Crap. Schools closing. What am I going to do about work?

[Eek2020]

I know I’m not the only one in this situation but I’m panicking after meeting with my manager at lunchtime.

Lone parent to 11yo with additional needs. Live rurally and at other end of country from family.

NHS acute physiotherapist. I moved here and picked this job as it was Mon to Fri and school hours. My child goes to a holiday club during school breaks which is currently closed due to CV.

I’m apparently not an essential worker according to our school as not nursing or a doctor. If they do decide to permit children of essential workers to continue attending until Easter hols, mine won’t be included.

Applied for 2 weeks block of parental leave today. Manager refused it in writing ASAP due to “current service demands” and instead offered me alternative dates within 4 months, as per our local policy.

Can’t work from home as all my patients are inpatients.

Manager has basically said it’s up to me to arrange childcare alternatives. Because I can anticipate the schools closing, I won’t be given emergency dependents leave as I could have planned ahead for childcare given that I have had a few days notice about schools closing.

My child’s friends’ parents not wanting to babysit, understandably, due to my close contact with elderly patients everyday and the effect it might have on their families.

What can I do?

Oh. Annual leave also being refused at this time due to current service demands.

I'd call your Local Authority and tell them to order the school to include your child as an essential worker.

Well that’s it. Closed until further notice.

Children of key workers and vulnerable children will still be able to go to school

@lyralalala will this be Scotland wide? As email from my school said they didn’t know when or if they would have access to the school

Missed a bit of what Gavin Williamson said, but he said that key workers include NHS staff and police. Vulnerable children include those with a social worker and an education care & health plan

Op, you are essential. Physios are needed to get patients mobilising and free up bed space.
I'd email your local trust, school, CCG, MP in one email. And yes get a letter from the unit you work on.
You are needed!!!!

You are regarded as a key worker. The education secretary just announced in parliament

@thecountessatHotelCortez Gavin Williamson just announced that so that will be for English schools.

Given that Scotland and Wales both said "schools would have a new purpose" I'd expect them to do similar

Can you show them the letter refusing you leave as you are needed in work?

are they trying to incentivize people to volunteer to do NHS work in order to qualify for childcare?

Have the government explained what key workers are? Im a dispenser in a pharmacy am I a key worker?

You are essential. The NHS can’t function with only doctors and nurses. The other support functions, as well as front line HCP like you, need to keep working. The school will have to provide support.

But wait and see over the next day or so as this is just happened and not thoroughly considered by schools and local authorities.

Kids of key workers are being kept in school

So, pragmatically speaking:

All the good stuff PP have said re. having yourself declared an essential worker.

But if that fails: you simply don't go in. There's not a whole lot your employer can do - and, trust you me, they'll have bigger fish to fry!

There's also the fact that, if and when something like school closures happens, policy making stops being the responsibility of small-minded lower management and starts being that of senior executives.

How do I know that? Well, I'm a senior executive in a place that has closed all schools. We has the decision down in about 3 minutes, and it basically went as follows: "well, so, we're looking at a work force a large percentage of whom will have some serious childcare issues right about now. We can decide to shoot ourselves in the collective foot here by being sticklers for policy - or we can try everything in our power to be flexible until the government follows up with an answer to what we are to do. One of these options gives us a fighting chance of having a bloody workforce left at the end of this shitstorm ... we're taking that one!"

Quite seriously, though: don't mind lower level managements petty concerns. As soon as the proverbial shit hits the fan, decision making will be in the hands of people whose job it is to take a longer-term perspective. That's literally what happened at my place of work - and we should probably be re-named to "Long Hours and Presenteeism plc" for the sake of honesty!

I'm listening to Parliament TV and can reinforce what Lyralalala has said. Education Secretary has just answered Parliamentary Qn:

FSM kids: children will get food vouchers for next week and some schools will open to provide meals

Serious disability guidance: working on that with Public Health England

Sounds as if GCSEs etc are cancelled but every child "will get the recognition they deserve"(?!)

They recognise that there will be a lot of work to do with schools and social services to ensure that vulnerable student and those on EHCPs will be able to stay at a school.

Cabinet Office is going to define who "key workers" are.

Has anyone heard anything about how the schools will work? Will teachers have to be in? So what about our children??

Boris has said that exams are cancelled in May and June, but they'll make sure children get the qualifications they need. More will be said on that in time

@RebeccaCloud9 Nothing has been said specifically. I assume, and it's only my assumption, that teachers/school staff will be key workers

I don’t know how they can say you don’t meet the criteria, Bo Jo just said they’ll be giving this criteria to schools tomorrow

I don’t know how they can say you don’t meet the criteria, Bo Jo just said they’ll be giving this criteria to schools tomorrow

This school must have decided to do this themselves before the announcement and were setting their own rules

They'll now get the criteria issued to them

Fgs the school does NOT get to decide who is a key worker. This is beyond their remit. I hope your manager sends a rocket up their arse!

Whoever made that rule (only drs and nurses are essential to NHS) is being extremely naive and ignorant. Obviously- to me and many others - physios will be needed as people recover from coronavirus, possibly even during the acute illness. Other essential NHS are catering workers, cleaners, porters, clerical staff and so many more. Somebody above gave you a list of people to email so I won’t repeat it, OP. I’d only add - where possible go to the top in all cases and use names where possible. And keep copies. I’m sure you know that already.

Something else occurred to me - if you’re in England (I’m not and some of the jargon is different so pls excuse me) - in WM, Gavin Williamson has said children and families with a social worker are eligible for school care after the schools shut, also children with an educational plan (I’m assuming those with additional support needs) so maybe that help you. I hope you get the response you need asap.

As PP has said, there will be a list of key workers, it's not up to the school.
Likely that all NHS workers will be included as the whole system needs to keep going.

The school are wrong, you’re an essential worker. I have no idea how they have to the conclusion this quickly that you’re not and your child isn’t covered by the governments decision. I imagine they will find out they are incorrect pretty quickly