Is the world and their dog key workers!!!

[anxiouscrazymum]

So I am not a key worker, I work 3 days a week and have 2 KS1 children.
I am having to adapt my hours around my children's school work and will just have to run myself ragged over the next few months like many others!
AIBU to think that some parents are taking the P@@s and using Key worker benefits to be bloody lazy.
Why are the allowed to send children 5 days if they only work 2/3?
Why are they allowed to send in if their partner is furloughed or working from home?
Why are they allowed to send children in of the just work weekends in a supermarket normally?
We have 14 out of 30 children in my DS class at school, they have the class teacher with them and also have each other.
I feel my children are being penalised and will miss out on school and social interaction all because I am not a key worker:
If there were less children in, the teacher would be able to undertake zoom classes and online interactions. Because of the number of children in we just get set daily tasks!
Sorry for my rant AIBU x

I’m not a keyworker either, fashion retail. But nearly every sentence starts with I’m a keyworker. If I had a pound for every time I read this I’d wouldn’t need to work again lol lol

@ProperVexed

DH is a key worker, and I work in a school therefore also key worker. I applied for keyworker places at school for my two DSs but was refused. I'm gutted. However, the refusal was because the DSs are aged 20 and 23 and are former pupils! (Lighthearted...they are driving me mad!)

That’s hilarious that really made me laugh

I think a lot of it is because people realised its just not possible to wfh and educate.

Also lots of things have changed, my mental health took a massive battering during the first one, I am really stuggling already and we are only 2 days in. If I could, I would put DS into school.

We no longer have the same technology we did during the first lockdown, the desktop died, as did my laptop, even if it didn't we would have sold them for whatever we could to get us through the second lockdown.

@hibbledibble

I could complain, that as a doctor, I have had a terrible year at work. I have had to see horrific things, and perform tasks outside of my field of competence. I have witnessed too many deaths. I now have PTSD as a result.

I think yabu to resent key workers having childcare so that they can work. I never had the option to work from home and home school.

Brother's friend is a doctor in a Covid heavy zone, and he too has PTSD according to brother. A medic friend of another family member also died tragically by their own hand. Stress is very real.

@hibbledibble that’s awful I’m so sorry this has left you with ptsd I hope there’s help and support for you?

I do think from rants I read on several sites that people are taking this piss, it wasnt like this last time round.

Many now who dont need it seem to be trying it anyway (like stay at home mams applying because their partner is technically a keyworker or single mams who just want a childcare break so are trying to find loopholes are just a few I have seen).

There should be a system based on legitimate needs (so two parents who are NHS frontline workers obviously come before a family where one parent is a keyworker but one parent is home etc... I dont think its enough to just 'technically' qualify then take a place).

Our school have said they can go 1,2,3,4 or 5 days a week, changing each week if necessary asking as we let them know the day before. Once they are in a bubble they stick to that bubble though and they are just doing it in year groups this time. Most people are just sending them everyday though howether many days they work. Stupid really.

Its because the system is designed to fail so that the result is some extra kids end up in school vs a key worker having to miss work or be too exhausted to work.

Out of the two modes of failure which is the better option?

Aslong**

Today 15:16 hibbledibble

Yabu, in that key workers do need childcare

Yes but so does non keyworkers working from home too. They have no choice either but to clock on at 9am. They still need to look after Their kids. Fair enough front line workers but this whole keyworker status needs to be scaled down. It’s also punishing the children who have to stay at home, especially when most of their classmates are in school, as everyone is a “keyworker” these days. Sahp using this status to get a place when they are too bloody lazy to watch their own children. I feel sorry for the teachers as I bet lots of them don’t feel very safe with their classes nearly at full capacity.

I am, much to my surprise. I do basic admin/clerical work in an office as an agency worker. 🙄 It's because the office I work in is a civil service office, although I am not a civil servant. I even got a letter in case I'm stopped travelling, today!

However, I don't have any young DC.

mam0918
Yes 👏 agree

I believe that if you are offered a KW you need to attend 5 days a week. I'm part time and questioned this but it seems to be what a lot of schools are doing.

I am a TA and I have to leave my kids at home to go and sit with a class of 18 kids (who all supposedly!!) have key workers as parents I know at least 3 don't and also know that today one childs parents were not working. Teachers are working from home setting work and TA's are with key worker children so teachers are safe from the germs whilst us measly TA's aren't!!!!!

@sunshineandshowers40 our school have said can use as and when. My boss is letting me WFH twice a week and in the office 3 days so school said mine could go just the 3 days if I like but I said no, rather they stay home.

OP, YANBU.

I couldn't believe the numbers of children in today - half the class this week, and more coming next week. Most of their parents were not keyworkers in March. Also the school have been persuading people to send their children in and insisting that they have to come in every day.

You are right that your children are being penalised. School was running normally with 50% excluded, that's all.

The result will be that case numbers carry on rising and so your children will be penalised for even longer.

Some just go 1 day apparently

1000 deaths reported today. I wouldn't be sending my DC to school if I could possibly avoid it. Why take the risk?

Doesn’t bother me at all, I have no desire whatsoever to do any of the jobs on the key worker list.

Some just go 1 day apparently

My son’s school told me that I could take him in on any random day I needed to. I asked if the school wanted proof I’m a KW and they said no.

They said they would put my son’s name down on the list of children who can attend and then we can just use the provision as and when we want

It’s just been done in such a weird way by the government. I think it’s so important for us to ensure key workers are able to deliver their jobs, but I know so many people who are using the school places, who I really don’t think should. Such as SAHPs whose partner has a WFH admin job which classed as a key worker, etc.

It makes me think that companies should start stating ‘key worker status’ as a perk when advertising vacancies...

@MintyMabel

They aren’t missing out on education. School is little more than childcare. They also aren’t really having a great social time. In DD’s class group of 60 kids there are 2 who are going to school. The one who is DD’s friend complained that she spends her days playing with much younger kids and it’s really boring.

This is just your example though.

One of our schools has 75% of the 30 children in, tier 4 area. The kids have been in pairs doing the English work, fun exercises interviewing each other etc, photos on social media.

I have so skin in the game (older kids, and I'm a keyworker but no need for a place).

But parents are taking the piss at our schools (if you saw some of the stretching you'd agree) . It's not fair if the bubble with children of frontline workers bursts and takes out keyworker in emergency services for example.

I only get the days I work. As I am in school teaching other children, I need my children in their two schools so I can do that. My days not in school, my children are with me - no 5 days here. I am happy with that. I am sending them to bed early so I can do my planning, marking etc when they are in bed rather than on my days off when they are in school.

@Persianparadise
I feel sorry for the teachers as I bet lots of them don’t feel very safe with their classes nearly at full capacity.

Exactly. I was so relieved when the government announced schools were closing, but actually so many children are in that it's barely any safer. I expect there will be further guidance / pushback from the teaching unions.

Here we go again.

It's not fair that I had to work during the pandemic, I couldn't get furlough. I would have loved 80% pay to stay at home.

It's not fair that thousands have lost their lives, their jobs, education, businesses, sanity.

It's not fair that we are locked down when it is the vulnerable and elderly who are most at risk.

It's not fair that some people have no access to public funds despite paying taxes, whilst others abuse the benefit system.

It's not fair when I hear people moaning about not seeing their mum / dad for months on end, when I'll never see mine again as they are dead.

The whole pandemic is not fair.