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

The key workers school/ nursery spaces was the biggest joke going, unfair and abused. I think it caused some of the biggest stress for parents having to work from home and having children at home with them. I know lots of "non key worker" families who struggled immensely, more than key worker families.

I know many examples of one key worker family abusing the key worker offer, for example, mum was working in an nhs office and the dad furloughed but their children went to school full time, for all of it l! Another one mum worked for social services and dad a midday at the school and they still went several times a week. Compared with 2 wfh parents having to get up at ridiculous o clock to do some work before the children got up and then work late in the night!

I really think it should be 2 non wfh key worker' spaces, or 1 for single families.

Most jobs are necessary otherwise they wouldn’t exist. I cannot abide people who assume that what they do is more important than everybody else. Banks need to keep operating, admin needs to be done, bins need collecting, checkouts are required. Everything is “key”.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

Sounds like they are both key workers so I would just leave it.

The nurseries don't actually have to check if the person is lying. They just have to take their word on it.

However I'd have thought if you are definitely a key worker and can prove it, then they should be taking the child regardless. Your child had a space before I assume, so they should be taking them.

I'm a key worker who has worked from home throughout. But my job involves video conference calls with domestic abuse victims so I absolutely took advantage of my status to get my kids in school and would do so again. Totally inappropriate to have them around whilst I'm working.

@Woeismypants I've never yet met anyone with an official diagnosis of 'mild' Autism. Classic Autism, Kanners Autism, Autism, Asperger Syndrome I've met hundreds of in person and thousands of people online. In order to get a diagnosis of Autism there has to be numerous difficulties with Social Communication, Social Interaction and Social Imagination (commonly called the Triad of Impairments). Any child with a diagnosis will be disadvantaged every day of their lives, many will have co-morbid learning disabilities, Sensory Processing Disorders and Gross and fine motor skills difficulties that all require additional therapy. Many also compartmentalise. Just because a child appears to cope at school doesn't mean that that can utilise the same skills in other settings.

I'm sick and tired of the disablist claptrap aimed at the parents of children with disabilities, not just Autism.
Just for your information I've got 2 adult children with different Autism diagnosis, both are affected differently, both are attending college but both of them are disadvantaged by their disabilities every fucking day of their lives. One of them is still suffering from discrimination in college by people who should know better.

WTF is going on with the autism bashing on this thread? Some really ignorant fuckers around at the moment.

@SuperCaliFragalistic

Urgh. Are we really at the point of denying keyworkers (of whatever denomination and as decided by the govt) the opportunity to do their jobs properly because of jealousy? And, seriously, are people really so desperate that they would rather children with SEN are even further disadvantaged just because their own kids are a bit bored. Back in March this pandemic was bringing people together, people were all trying hard to beat the virus and keep the country functioning and now it's a disgraceful game of trying to get one over on the system and reporting our friends and neighbours for getting on with their lives as best they can.

There's a lot said on MN about how to be happy, how to have a positive outlook, and honestly, stop comparing yourselves to others who have different challenges, stop looking for reasons to hate each other. Focus on what you can change, which is your own situation and your own coping skills. Your life won't get better by bringing others down.

^^this

[quote m0therofdragons]@SueEllenMishke because dh want taking about anything complex with the exec team? I’ll let him know. Our jobs clearly aren’t high brow enough to understand (although you don’t actually know what we do). [/quote]
You know what I mean, you're just being deliberately awkward.
Lots of people dealt with children interrupting meetings during lockdown - myself and DH included. I'm not saying those meetings aren't important or aren't covering complex topics.

However, there is a huge difference between a meeting between colleagues and university lectures.
Are his colleagues paying thousands of pounds to attend that meeting? Are they expecting an excellent 'experience' and will they complain about your DH personally if they don't get it? Do his colleagues need to write essays or complete dissertations/exams based on the content of the meeting? And if that content isn't taught effectively will they complain? I could go on...

