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 think it still covers key workers who don't work from home so they would be covered.

Working from home wouldn't help. Many jobs just can't be done even from home whilst supervising children.

@Chaotic45

Working from home wouldn't help. Many jobs just can't be done even from home whilst supervising children.

I guess they would be need to done early morning, weekends and after bedtime then. Many people have to do this.

@studychick81 I accept that but it doesn't work for many people- that includes DH.

On days he works from home he has to be available without interruption and in a private room between 8.30 and 5.30 . If he couldn't do this he would either loose his job or be furloughed.

It may sound harsh, and it is harsh but he earns a great salary and toes the line.

He also does plenty of work evening and weekends but the key hours are non negotiable.

Lots of people e.g. call handlers also can't work as and when suits them.

It's not as simple as you make out.

Yes the guidances has now been changed so that wfh keyworkers don’t qualify for child kw places. What a shit show this govt is, changing the guidance after schools go back.

I totally feel for those keyworkers who will is be asked take their children out of school again because of the incompetence of the government.

Unfortunately those who are saying that they just can’t look after their children and work are just going to have to put up with it.

Why didn’t the government announce this at the same time as the school closures - at least then everyone could be prepared rather than change everything a week into the term!

@Littlecaf

Yes the guidances has now been changed so that wfh keyworkers don’t qualify for child kw places. What a shit show this govt is, changing the guidance after schools go back.

I totally feel for those keyworkers who will is be asked take their children out of school again because of the incompetence of the government.

Unfortunately those who are saying that they just can’t look after their children and work are just going to have to put up with it.

Or lie to the schools and say they are not actually working from home and have to go into the office. How will schools prove it when half of them wouldn’t even know who employs the parents ...

How will schools prove it when half of them wouldn’t even know who employs the parents ...

Our school asked us to provide name and address of employer when we asked for a space.

@Bunnybigears

How will schools prove it when half of them wouldn’t even know who employs the parents ...

Our school asked us to provide name and address of employer when we asked for a space.

Is that mandatory though?

Both my kids school didn’t ask.

@Littlecaf it hasn't really changed, the guardian have just grabbed hold of 'if wfh keep the child home where possible' and done what journalists do - sensationalised it.

Yes the guidances has now been changed so that wfh keyworkers don’t qualify for child kw places.

It doesn't say that

Yanbu. Technically yes, morally no.

The Times also reporting today that HMRC have said they will be very lenient for late filed tax returns, and that there is an expectation that the deadline will be extended by another couple of months

I really really hope this at least gives schools a hook to revise the guidance - i'm really hoping we get an email saying the number of key worker places at our school have been revised. At the moment, it's just so so so unfair and makes the whole thing totally pointless!

I really suggest people who feel strongly write to their councillors, MPs, the education department etc - i have, and know lots of others that have, but at the moment the whole thing is a total two tier shambles!

Either shut schools, or have them open for everyone, not just half the population.

People also have a moral duty to take responsibility for the greater good and not send their kids in where they can work from home, but it's clear that many many people are just a bit too important to do that....

Everyone i know who is homeschooling have been in tears wondering how the hell we're going to manage - and frankly it's been made worse seeing who is sending their kids into school, as we're not really all in it together.

Also quite telling how quiet the class whatsapp chats have been....think some people are feeling a bit awkward/guilty....which is bad for those that then really do need the places!

@ceeveebee

The Times also reporting today that HMRC have said they will be very lenient for late filed tax returns, and that there is an expectation that the deadline will be extended by another couple of months

But they will charge late filing penalties and you'll have to appeal against them. Why aren't they just changing the deadline to avoid the unnecessary extra work for all?

Why aren't they scrapping the tight deadline for furlough claims which they've only just brought in? It wasn't needed for the first 8 months - very strange to add that pressure now when we're all in a worst state re covid.

No relaxation of deadlines for filing vat returns nor payroll either.

People also have a moral duty to take responsibility for the greater good and not send their kids in where they can work from home, but it's clear that many many people are just a bit too important to do that....

To be fair, I think some people will be under a lot of pressure from employers to send their children into school. If they can refer to restrictions that don’t just vaguely say ‘do what you think’, it will be easier to say no.

It isn’t as simple as if you can wfh no need for kw space. Not all jobs can be moved around to outside 9-5 hours. I’m a solicitor not an accountant. Not a keyworker due to work I do but solicitors in some roles can be keyworkers. The Law Society guidance seemed sensible to me gist is wfh and don’t use space if possible but recognition that some roles will need a key space eg duty solicitor who goes to police station. If you are advising a domestic violence victim or in a court hearing (via phone) it’s not appropriate on any level including client confidentiality to have a 5 year old in the room saying a mummy what’s anal rape. Some of the stuff I saw and heard as a trainee in mental health, child abuse, family and crime has stayed with me, no way would I expose a child to that.

