To think accountancy isn't a "keyworker" job?

[hannabull]

One of the parents at school is a self employed accountant who works from home, but sending kids into school. The other parent works out of the home (not a key worker) how is this allowed? Claims to be an essential worker (doesn't work for the nhs or anything, just accounts for small businesses)

@Scbchl

Point is she is working from home like many of us and should keep her children home like we have to..her job isnt out the house surely thats the people who need places at school.

There are people who while they can work from home can't have any human in the room while they are working as they are making confidential phone calls on health and/or financial matters. Those people if they are key workers can't have young or SEN school age children around as they require supervision in the same room.

BUT ACCOUNTANTS ARE NOT ON THE LIST!!!
They are not part of financial services

The only reason they get away with it is because head teachers do not know the difference between financial services and accountancy

The only reason they get away with it is because head teachers do not know the difference between financial services and accountancy

Or because people have a reasonable desire to keep their lives private and 'key worker' is just an easier explanation.

I am an accountant.

How have they managed to interpret the list of critical workers to include them?

Financial services surely covers banks and financial markets and payment providers.

Not someone who can work from home and juggle their working hours around to manage a regular 8 hour working day plus a bit of homeschool?

Someone's tax return being late is not critical. Bit shit for the person/company who would get a fine. But not critical.

Ditto for their accounts being filed.

Why should any one who can work from home be eligible for a key worker place then?

Surely key worker should only be for people who can't work from home whoever they work for according to some on MN?

However this is not what the law says. The key worker list is vague for a reason and I don't begrudge anyone who makes it work for them. It is a travesty that so many children will lose out on yet more education because parents CANNOT home school their children and work a full-on full time job at the same time. Basically it is a choice - keep your job by doing a good job or adequately home school your kids. It's pretty impossible to do both especially if you have multiple young children.

@merrymouse

The only reason they get away with it is because head teachers do not know the difference between financial services and accountancy

Or because people have a reasonable desire to keep their lives private and 'key worker' is just an easier explanation.

There are many posters on this thread who have said they believe that they quality as critical workers because they are accountants

"Businesses still want their invoices raised, their staff paid, their returns filed"

Well yes, but if the business isn't a critical one, then it's not critical to the nation for that to happen - ultimately the business would close down, the staff walk out etc. No big deal for the nation as a whole given the situation we are in.

Obviously if it happens on a large enough scale, it's hugely damaging to the economy. But so is everything else that is happening with high st retail etc!

And in most cases, the work can be done from home, at flexible hours, anything less important deprioritised etc etc.

I really don’t think people appreciate the seriousness of the situation we are in.
1000 deaths today. Yes a few of these are due to lagged reporting but those deaths are from cases 3 weeks ago. Since then cases have doubled. The vaccine will take at least another 6 weeks to get round all the priority groups
If people think it’s ok to bend the rules and increase the transmission risk just so that they don’t have to do their tax returns in the evening, I despair, I really do

I am sure all these small businesses are happy for their wages not to be paid, furlough not to be claimed and statutory claims not to be done because some people do not consider them to be critical workers

I am WFH and haven't sent my kids in before as they are 12 and 14, as I am NHS I am classed at a critical worker anyway but we did manage previously, my 12 yo has additional needs so is going to do some time in school due to his issues but if they were primary school age I am not sure how I would have coped TBH, my working days were 14/15 hours during the 1st lockdown as it was year on top of additional covid related work.

DH works predominantly for a small/medium sized business and without the work he has been doing they would not be trading still now, he would not have been able to do it with 2 young children at home, he has had to be in the office at times also to deal with some issues also. It's not a critical service he works for but you are talking about people's livelihoods here. It is nearly a year for businesses in entertainment/hospitality industries, I really don't think people understand how awful it truly is.

I totally understand what people are saying re the risk of spreading the virus but until the government really bail these industries out a lo of people are left with no choice, work at full capacity or lose your business/job. What sort of choice does this give people, and there is no denying it, accountants are pretty vital when business are struggling. We are also doing a massive amount of the covid related stuff for free (thinking that it was for a few months only). I know we are not the only ones doing this.

Well yes, but if the business isn't a critical one, then it's not critical to the nation for that to happen - ultimately the business would close down, the staff walk out etc. No big deal for the nation as a whole given the situation we are in.

This is what my rather pedantic point about paying taxes was about.

Without getting into whether the work can be done from home or with children around, the country will be in a tight spot if the government doesn't continue to receive regular payments of VAT, PAYE and Corporation Tax.

It might seem boring and inconsequential, but somebody has to regularly calculate and process those payments.

Really? It's not a case of doing a tax return in the evening, DH is working from 8am till midnight and all weekend. If it was that then it wouldn't be an issue, an decent person would happily work in the evening for a few hours to make up for the time they are helping the kids. Majority of posters aren't talking about a few tax returns, they are talking about things that are keeping people paid and businesses afloat!