Obviously, some meetings are vitally important and I'm not denying that. I really don't agree with schools shutting as it's not possible to wfh effectively while you have young children at home. I cannot teach to a high standard while caring for a 6 year old. That was the point I was making.

Financial service workers, where it’s not possible to WFH, are key workers.

It's nothing to do with being able to work from home or not.

Neither has a letter ever been needed for people to go to work, whether they are key workers or not. At no point have we been stopped from working. The rule has just been to work from home if you can.

The KW thing as far as I can see impacts two areas - school/nursery places and getting quicker access to a Covid test.

@lockdownrules

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.

Why are you friends with her?!

so many people qualify to be a key worker. I do and I am definitely not key and wouldn't have claimed a place if my kids were younger

there will always be cheeky fuckers in life

@Aprilx

Most jobs are necessary otherwise they wouldn’t exist. I cannot abide people who assume that what they do is more important than everybody else. Banks need to keep operating, admin needs to be done, bins need collecting, checkouts are required. Everything is “key”.

Not everything is key FFS.

Noone is saying their job is more important, we're just talking about the govt's definition.

Florists, for example, aren't key. Hairdressers. Nail bars. Coffee shops. Gardeners. TV studios. Restaurants and pubs. Oh god, millions of jobs are not key workers. That's how come we have the furlough scheme!

@lockdownrules

Banking and admin roles. Not key workers.

Banking is classed as a key worker role, not just the people who work in branches, who do you think sorted out all the mortgage and loan payment holidays earlier in the year. Who sorted the systems out to understand that not paying your mortgage was suddenly allowed and not to report it to the credit reference agencies. Who sorted out some interest free overdrafts for a short period of time. None of this happens just because bozza tells us at 5pm that it will.

Who answered all the calls and emails from customers requesting these payment holidays, who did it all again when it was extended from 3 months to 6 months.

Who gets internet banking back online when it goes down?

Who looks at that fraudulent transaction when someone in India has cleared your account and you can't feed your family?

Who replaces your debit card when you have lost it and no shops are accepting cash?

Banking isn't just handing out bank notes and filling cash machines.

I have nothing exciting to add other than to say to that that vile PP earlier who inferred that families that require two incomes to survive shouldn't have kids - yes private nurseries are open all year round and are used by many families like ours.

Some vile things on this thread - only wealthy people should have children and then a PP expressing jealousy that her children aren't autistic. some of the worst things I've read on this site I think. I'm autistic and the idea that someone could feel jealous of having a child with my struggles makes me feel a bit sick but is also amusing as well.

I'm also actually really surprised that it's December and lots of people still have no idea that workers in banking are key workers, and so are many admin staff depending on industry.

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.

What a judgemental post. People have children but can't necessarily afford to have a SAHP. Most afterschools run during school holidays and most parents have circa 4 or 5 weeks of per year plus weekend.

I think arsehole is the technical term.

Lyralalala. Yes nhs admin staff are essential, though without being too outing both their roles are very far back from the frontline medical staff and no way Inter dependent, almost a luxury addition to essential requirements. But in any event they have both been WFH from day one (as l said in my post) and one is part time.
I still think they're abusing the system.

Why do people assume that if you can wfh you can also look after a child. There's a reason I've had to provide proof of childcare when wfh regularly in the past.

above comment to lyralalala sorry.

"She's proud as punch! Think she told me to annoy me as knew I struggled so much last time."

Sorry for derailing, but in what way is this woman actually your friend?

@SueEllenMishke

Why do people assume that if you can wfh you can also look after a child. There's a reason I've had to provide proof of childcare when wfh regularly in the past.

The only people who assume that are people without children. Which unfortunately is the two Scottish leaders.

My child has been offered a place at nursery if I want it. We are not key workers at all. I'm a sahm. I don't know why really

Banking is classed as a key worker.

Admin may be depending on the sector he/she admins for.

The only people who assume that are people without children. Which unfortunately is the two Scottish leaders.

I've said all along that those making the policies have never had to worry about childcare themselves.