To many key workers

[OntheWaves40]

My DC school is closing because there’s too many key workers kids and not enough staff. I’m a key worker and no other option than to stay home, unpaid.

I think some people are taking the piss tbh. Dh and I are both teachers, we’re both in school some days on a rota basis. Dh is in more than me because he’s a deputy head. At the moment it looks like it’s only Monday where we have a clash. We’ll need to use sch/nursery on this day. For the rest of the week one or the other of us can be at home (at the moment anyway) so we’ll obviously keep the children at home with us Tue-Fri.

Lots of high school kids in school too who are old enough to stay home but parents don’t want them lounging around eating all the food so send them in

I think some workplaces are taking the piss. My job falls into the Key Workers bracket however not everybody in the organisation is required.

I work for an insurance company that specialise in funeral plans so some people need to be present so that funeral directors continue to get paid so that funerals can continue to happen.

However we don't require a sales, marketing team or a business development however A business wide communication has been sent saying we fall into this category because of this contract

What about the call centre people who work for capita on the pips contract for example? Are they classed as government?

They're working from home. I have contact with Capita in my work. Even though we don't work for the gov we are contracted to work for some of their agencies. They're supporting us in working from home.

As much as I hate the current shit show we have in parliament, I have to admit, in my very limited experience they are practising what they preach with their own workers and their contractors. WFH is encouraged where at all possible and even enforced in some cases.

My ex is claiming to be a key worker despite being in a job that would never be considered part of the Covid19 response. Clearly has never even looked at the criteria.
The list is already extensive without people taking the piss.

cohle

I know, and he'd much rather be at home, he is worried himself. He has a mortgage and other bills, but him and his gf would manage a few months, with savings, and/or other gov packages.
Long term he needs his job, but the company shouldn't be able to claim key workers.

I'm classed as a key worker and my dh is not. We usually work around each other's shifts to have enough income for our household. My dh's hours have been cut down and my hours have changed (due to covid) so now we absolutely need our dd to be at nursery so that we can scrape enough income together to pay our bills. Why on earth would anyone say dh should have to stay at home on a zero income just because he isn't himself classed as a key worker?

Why on earth would anyone say dh should have to stay at home on a zero income just because he isn't himself classed as a key worker?

Because many, many people up and down the country are experiencing financial hardship as a result of coronavirus.

The childcare is to enable key workers to continue to work if they absolutely couldn't otherwise. Not to provide a financial boon to some families.

@KellyHall you’re missing the point - this situation is much more serious than families losing an income, sadly.

I though social distancing was still a priority so if one parent isn't a key worker then they do the child care the same as any other family with no key workers are having to.

The school is surely meant for situations where both parents that are key workers have clashing shifts and single parent key workers.

This isn't a "perk" for want of a better word for free childcare for families with 1 key worker and 1 non key worker. Why anyone would choose to send their kids in when they don't have to on the current climate is a bit odd to me.

Yes, it should really only apply where both parents are key workers. Otherwise you just have to muddle through. I am not a key worker and am able to work from home but because I am a lone parent it’s already proving challenging but that’s what I need to do.

So "sadly" we'd have to decide whether to pay our mortgage or feed ourselves - you think that's reasonable when any one of us is risking our own health by continuing to provide key services to possibly infected people?!
It's probably much easier to make that judgement when you can do your work from the safety of your own home.

It seems crazy, DH is a Doctor I can work from home so my children will be with me.

My sister in law is a key worker (at a stretch) and my brother is working at home, yet they have been offered full time places.

If one parent is at home, even if it's an 'extremely important MAN', then the children should be at home. This is supposed to be for emergency cases.

That’s why mortgage holidays are available. My DH has just lost his job so that’s what we will be doing if we want to feed our family. So no, both of us do not have the choice of “working from the safety of our own home”.

I think is should be only if one parent is a key worker. I saw a thread earlier where the MNer was a SAHM and still sending her children to school as her DH was a Keyworker.

I agree lunar. I'm currently taking on more hours as my workplace is absolute chaos. Where these extra hours fall on days dh is not able to work, he is at home with our dd but when we both need to work to provide for our family we will be using the childcare available to us because of the nature of my work.

I don't see all of our work or the childcare provision lasting for as long as covid disrupts our lives so I'm trying to make sure we don't end up homeless when everything implodes.

My DC's school is being very strict about it and is having to prioritise to keep numbers down. Children should not be there unless there is absolutely no choice.

People are very grateful for the hard work and sacrifices made by key workers. But for the safety of children and to prevent community transmission, childcare has to be as limited as possible. Like many many families up and down the country that will mean financial hardship for families that include key workers. Childcare isn't a prize you get for doing certain jobs, it is to keep essential services functioning.

According to the BBC news tonight many head teachers will need to start prioritising the children that can have a place in school depending on numbers. So even parents who are both key workers may soon find themselves stuck. Just a warning

Yes there should be more restrictions. Eg dads a nurse, mother a stay at home parent. The kids get to go to school. Fair enough single parents key workers. What’s the point in shutting the schools

But the rules ARE very clear that the child should not be at school in that kind of scenario. It states:

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.

@KellyHall if you send your child in when you don't have to they might be the child that infects my dh and kills him. My dh is a teacher and over 60. Look at the death stats for that age group. Or maybe I'll be one of the unlucky few in their 40s that dies. We will step up and do our bit as teachers to allow others to work so essential services to run but please don't make us take more risks than necessary. Is your house more important that my child's parents?

I think is should be only if one parent is a key worker. I saw a thread earlier where the MNer was a SAHM and still sending her children to school as her DH was a Keyworker.

FFS, Is no one reading the guidance on this! (See my post above)

I work for an insurance company that specialise in funeral plans so some people need to be present so that funeral directors continue to get paid so that funerals can continue to happen. However we don't require a sales, marketing team or a business development however A business wide communication has been sent saying we fall into this category because of this contract

This firm is taking the piss and should be named and shamed! This is an anonymous forum - please name and shame them!

I am a key worker (working on COVID response for the department of health), I’m also pregnant though so I’ve kept myself and my DC at home, even if that means shooing them out of the room while on conference call with the Secretary of State 😂

My sister said that two parents are her dc’s school applied for a place as key workers, they are both letting agents. The school told them where to go.

My guess is that pupil numbers will drop off sharply OP, once parents who are able to keep kids home realise the extra risk a school placement introduces to their household. We contacted all our parents earlier in the week, prior to the key worker list being published, asking them whether they would choose to take up a school place if one was offered on key worker basis (as well as the pupils with an EHCP and the pupils with a social worker). We had an overwhelmingly positive response leading us to think we would need to run at approximately 30% capacity. However, by 3pm today, as government messaging has been relentlessly clear over the last 24 hours, parents had got the message about it being an emergency measure, and we are now at a much safer, lower number. I'm sure, as the social distancing message continues to sink in over the weekend, people who initially requested key worker school place allocation will reflect on the level of risk which a school placement inevitably introduces to their homes, think better of it and decline their places. These will then be reallocated according to waiting lists. I suspect you will be allocated a place sooner than you think. Good luck, OP.