Friend claiming to be key worker

[lockdownrules]

So my friend and her husband work but aren't key workers. Here in Scotland after Christmas nurseries and schools closed unless key workers.
She says she's been told she can still send child to nursery so the nursery is lying for her and claiming she's a key worker to get place. It's a council nursery.
AIBU to be annoyed my child can't get a place. My husband is a key worker but I'm not but wfh full time with a toddler and my nursery say no place! Obviously I'm just jealous but it's so unfair some can play the system like this

@blue not all. My offer is 50/50. They simple can't afford the hardware for 2000 colleagues to go home and have the right set up. Plus it's not the optimal environmental for customer calls, we've had our fair share of technical problems etc

Banking staff are key workers? I'll tell my bro and sis in law who both work for bank (working from home) and juggled a baby and toddler through last lockdown! Sadly my sis in law jacked in her job as they couldn't cope.

@BlueThistles

aren't bank staff all working from home ?

Not the ones in the branches!

@BlueThistles

aren't bank staff all working from home ?

No, not all of them. Bank branches are still open - they need to be to deal with physical things like cash deposits and withdrawals, and they have to have a certain number of staff on the premises for security reasons. You can't do that sort of thing online.

SG list is here.

She's told me they aren't key workers. The nursery know their occupations She's just friends with the staff and they sorted it!
It's called playing the system.
I can't get nursery as both parents need to be key workers to qualify.
She's proud as punch! Think she told me to annoy me as knew I struggled so much last time. If it only for a week it will be fine. I think it's going to be much longer sadly and not sure I have the strength to do it all again.

I call bollocks

In dc school there were children who kept attending due to having autism.
I think its cheeky to take up a place not meant for you.

@scrivette

What makes you so sure she isn't a key worker?

My brother and I had words over this during lockdown as I was classed as a keyworker and my place of work provided the letter of confirmation, however he didn't think that I was
as he thought he knew what I did.

My husband is the same. He works in a factory making machinery parts, usually for lawnmowers, bikes, power tools and cars and the like. His Keyworker letter arrived today. The whole factory managed to stay open throughout by claiming they make parts that can be used in ventilators or ambulances. 🙄

@lockdownrules

Banking and admin roles. Not key workers.

I work in banking, though in the public sector - confirmed by govt we are all key workers. It's the whole industry, not determined by role really.

She's an idiot if she's doing a fiddle and then proudly broadcasting it to everyone.

I think this illustrates what a bad idea it is to confide such things to friends. If she hadn't told you, you would know no different.

Your friend is doing what she can to manage during this difficult time and it may not last forever, for all you know the nursery may close altogether next month.

The fact that you have been unable to get a place for your child in nursery is not your friend's fault. She was silly to have told you. Even if she is not a 'key worker', her job is probably quite essential.

You can try another nursery surely?

As above all Banking staff are key workers.

They are eligible.

Not their fault they are classed as eligible and you aren't, OP.

It's OK if you work for a company that can claim key worker status - so why not a bank worker? Cannot WFH and dish out bank notes.

My friend's DH is self employed in the power industry (so hospitals, railway, data centres, mobile communications all at risk if he couldn't work) but he isn't able to claim keyworker status as he is a subcontractor, one of a very few with specific knowledge so although his general work is affected with many buildings shutting up he is often called out in an emergency as he is the brains working out why it's broken when the computer says no (modern engineers are trained to diagnose by computer, and cannot always get their heads around what's gone wrong as they lack the background training if the computer says no problem).

@lockdownrules

Banking staff are key workers? I'll tell my bro and sis in law who both work for bank (working from home) and juggled a baby and toddler through last lockdown! Sadly my sis in law jacked in her job as they couldn't cope.

What on earth do they do during the 6 week holidays? I've often wondered what people do with their kids during the holidays. Surely they don't have to go to a nursery every day for the whole year? Makes you wonder why they have them really.

Financial Services were considered key workers at some point in the summer term. Someone I know whose DH works as an accountant had all their DC in school.

I’m a bit confused - surely a key worker is someone who’s company has to stay open as they provide a service that the public needs?

So if where she works is open, doesn’t that make her a key worker for that duration?if that makes sense?

@HeddaGarbled

Council run nursery is lying for no reason? Why would they? Are you sure you’ve got your facts right?

Their friend is a truley lovley person and the staff decide they're worth bending the rules for

Truley lovley people are key workers because they counteract the dicks which boosts the nation’s morale.

I dont really get what the point would be in specifically saying to someone that you are not a keyworker but said you were for perks, just seems an odd thing to do

A lot of my friends are keyworkers, and many of them are shocked that their job is considered so vital to society all of a sudden. I think though, its kind of like the 'essential shops' thing, where there are loopholes to be able to do differently to many others.

'all workers without whom there could be a significant impact on Scotland' posted above..is pretty broad. It could be claimed that a shop that sells makeup or something could claim under this, depends on the employer.

@Woeismypants

In dc school there were children who kept attending due to having autism. I think its cheeky to take up a place not meant for you.

So they are vulnerable due to SEND. Perfectly within the rules. 🙄

Only on mn do you find such a plethora of people who are apparently ‘friends’ with, and know all the financial and other intimate details of people they seem to actively dislike, and who do and say outlandishly cheeky things.

Maybe she doesn’t realise that she is actually classed as a keyworker but the nursery do.

Cannot WFH and dish out bank notes.

Regardless of whether the bank employee is working from home or not, they are still a key worker and as such entitled to the school or nursery place. The need to do their work, not supervise their children.

surely a key worker is someone who’s company has to stay open as they provide a service that the public needs?

Not necessarily, no.

I also cannot see that someone would would potentially put their job at risk to break the rules (and lying, seemingly) for a friend tbh. Just seems really really odd. If you had figured a way to cheat the system, no way would you be telling all and sundry about it!

Cannot WFH and dish out bank notes.

My teenager believes otherwise