Still no sign of who key workers are or two parent rule?

[Drogonssmile]

As an NHS worker whose husband earns double what I earn, if the rumours are true and both parents need to be a "key worker" for children to attend school or nursery, then I'll be off from Monday and on unpaid leave for the foreseeable future.

The idea struck me though, and I wouldn't do it myself, what is to stop someone in my situation going off sick with stress due to trying for sort out childcare etc and getting paid full pay for 6 months? (NHS sick pay).

Only the fact that the GP is too busy to see you I guess. DH has suggested I do similar as I work in a college and they have said I have to go in even though I won't have classes to teach. Everything I need to do, I can do from home and we will only have a handful of vulnerable people to care for as our learners are over 16. My kids won't get priority for childcare as I am not a proper teacher. They need caring for and DH needs to work or will get the sack which we cannot afford. At least if we both work from home we can take it in turn to watch the kids and get work done.

My kids school has said it's likely that both parents will need to be key workers in order to get a place at school. I guess it all depends on numbers though. They didn't even have a proper list of what constitutes a key worker a couple of hours ago though... This has to be sorted by Monday!

@Teacher12345 I wish I could work from home. At least I'd get paid then 

@LambriniSocialist it's a joke isn't it. I watched the whole sodding press conference thinking he must mention it soon. I asked my sons nursery this afternoon and they said they can't say anything until the government have confirmed. Elder son's school said the same! It's going to be panic stations tomorrow.

I'm so cross

I've been waiting for a dept for education message on it ALL afternoon as they said it would be today. Nope. No sign. I am a key worker, but I will need to know if my DH is classed as one

@Drogonssmile My problem is work don't want me to work from home. They want DH to single handedly watch a 7 and 4 yr old, take skype calls and do his job whilst I sit in an office chatting away and marking work! Where is the common sense in all this! If the two parent thing is true then there will be much fewer kids in the schools and alot of parents struggling to do their job even from home.

@Teacher12345 no common sense at all! It's so frustrating!!

@Juanmorebeer I've been waiting all day too. I could've cried when they all packed up.

I'm a key worker too! Working in the community with the elderly etc.My dh isn't a key worker but earns more than me. He will have to stay in work and I won't be able to work if the school won't take my children. The company I work for has 70% of the workers in the same boat which means our clients won't get their needs met. It's absolute chaos and I can't believe it hasn't been confirmed if it's both parents or just one yet

I've been waiting for it too I have pre school age kids and work for the NHS the latest memo that came out from my workplace is as keyworkers we should be able to continue to send our children to school/ nursery/ childminder. My 2 little ones go to a childminder and tbh she will be chuffed to bits if they can stay on as she'll get full pay for 2 children where as everyone else will only be paying half to keep their place.
I'm the same as alot of others here of it's a 2 parent thing I'll need to cut my hours or take unpaid time off as my partner runs a business so cannot do that and look after 2 toddlers x

It's crazy how many of us are in the same boat. Let's hope the government realise the situation and make it a one parent thing. I just can't believe they've left it until the very last minute to inform people. It's going to be chaos tomorrow and/or Monday with noone knowing where they stand.

It seems madness if both parents need to be key workers. They will lose thousands of staff if that’s the case.
I read it’s at head teachers discretion. I separated - key worker - I need my job financially and I need to work to support vulnerable adults.
Trust they will get there act together.

Apparently it's only one parent needs to be a key worker.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/news/11206322/confusions-schools-families-coronavirus/amp/

Surely it’s up to the headteacher.

But surely the point is that the other parent's company has to take the hit and facilitate them working from home? We're all in the same boat and we're all interconnected - companies have to play their part to free up essential workers too.

It's not about how much someone earns, it's about who is needed most.

The letter we got from school today said if a couple both need to be key workers and they had produced a list of professions.

I just need them to publish the damn list!

Yes I wish they would to I think I'm a key worker and my husband maybe to... speaking to a mum at school before she's a nurse and said she won't be sending her children to school and thought I was silly if I did? But neither of us will be paid... if your on the list will you be sending them?

What is the other parent can’t work from home and is the higher earner. Bills still need to be paid.

Pre school today me today it's just one parent who has to be a key worker? I queried it as I am on mat leave anyway but apparently DD could still attend as DH is a key worker?!

Yes both parents will need to be key workers, or single parent, at least that's what our school have informed us today. This makes sense to me, all other families are struggling to work alongside looking after children at home, so why would the partner of a key worker be any different? The idea is to ensure as few kids go to school as possible, if it was just one parent there would be a lot of kids in school. At least 8 kids in my daughter's class have one parent as a (presumed) key worker.

I'm an NHS worker too but a single parent. If both parents need to be key workers then I will be off work 3 days a week as those are my days to have the children. I don't think they have put any thought into this or considered that it won't work for many single parents.

We are waiting for confirmation as well. Dh might be classed as a key worker as he’s an environmental health officer but I work in social housing so won’t be so if both parents need to be key workers we won’t qualify.

Im afraid I think the disconnect is still a little bit with the companies/husbans who are high earners somehow thinking this doesnt effect them. They dont want to have many at all children at all in as it frankly defeats the whole object

At the moment you are the needed NHS worker - because if your DH job was important he would be a key worker

What is the other parent can’t work from home and is the higher earner. Bills still need to be paid.

What if a single parent who isn't a key worker can't work from home? This is to facilitate key workers as a last resort - the first resort should be the non key-worker parent, and their work needs to find a way to facilitate this. There really aren't that many roles that are still in operation that can't be done from home. Construction maybe? Almost everything else is key (retail, pharma) or in shut down.