This is not to say some people aren't taking the piss of course, if that's the case they are arseholes.

The department for education confirmed that payroll professionals would be classed as key workers.

"The advice provided was that payroll roles would fit squarely within the category of “utilities, communications and financial services”, and there was no doubt that a payroller would be deemed a key worker."

www.cipp.org.uk/resources/news/payroll-key-workers.html

Flexible hours makes me laugh, what other hours are we supposed to work in other than the 24 available, we certainly need a few hours sleep, we were managing on 5 hrs a night just about but it was a struggle.

@Schoolchoicesucks

I am an accountant.

How have they managed to interpret the list of critical workers to include them?

Financial services surely covers banks and financial markets and payment providers.

Not someone who can work from home and juggle their working hours around to manage a regular 8 hour working day plus a bit of homeschool?

Someone's tax return being late is not critical. Bit shit for the person/company who would get a fine. But not critical.

Ditto for their accounts being filed.

It's a bit of a moot point for me as my kids a grown up now so I don't need a school place. But am incredulous at the 8 hour working day you quote - I haven't worked less than 12 hours a day in years and it's much much more since March - just furlough claims alone have added at least 3 hours a day extra work per day to my workload and that's not including everything else COVID related that I need to do. Am envious!! I certainly couldn't have done my job and homeschooled too - very grateful I'm past that stage. I take my hat off to anyone who does it.

Schoolchoicesucks - what accountant works 8 hours a day?

@Ivanhoe having not worked less than 12 hours a day for years.

Crikey, your choice I guess. I left that world long ago! But those who didn't, would presumably be earning the big bucks now.

At home nannies are permitted to work. And introduce far less risk to the household and the school providing keyworker provision to children of accountants who are working from home.

I'm classed as a key worker as I work in financial services, I wouldn't send my DCs into school. DH is furloughed so no need plus they are teenagers so can be left to get on with it, to a point.

If they were primary they still wouldn't be going in, between us DH we'd make it work, he's dyslexic so couldn't do it all by himself. The DCs could have helped him to be fair

To my mind the school places are for those who really can't make it work. But then again who is anyone to judge that 🤷‍♀️

@Pugin the house. One who chooses to?
And presumably chooses to earn less than one who chooses to work insane hours for a higher income?

At home nannies are permitted to work. And introduce far less risk to the household and the school providing keyworker provision to children of accountants who are working from home.

Excellent point

[quote Schoolchoicesucks]@Ivanhoe having not worked less than 12 hours a day for years.

Crikey, your choice I guess. I left that world long ago! But those who didn't, would presumably be earning the big bucks now.

At home nannies are permitted to work. And introduce far less risk to the household and the school providing keyworker provision to children of accountants who are working from home.[/quote]
I won't be for much longer. Have decided to go back to university ( my mid life crisis).
And yes it is big bucks but the pandemic has made me realise that actually I want more from life. But in the meantime I owe it to my clients to help them keep their heads above water - fingers crossed they can come out of this still trading.

If the government extended the tax return filing deadline by one month then people who work preparing accounts and tax returns just might be able to manage.

A friend has 2 primary school age children, and would normally use breakfast club and after school club throughout January to maximise working hours together with working at least 1 day each weekend. Her husband steps up for that one month to take over as much of the household/childcare duties as he can. She is exhausted by 1st February.

This year she has less hours, due to kids requiring home learning supervision, her husband (although working from home too) works 40 hours a week and has to be on screen fully available during his set hours so can only take on some of the the home learning. One of her work colleagues is off with Covid..... they really need for their girls to be in school, just for the next 24 days, but have been told no. She cried on the phone to me last night.

All she is asking is to be treated as a key worker for the next 3 weeks really. Is it too much to ask when there's parents abusing the system all over the country.

There is a list. It's not really a matter of debate. I don't think accountants are on it:

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

Schoolchoicesucks - it's not always a choice though, our workload has increased due to covid related stuff, if you had a job prior to lockdown that is demanding time-wise that doesn't just go away. I am not willing to let my clients lose their businesses or money when I am able to help them. Like I said I have WFH and had my kids here but only because they are older. I am only paid from my permanent jobs for 4.5 days, plus i have private work. I can't remember the last time I worked my normal hours, I have never actually worked only my hours but it is worse now.

I think people need to understand that not all people are in the same situation, I know very few accountants who only work 8 hrs a day, especially right now when they are in huge demand. It's not that they are all being dicks and sat at home earning £100k a year for doing FA and sending their kids off to school so they can have a peaceful day. It has had us at breaking point at times. We have worked bloody hard and done our best to help as many people as possible (FWIW we definitely don't earn 100k)

Solicitors aren’t on it either, by the way.

It's irrelevant if it's big bucks though, there are still only 24 hrs in a day.