Confused about key workers

[HforHavana]

Might get flamed for this but I am struggling to understand everyone kicking off about who is and who isn't a key worker.

No business unless hospitality, beauty etc have been told to close. Manufacturing, construction, fast food takeaway, warehousing etc are all allowed to stay open. No business is going to close voluntarily and carry on losing money.

Someone who works in say a car manufacturing plant, no their job is not a 'essential', but they still need to go to work as they can't work from home. They can't just decide to stay off because kids are off school, so why is everyone up in arms about them sending their kids into school? They have a family to feed, of course they are going to go to work!

People are complaining because schools are closed to prevent the spread of covid. If everyone sends their children into school instead of asking to be furloughed or working from home (those who can) along with people who just don't want to deal with there dc whilst WFH or have a SAHP who "wants a break " then they might aswell of kept the schools open.
Basically unless you have a sen/vulnerable child or truly are a Key worker (and no most of your examples aren't) you should not be trying to send your kids to school

I’m a civil servant and we have been classed as essential. But a blanket approach, and my team are not essential and we work at home, yet can have a place. Mine are 16 and 12 so don’t need it plus I’m here

But if you work a manual job that cannot be done from home and work during school hours, then what are you supposed to do?

A lot of people cannot afford to take unpaid leave and businesses may not let people have furlough (which I don't think is for these circumstances anyway) as they need their employees working. So these parents send their child to school and are getting moaned at for it as it's not 'essential' and they are not 'key workers'.

The job may not be essential to keep the country running, but is essential to keep a roof over your families head and food on the table.

I understand that we are in difficult times at the moment and it is to stop the spread of the virus, and I don't agree with those who WFH or one parent is a SAHP, but it seems that everyone who isn't a key worker who are sending their children into school are all getting tarred with the same brush.

Everyone's circumstances are different, and these rules are so unclear that we should be moaning to the government, not at each other for doing what we can for our families!

Because they are bitter and enjoy being part of the ongoing 'whose life is more miserable' competition.

@Cabinfever10

People are complaining because schools are closed to prevent the spread of covid. If everyone sends their children into school instead of asking to be furloughed or working from home (those who can) along with people who just don't want to deal with there dc whilst WFH or have a SAHP who "wants a break " then they might aswell of kept the schools open. Basically unless you have a sen/vulnerable child or truly are a Key worker (and no most of your examples aren't) you should not be trying to send your kids to school

This is it in a nutshell.

Plus if kids who are going to school are being taught by teachers (rather than just babysat) - this seems to vary school by school - then the kids in school may be at an advantage to those who are at home.

Trying to home educate and work at home means that you're unlikely to be giving your child the same education as they'd get at school.

Furlough absolutely is for the circumstances where someone can't with from home and has children to look after. It's specifically written in.

Companies not wanting to do that because they think producing an oversupply of cars is 'key' just adds to the problem.

Having to work outside the home doesn't make your a key worker. Lots of key workers even work at home. You've got your concepts confused.

But if you work a manual job that cannot be done from home and work during school hours, then what are you supposed to do?

Ask the government. The point of schools only opening to key workers and vulnerable groups is to minimise the number of children attending. However the government has made no provision for people in the situation you describe.

Have you asked your MP this question?

The goverment have made provisions as in furlough, you can use that for those that have childcare issues , you can even use part furlough, part work. They cannot simply cover everyone circumstances , childcare bubbles also exsist now.
The issue is a lot of companies are not even trying to be flexible either and looking at some thread on here some parents are not either.
Everyone screamed for schools to be shut and now they are there mot happy.
The point is if you can take furlough, wfh , have childcare , don't work or can juggle between you then you should try that at least.

I agree op. DP goes out to work and I am WFH ft. I am really fucking struggling. I have the school ringing me asking why the kids aren't alone and my boss calling asking why its taken me 2 days to do something. My job is essential to me and I understand why the schools have had to close but it doesn't stop me going to bed in tears each night

Because they are bitter and enjoy being part of the ongoing 'whose life is more miserable' competition.

Pretty much. They don't seem to understand that lots of people cannot be furloughed & that not every single child is attending but 🤷‍♀️

Oh & they also seem to have access to safeguarding registers & EHCPs because they categorically know who does & doesn't deserves a place.

I wfh op but my dc are in school. Some jobs mean you can't work with the children present. That's also a key point to remember though there are many, many people who dispute this. Lots of people assume wfh means you can have the children at home.

@ShowofHands sadly I am not a kw so mine are at home. But it is not working for us at all.

[quote LST]@ShowofHands sadly I am not a kw so mine are at home. But it is not working for us at all.[/quote]

I'm like you @LST - we're both wfh, I work in a job that requires attention to detail (with serious consequences if I get things wrong) have 2 children who are driving each other mad and need constant refereeing. It's impossible. My MH was hanging on by a thread last time and I'm already there again.

@ShowOfHands genuine question- what is it about your job that means you can't work with children present? Am genuinely curious about this, not looking to have a go. I have friends who are eg mental health practitioners doing video calls with people who are very unwell, or who are discussing disturbing details of criminal cases during calls. Those are obvious reasons why children couldn't be present.

