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)

I'm being a bit flippant. I do remember the absolute exhaustion (mental and physical) of working crazy hours during the silly season.

And it did feel a bit like that again in the last lockdown juggling work and homeschool.

But I do think some are too quick to jump to claiming key worker status rather than trying other things.

If so many do, the lockdown won't work, the keyworker bubbles will burst and they'll end up with the kids at home anyway.

@MamaTookMyEyebrows 'Those essential to the running of the justice system' are on the list and if you Google you will find that there are certainly some types of solicitor that qualify for this - especially ones who need to appear in court...

I’m classed as a key worked and work for an insurance company. I haven’t used a key worker space but I am still in that category.

I feel sorry for the accountant being judged by you in this way, unfortunately the lockdown causes people to turn on each other sometimes and this is an example.

Well ok. Some solicitors might fall under that category but the vast majority will not.

[quote irregularegular]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[/quote]
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

Well no universal credit will be.paid of people don't get their payslips which many accountants do...

Jeez...and there was me thinking it was fine to ask opinions on AIBU. I'm not stalking, I'm not curtain twitching, I was just surprised that someone who works from home can send their kids into school at the moment.

I definitely agree with that Schoolchoicesucks, everyone should try what they can first and only send kids in if they really need to but I do think it isnt as straight forward as only keyworkers or those working for companies critical to running the country. There are a million genuine reasons but unfortunately too many people have made others so angry as they are getting round the 'rules' for non genuine reasons and just for an easy life. That isn't ok of course.

We felt the first lockdown that we would make it work regardless as we were worried about the risk etc, we are still worried about risk but DS2 is suffering too much so we need him at school for some of the time, he will not manage for another 6 weeks (he has had to self isolate several times since Sept as his yr group have been really unlucky) so we have made that decision based on his additional needs but also the fact that our jobs do not allow us to just sit with him and keep him calm for a whole school day.

Woewoewoejoy - so true, a new client of mine lost their UC as they were trying to do their payroll returns themselves and accidentally put the returns in on the wrong dates and it looked like they had been paid double and it was stopped. Not only that the one they submitted in the wrong period looked like they hadn't been paid by the company in that month which was the month HMRC was looking at for furlough qualification so it took hours of sorting to get HMRC to agree to pay them.

@MamaTookMyEyebrows

But no one is suggesting the work doesn’t need to be done. It does. But it can be done from home with your kids at your ankles like the rest of us.

By that token, then doctors who are doing phone consultations at home should also have their kids at their ankles too, so they wouldn't need to be classed as keyworkers either. I can't see the difference.

You clearly have no idea how important 31 January is.

We’ll also be working on deadline day as clients will suddenly phone up at 4pm that day to do their SA Tax Return to avoid the fine.

I must say I wouldn't be prioritising people who can't be arsed to get their tax return info into us on a reasonable date, certainly not enough to mean I have to send my kids to school for it.

@maddiemookins16mum

You clearly have no idea how important 31 January is.

I agree but not just 31 January. Furlough claims for December have to be submitted by 14 January or the employer won't get the funding. Employees expect the money in the bank on their usual pay day. VAT returns for the November quarter end have to be submitted by tomorrow. PAYE/NIC for December has to be paid by 22 January. There are deadlines throughout January for one thing or another. The SA deadline of 31 January comes on top of everything else.

@maddiemookins16mum

You clearly have no idea how important 31 January is.

Well, I understand perfectly, being, y'know, an accountant.

Just because sometimes I'm too busy to eat or sleep, let alone look after anyone else, doesn't make me a keyworker though. It just makes me busy.

I think a lot of accountants have had a shit few months, and I can understand why parents who are accountants would love their DC to be able to go to school, but most of us aren't keyworkers.

I'm a little bit taken aback by how many supposed accountants are twisting the list into calling themselves keyworkers. Didn't you all study ethics as part of your qualification? If you work for the NHS, the Brexit/Covid team in the Civil Service or you run a payroll, fine. If you're just drowning in preparing stats and/or returns, then shame on you for trying to create a loophole where none exists.

It doesn't matter how busy you are, not all accountants are key workers in respect of the pandemic. Lots of other jobs are very busy at the moment / all the time. That does not make them part of the government's key worker list

@waydownwego totally agree. Morally and ethically completely wrong

@Muttitoonegirl

It doesn't matter how busy you are, not all accountants are key workers in respect of the pandemic. Lots of other jobs are very busy at the moment / all the time. That does not make them part of the government's key worker list

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

[quote ceeveebee]@waydownwego totally agree. Morally and ethically completely wrong[/quote]
It just feels even worse given the attitudes of the general public towards accountants in recent years. We're all supposed to be doing our part to rebuild trust in the profession, and this kind of selfish behaviour is really damaging.

Financial services is on the list of critical workers www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

Accountants are not part of financial services

Jesus the key worker police posts are getting old.

Some Solicitors as keyworkers MamaTook Law Society has guidance eg duty solicitors who go to police station, court advocates, court based solicitors who advise magistrates so essential for running of justice, mental health tribunal representatives, solicitors who prepare wills. I checked it today advice was sensible and says only use keyworker provision if necessary.

I have read a lot of the thread but not all of it. I am glad to see that the posts from my fellow accountants do not support the accountant taking up a school place for a key worker.

Yes it is a busy season for some accountants. However it is not compulsory to leave personal tax returns until the very last minute, they could have planned a little better, told clients they might get a £100 fine if they do not get their paperwork in by a certain date. I do not think accountants should be occupying school places ahead of say nurses because of lazy clients.

Some accountants may operate payroll but most will not. Accountants doing personal accounts such as described by the OP do not have to man the phones between certain hours in the way that say a bank call centre staff may need to. The accountant is flexible.

I am accountant with almost thirty years of qualified experience, I fully understand the deliverables, taxes need to be filed, but to take up the place at school potentially instead of a health care worker or say a supermarket worker, is reprehensible.

The argument that the job is required is stupid. Of course it is required, but then al jobs are required or they wouldn’t exist at all.

Keeping the country's businesses running is important.

It is time we stop playing off each other, industries are intertwined, they feed each other.