Yes, no way can I work with a child in the room (as a solicitor). I would be struck off for breach of confidentiality and lose a life time's reputation. This has been very expensive at times. We spent 50% of each of our net salaries on childcare in the first year we had a baby. It is no easier now. I don't support the mandatory CV19 legislation and have not since March although I follow it. So my solution would be to remove all the restrictions.

It sounds like now the guidance is that if you don't have a computer at home or good broadband or child is at risk or parent a critical/key worker not working from home then you get a school place. That means so very many people you might as well reopen schools particularly as we now have the vaccine coming in.

@ceeveebee

The Times also reporting today that HMRC have said they will be very lenient for late filed tax returns, and that there is an expectation that the deadline will be extended by another couple of months

Well that's very nice of them but we haven't actually been informed about this from HMRC, and reminders are being sent out as usual.

I'm a small sole trader, I've had no help since the start of the pandemic despite being on my knees and paying higher rate tax for 25 years. I've slipped through every single safely net and have almost spent all of my savings and cashed in my pension.

I cannot complete my tax return without an accountant. It takes a few weeks to do and they will charge me £500 for the privilege. I use them so it is done correctly and on time. The deadline is 31 January.

It's too for HMRC to tell me that it's ok and they don't mind if it's late this year.

@ceeveebee

The Times also reporting today that HMRC have said they will be very lenient for late filed tax returns, and that there is an expectation that the deadline will be extended by another couple of months

What Hmrc have said currently is they will be lenient on people appealing penalties. These penalties will still land on people's mats though and need appealing within 30 days with a "reasonable" excuse. My experience in the last few months will be at least 2 letters before they agree to waive the penalty, if they do. Hmrc will hope that people will just pay the penalties. Late returns I suspect will be much easier to appeal than late payment. If payment isn't made (currently) by 28 feb then it's a 5% surcharge and interest. Hmrc's argument will be that the taxpayer should have made a time to pay arrangement. But in order to do that, the tax returns need to be lodged.

There may be an expectation that the deadline will be moved, but we can't work to that. We have to work to what the deadline actually is and if Hmrc don't move it soon then it's pointless anyway. They were asked by the professional bodies to move it before Christmas and they said no.

There seems to be real concern today that the NHS will be overrun very soon.

However the government is blaming people who aren’t following the rules without seeming to understand that the rules are less strict than they were in March, and that almost a year later many people have other pressures that mean they will do what they can within the rules.

I agree with Xenia that there is no point in closing schools if the current rules allow most people to take up a key worker place. However, I think that means the rules need to be clearer and stricter.

‘Common sense’ is all very well if you aren’t under pressure to follow somebody else’s idea of common sense.

There's a headline post on BBC website today saying that in some Welsh council areas, only frontline health and social care and blue light workers are defined as key workers and therefore eligible for school places.

Excluding all teachers, NHS support staff, supermarket workers etc.

Seems (very) harsh, but maybe such tight restrictions will mean lifting the lockdown and back to school for everyone sooner.

Seems (very) harsh, but maybe such tight restrictions will mean lifting the lockdown and back to school for everyone sooner.

Nope I think it will lead to more people using childcare bubbles than are at the moment which will put a lot more elderly people at risk or people breaking the bubbles rule completely and having multiple friends and family look after their kids. If you work in a supermarket during school hours you can't just magically stay at home because school won't take your child.

@BubblyBarbara

Accountants also often handle payroll. And payroll can't often be done from home due to the sensitive confidential data involved. So all those folks have to still go in. Lockdown.. ha!

As a Payroll Manager for an accountancy firm I WFH 4 days a week in non-covid times so that's bollocks.

All confidential information is stored on the system & only I have access to my work devices , I rarely print anything & if I do it's shredded as soon as I'm finished with it or locked in my desk drawer until I am.

I manage over 150 client payrolls ranging from 1-100 employees, with weekly, fortnightly & monthly payroll cycles, with approx 50 clients currently using the furlough scheme. In a regular month I can do 20-30 hours overtime on top of my usual 37.5 contracted weekly hours during covid I'm doing almost triple that overtime to keep on top of furlough - I can't possibly do my job properly & homeschool children for 15-20hrs a week!

The outcome of me making mistakes is that people don't get paid correctly, don't get paid on time, furlough isn't submitted by the deadlines or is submitted incorrectly, universal credit claims are affected & people lose money - all because I'm stressed/tired & interrupted umpteen times a day by children asking me questions about school work!

I've also still got a house to clean, laundry to keep on top of, meals to plan, buy in for & prepare & as a single parent there's no one helping out with that.

So yes if my children were in primary school I'd be taking up a key worker place because pandemic or not I don't want to work 6am-10/11pm & live in a hovel eating takeaway for every meal with absolutely no time for myself & running on very little to no sleep - that's not healthy for anyone!

Seems (very) harsh, but maybe such tight restrictions will mean lifting the lockdown and back to school for everyone sooner.

I reckon it will just lead to more women exiting the work place.