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AIBU?

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Original poster

Friend claiming to be key worker

284 replies

lockdownrules · 22/12/2020 23:51

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

OP posts:
Almostslimjim · 23/12/2020 07:29

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.

Holiday play schemes, family providing care, nursery, child minder. None of which were available in lockdown 1.

Scottishskifun · 23/12/2020 07:32

@Happylittlethoughts

A bit shocked at people saying it's grand to lie.You are risking the lives of Staff children and their families! The Scottish nursery I work in closed for Term time yesterday and I can tell you the Head of Centre had a list of 8 categories of eligible KW. This was list all the LA were using as criteria. This included parent and the child's circumstances and therefore did allow for vulnerabilities. ASN was a category for example.
I think this is the problem some LA it's a list of 8 and both parents. My LA the list is over 20 categories with examples and 1 key worker (priority first given to 2 KW/single/vulnerable)
XiCi · 23/12/2020 07:33

Apologies Bikingbear, that was meant for ClaireP20

throwaway201809 · 23/12/2020 07:34

I work in banking/finance remotely (always have been remote even Pre-covid). When I was booking for a test 3 months ago the woman on the phone was insisting I was a key worker! I'm definitely not! The country will keep going if I wasn't able to do my job for a few weeks! The whole key worker thing seems to have lost its meaning a bit

EggysMom · 23/12/2020 07:38

The country will keep going if I wasn't able to do my job for a few weeks

The country would keep going if I didn't do my job for a year - I'm in long term planning, working on things for 2040s Grin Still my industry is on the list of key workers, and we have been issued a letter that confirms we are all key workers regardless of our role.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 23/12/2020 07:40

Yes, during lockdown 1 , my company sent everyone a letter to be used as needed explaining our key worker status, dealing with insurance claims.
Spiralled plenty of jokes amongst us "Let me through, there's some paper to shuffle".
No one used it to get childcare. It was handy to have about the person if travelling to work though.

Fbtw · 23/12/2020 07:42

She’s a key worker and defendant on the admin role so is her partner.

Stand down your froth.

SunniCameHomeWithAVengeance · 23/12/2020 07:42

I've seen some disablist crap here but nothing like what @Woeismypants has posted. They obviously know the grand total of fuck all about autism, mild or otherwise.
Hope you get a week of shitting hedgehogs.

cansu · 23/12/2020 07:47

Woeismypants
How on earth do you know they have 'mild' autism? Mild autism doesn't actually exist. Many children with autism suffer hugely due to changes to their routine and also cannot work at home. Being jealous of a family with a child with a life long neurological developmental disorder is really terrible. I have two such children and would give everything I have for them to not have this disability.

Plussizejumpsuit · 23/12/2020 07:50

@MadameButterface

Look this thread won’t work if people keep inconveniently stating sensible things like ‘bank workers are key workers’ or ‘there might be other circumstances op isn’t party to’. It only works if everyone agrees that op definitely knows absolutely every single fact about these people she can apparently hardly stand, and cracks on with slagging them off to the high heavens. Stop harshing the froth buzz man!
You're totally right!

It's shit when common sense gets in the way of a good bitch!

Ginqueen456 · 23/12/2020 07:51

Don't know if it's changed where you are but it has in my area. Childcare provisions are now for keyworkers and anyone who simply doesn't have any other option.

rc22 · 23/12/2020 07:52

In England, banking staff are on the key workers list.

movingonup20 · 23/12/2020 07:59

I was classified as a key worker, was offered a letter to that effect from the council (alas my adult kids didn't seem excited by the fact they could go to school Grin) but you might not have realised if you knew me.

