Do key workers have to keep sending kids to school?

[TheMostHappy]

I have just been advised (by work) that apparently count as a key worker. I am very grateful that the provision of school is available to Ds, however both my DH and I will be working at home in order to practice more stringent social distancing due to a couple of quite significant health vulnerabilities that I have. We were therefore planning on managing childcare between us. It will be difficult but manageable imho, but I am nervous that there will be an expectation to send Ds to school, which I feel poses more risk than keeping him with us. Any advice or people in the same boat?

The rule is there to enable key workers to keep working. If you can keep your child off school and keep working then you should

This. I have a toddler who can still attend his nursery as I am a key worker. If I choose not to send him, I still have to be able to put in the hours for my job as the provision is there, I'm just not using it.

My dh and I are teachers. Every extra child in school increases the risk of the virus spreading and more people dying. My dh is over 60. I think his risk of dying is 1 in 28. We have a primary aged child. Social distancing whilst working in a school is impossible. If you can keep your child hone do so. If you can offer to look after a key worker's child alongside your own if you are in a low risk group consider doing this.

I wouldn't if you can avoid it. The children are those of key workers who are most prone to infection, meaning their children are also more likely to develop it. If you can keep them off I would do.

No you don't have to and are advised to keep them home if you possibly can. This way risk of infection is minimised all round.

My employer was thrilled we have been included as key workers. It means even if I am working from home because the office is closed, I am now expected to work standard office hours. When the schools and nurseries were closing for all but essential key workers, I was going to work evenings and move my hours around so that we could...you know...practice social distance. Now that's no longer an option, so the kids and I will be exposed to the risks on a daily basis.

So I'm confused for my situation (sorry to highjack the thread) I'm a single parent, work in the Support Office for a large retailer. They believe we are classed as essential workers and want us to put kids in school so we can go an work in stores (I totally get why!).

Can an employer make you do this?

Me and dh apparently categorised as key workers, we can wfh therefore we won't be sending our kids to school or childminder. Trying to do our little bit to stop the spread! It's going to be very challenging time for us!

Tabbymumz - I work at home regularly always have done in this role. I am very, very surprised to hear I am counted as a key worker. Very much not front line in the sector I work in. Yes my manager is aware of my health issues and they are on the list of conditions outlined for those to exercise more stringent social distancing. I have an annual flu jab. This week we have been self isolating as I have had a cough, and Ds had a cough / cold (fairly certain it is nothing more sinister) so both myself and dh (not a key worker) have worked from home. It's not ideal, and it's hard work, but we have managed and I have been putting in hours in the evening to make up for it. My whole team and dept are working from home at the moment as per the governments social distancing guidance.

We’ve been told today we are classified as key workers and tacitly encouraged to give the letter confirming this (that our employer has given us) to the school.
Our entire team can do their jobs from home (prof services, not remotely frontline, many were home working pre Covid). We are surprised to say the least.

The alternative option we’ve been given is to make a proposal on how we will continue to manage an increased workload. For those of us with primary school children that in reality means working late into the night and at weekends. So 7 days a week, on call in effect.
(Dp also works from home and whilst he does his fair share, is under similar pressures).
Unpaid leave will not be approved and it’s unlikely anyone will be taking annual leave.

I wouldn’t dream of dropping dd at school. The scarce teaching resources should be for true key workers. Not to mention the need to reduce contact.
Many are in worse positions than me.

If I read one more blog though about all the wonderful ways to bake/do arts and crafts and use this op to enjoy family time with your child, I will explode.
Many working parents are not having an extended weekend or enjoying the novelty of homeschooling. They’re barely coping.

Many working parents are not having an extended weekend or enjoying the novelty of homeschooling. They’re barely coping

Yes, it has been my concern for not having time to home school, after the whole week mon-fri being bored and trapped in the house while we are working. We really don't want to home school half of our weekends.

This is a situation where everyone have been dealt a short straw.

No. Social distancing should be used where possible.

Thank you all. I will update this on Monday when I've spoken to my manager and see what they say. I have a feeling I'm going to be encouraged to get Ds in to school.

I got an email today that said I was classed as a key worker. I also got an email today to say that my employer will cover my full wages for the next three months no matter what my circumstances and how many hours I actually work.
Some employers are assholes. Keep your kid at home and give the virus one less vector to replicate through.

Everyone at HMRC is a key worker apparently (yeah right!) and now there is tremendous pressure on junior staff to come in. They’re obsessed with presenteeism. The virus will spread and potentially kill unless staff stand up for themselves. There is always something that can be done from home, it’s not like we’re saving lives or delivering food or putting out fires which you can’t do at home.

We are all used to following rules and doing the right thing.

In this situation, we have to think very critically about whether those things are one and the same.

The advice is you should keep them at home if it is safe to do so and they are supervised- but not by you!

No, you definitely don't have to send them. In fact the whole purpose of closing schools is to socially isolate kids, so if at all possible for one or both of you to work from home then you should also keep your children there. We are both keyworker (I am frontline NHS, DH is social care) and between us we will be keeping the kids home and juggling things,to avoid the risk of sending them and passing the virus on. As well as the fact that the entire group of children they will be with with have the most exposed parents,therefore increasing the risk further. I'd rather they were home if at all possible.

Plus I have just seen you have an annual flu jab...meaning you will be one of the 1.4 million of us who receive a letter from the NHS on Monday saying we should be self isolating, regardless of work/school/life etc. I also fall into this category as a type 1 diabetic so will be withdrawing myself from my work after Monday, to try and keep safe.

The answer is an emphatic “No”. See extract below from guidance.

“Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined below. Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.“

Just because you can do your job from home doesn't mean you can do whilst looking after kids though, or that your not a key worker.

But if you don't need to send them in please don't.

I'm really hacked off at 2 of friends, both SAHMs, both intending to send their kids to school because DH is a key worker. So selfish.

I'm really hacked off at 2 of friends, both SAHMs, both intending to send their kids to school because DH is a key worker. So selfish

They wouldn’t be allowed to at my school-it would be perfectly obvious they were home if they were SAHP.

I can do my job from home, it will be difficult with the kids and productivity will take a bit of a hit but I'm going to put in extra hours after bedtime to make up for it.

No you don’t. How refreshing to hear!. I don’t think the schools have time to check at the minute as there so busy sorting children school places as there seems to be a lot of 2 parent family’s with only 1 key worker and the other parent stays at home (whilst they could look after their child).