A lot of people cannot afford to take unpaid leave and businesses may not let people have furlough (which I don't think is for these circumstances anyway) as they need their employees working. So these parents send their child to school and are getting moaned at for it as it's not 'essential' and they are not 'key workers'.

But it's their duty to ask their employers to give them some flexibility - be that furlough, or whatever.

These workers can't 'send their child to school' anyway - not unless they have a keyworker partner, so it's sort of irrelevant.

@greyinganddecaying last time I let the schooling slide completely. It was still hard but they were outside most of the time playing. This time the school are insisting they log on for 8.30 etc and it is impossible. They are 6 and 9 and my 6 year old is hard work at the best of times. My DP works all hours god sends out of the house.

If any of you have an emergency and need a plumber/electrician or similar, would you want them to come and help or would you be more than happy to go 6 weeks without lighting, heating or water because they couldn’t be on call out as they’re home schooling?

The legal position (read the regulations, I did!) is that you can ONLY access school places to enable you to work if you are a critical worker (defined list) AND it is "reasonably necessary" for your children to be in school to enable you to work. So there is a bit of wiggle room on when it is reasonably necessary. If you are a GP and WFH, then I'd think no-one would doubt that it's reasonably necessary for your DC to be in school. However, if you're an accountant for a utility, then it is not reasonably necessary for your children to be in school. Desirable (hell yes!) but you could muddle on.

Equally, if only one of you is a critical worker, then it is not reasonably necessary to send your children to school to enable you to work. It's shite for your DP as they'll be faced with having to do all the childcare themselves, but the point of the new rules is to keep the numbers of DC in schools as low as possible.

I'm in a critical industry but my organisation has restricted the "criticial worker" status to those who cannot WFH or who are dealing with customer enquiries (e.g. call centre workers).

[quote LST]@greyinganddecaying last time I let the schooling slide completely. It was still hard but they were outside most of the time playing. This time the school are insisting they log on for 8.30 etc and it is impossible. They are 6 and 9 and my 6 year old is hard work at the best of times. My DP works all hours god sends out of the house. [/quote]

Exactly the same. I'm finding it really hard that school have so many expectations (logging in at specific times which clash with my meetings etc).
My OH is a teacher and is teaching online at home all day, but both parents have to be key workers here to get a place at school.

@SendHelp30

If any of you have an emergency and need a plumber/electrician or similar, would you want them to come and help or would you be more than happy to go 6 weeks without lighting, heating or water because they couldn’t be on call out as they’re home schooling?

If DH is a nurse, and DW is an electrician, then I'd say you're both critical workers www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision as electrician is part of the electricity sector, if you ask me. Neither job can be done from home, so yes, I think you can access school places.

If DW is a defence civil servant who can WFH, and DH is a construction worker, DW may be in a key industry, and DH may not be able to work from home, but my interpretation of the legislation is that it is not reasonably necessary for DW to send the DC to school to enable her to work - she can struggle on (like the rest of us).

It's shit, yes, but the rules are there for a reason, and that reason is to reduce the spread of the virus.

I think someone nailed it with 'because they might as well have kept the schools open'.

In this pandemic, the government is constantly being given a choice between what is easier and what is effective and somehow choosing neither. The situation we have now will cause issues for parents, widen inequality and yet still not get cases down, an absolute lose lose scenario. Lowering the numbers of kids in school causes inconvenience to parents yes, but we have that anyway, just without any potential upside.

I think my main point is that all jobs are essential, otherwise no one would work! Everyone needs to bring money in for their families.

I have two accountant friends, one works in law and one works for a private company. Both are single parents with very similar home situations.

The one who works in law is classed as a critical worker, the one who works for the private company is not.

They both WFH but are both struggling immensely trying to balance the two (like a lot of other people on this thread). Critical worker is eligible to send her child to school, but private business accountant isn't.

Both the same jobs, both same circumstances but because of the industry they are in, only one can send her child to school. Why should one have to suffer because of the industry they work in?

Like I say, jobs are essential to the individual and a blanket 'you are essential and you are not' does not work!

I'm probably going against the grain. I work in what people would say isn't key. I spoke to the school and they said what I do is on the list and they gave my kids a place.

Im not blind to the fact that yes im not a "key" worker and I completely understand the feelings around it but if the government are saying you can stay open no business is going to close and risk there business when they don't have to be so I have to go to work.

You might not see it as a necessity but we're still producing taxes were still keeping people in work were still helping keeping the country going and we are there for when the real key workers need us when the rest of the places are shut.

You might not think we're key as in NHS front line saving lives believe me I get it but we're doing our part. If the government want to shut us and I'm furloughed I'm happy to do my part but at the moment I'm following guidelines even if people like it or not. I've always followed guidelines and will continue to do so and I think some comments make people feel like shit when there just doing what they can and not breaking any rules!

Like I said, you've confused your concepts. Essential/critical are defined in the legislation.

And I wouldn't think that an accountant in a law firm was essential but I'm quite happy to understand that I'm not party to all the facts.