Laughnaff · 23/12/2020 08:02

It’s annoying, I’m in Scotland too and see plenty of it. Plenty examples one women a nurse but her husband doesn't work, but sends her children into the hub. Another women, she works in a call centre, for a tv company gets to send her child into the hub. I don’t understand how working for sky makes you a key worker. Plenty folk breaking the rules. Especially when they have another parent non keyworker in the home. They don’t seem to be checking or they are very relaxed. Some non keyworkers have to take unpaid leave to watch their children. It’s very unfair

movingonup20 · 23/12/2020 08:02

Banking is a keyworker btw

ImPrincessAurora · 23/12/2020 08:02

Our household qualified for a place during lockdown 1 but I chose not to take it. We qualified even though I shut my business. It didn’t feel right to take the place given I was at home.

I’ll be honest. I found it extremely difficult to homeschool my older child and care for my younger one. I don’t know how people did it and wfh.

I have a friend who used the key worker space despite being furloughed. In England you only needed one parent as a key worker to qualify. I must admit I did think she was out of order.

I’m not sure there’s much you can do OP, as the nursery are facilitating this, except to decide whether you want that type of person in your life going forward?

Laughnaff · 23/12/2020 08:03

The whole key worker category needs to be looked at and scaled down

PugInTheHouse · 23/12/2020 08:08

@Woeismypants MN does have some pretty vile people posting but you are up there with the worst.

How the hell would you know they are mild, no autism is mild, just not as severe as others My 12 yo DS would come across as having 'mild' autism, in fact if someone asked I may even say it myself but in that I would mean he is verbal and able to carry out many activities that NT can. He has struggled hugely during this pandemic, I cant even be arsed to explain to you what effect this has on autistic children, add in ADHD and processing/sensory issues too.

FWIW he did not go into school due to the risk in spite of us both being keyworkers as I was WFH and my company were very lenient with what hours we did across the course of a day. He would have been much better in school but as for coming on leaps and bounds above NT who would be at home, thats just a load of bullshit.

Justa47 · 23/12/2020 08:11

@SD1978

Not if the care is only for key workers. It’s about being a liar, being unfair and effectively theft of resources from others.

Benjispruce2 · 23/12/2020 08:12

I thought that only one parent needed to be a keyworker. That’s what we said at my primary school.So if your DH is, you get a place.

Scottishskifun · 23/12/2020 08:16

@Laughnaff

It’s annoying, I’m in Scotland too and see plenty of it. Plenty examples one women a nurse but her husband doesn't work, but sends her children into the hub. Another women, she works in a call centre, for a tv company gets to send her child into the hub. I don’t understand how working for sky makes you a key worker. Plenty folk breaking the rules. Especially when they have another parent non keyworker in the home. They don’t seem to be checking or they are very relaxed. Some non keyworkers have to take unpaid leave to watch their children. It’s very unfair
This isn't the parents fault though it'd down to the LA and setting and for some LA it only had to be 1 key worker from end of May and is the same this time.

We sent our son my DH is a key worker I do not receive the status despite counterparts in very similar roles doing so. I'm not going to apologise for putting my son first and applying to send him to his private nursery. 10 weeks at home last lock down made him terrified of others, become withdrawn and quiet from the outgoing, happy and confident toddler.

Our nursery has a priority system in place as I'm sure many others do. People should be contacting their local MSP and counsellors to address the discrepancies not attacking the parents who apply for a place in the best interest of their child.

SueEllenMishke · 23/12/2020 08:16

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.

There is always one 🙄

You can plan for school holidays and can usually use holiday clubs and family/friends. People use annual leave too but this is not endless so people ( mainly women) are having to give up their jobs. It's a travesty.

Scottishskifun · 23/12/2020 08:17

@Benjispruce2

I thought that only one parent needed to be a keyworker. That’s what we said at my primary school.So if your DH is, you get a place.
Sadly it's dependent on the local authority. Mine is 1 key worker neighbouring local authority is 2
LouiseTrees · 23/12/2020 08:19

@lockdownrules

Banking and admin roles. Not key workers.
Banking is a a cat C key worker.
uggmum · 23/12/2020 08:19

I work for a bank. I am wfh.

All our front line staff are key workers

It's a telephone bank. So anyone that speaks to Customer's on the phone or online are classed as key workers

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