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Original poster

Angry at my work basically forcing us to work.

127 replies

Jennywren2978 · 22/03/2020 13:26

I am absolutely livid at the moment, so angry. I am a key worker (nursery nurse) with a child myself. I want to keep my family safe and therefore not work. I have been told that as they are getting help to pay wages (governments 80% pledge) I am to attend or not get paid. I'm sure this is not what the government was intending the money to be used like. I will try to get hold of my MP though to clarify.

OP posts:
MrsL2016 · 22/03/2020 13:29

The 80% pledge is for business who close up and send staff home. Not for businesses that are open.

opinionatedfreak · 22/03/2020 13:30

Why is your life more valuable,e than mine - i’m A frontline HCP.
I want to keep my family safe too but people need me to stay alive.

In order to do that my colleagues and I need people like you to go to work.

Some of my colleagues are staying in hotels now as the public transport they rely on to get to work has become unreliable.

Quite honestly stop being so fucking selfish.

DareToEatAPeach · 22/03/2020 13:30

I am confused.

The government 80% is for businesses who have no work for their employees and so would, in other circumstances, make them redundant and let them go. The 80% is available if they keep them on the payroll instead.

Is this what's happenin for you? Is there no work to do but you are being forced to attend site anyway?

WorriedMum6868 · 22/03/2020 13:31

Fine....and l assume you would be cool if all the drs and nurses adopted your stance?

Biancadelrioisback · 22/03/2020 13:33

I think the 80% would apply if you had to stay home if, for example, your partner or children had symptoms. I may be wrong.
It's not a fail safe for people who choose to isolate.

TisTheSeasonToBe · 22/03/2020 13:35

hahaha how selfish of you.

im sure all of us would love to be at home with our children and getting paid. it doesn't work like that.

whilst I understand worrying about your health/wellness you need to be sensible.

oh and if you don't go to work, therefore I cant go to my nhs job. so lets hope its not your child that needs me to intubate them.....all because you want to stay at home.

harsh maybe but you need to think about more than just you.

daisypond · 22/03/2020 13:36

They can’t get the 80% if you are working. It’s to pay staff where the business has to temporarily close - to persuade them not to make staff redundant.

daisypond · 22/03/2020 13:38

You can’t choose not to go to work if there’s work available - and you are lucky to have work available.

BingPot99 · 22/03/2020 13:39

You should specifically NOT be working if your employer is claiming money back from the government for 80%of your salary. The money is to ensure employees of businesses forced to close because of CV don't lose their jobs as a result. If there is work to be done, the business is clearly not about to fail. In fact, they should only be claiming the money if you have been put on unpaid leave and aren't working.

itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted · 22/03/2020 13:42

Ummmm yeah.......so how do you expect key workers to save your life in hospital, stock your supermarket shelves so you can eat if there is no support for them do their jobs!
You'd soon be moaning if you or close family were dying in hospital with no NHS workers to try and save them or if you couldn't buy milk tomorrow

Some people are beyond selfish

Also.....at least your getting paid FFS!

Original poster
Jennywren2978 · 22/03/2020 13:44

I am selfish at all!! By not mixing with people we are helping to reduce the spread. I am thinking about others too. Yes it would be different if I worked front line, but the government pledge is to encourage staying at home unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. That means using the minimum staff possible not keeping all staff working.

OP posts:
Original poster
Jennywren2978 · 22/03/2020 13:44

Not selfish!!!

OP posts:
MrsMGE · 22/03/2020 13:46

So what would you do, OP, make all your colleagues work but you'd stay at home?

dramaqueen · 22/03/2020 13:49

I’ll tell my son not to go to work at the Coop and sit on his arse at home then?

You were right the first time, you are selfish.

Alb1 · 22/03/2020 13:49

So who will do the work if you don’t? And why are they less important than you? It’s not what the money is for, you are a key worker so your job carries on. Your employer is trying to keep people in jobs and allow people to carry on working in their front line jobs, they didn’t invent Coronavirus or make the 80% rules. Maybe leave your MP alone to help those that desperately need help right now because from what you have said here you really have no justification for being mad at your job

opinionatedfreak · 22/03/2020 13:50

But why are you needed to work? Whose children are you looking after - those of SAHPs? Or those of people keeping the country working/well.

I assume the latter and will reiterate that your desire to avoid social contact to protect yourself at the cost of ceasing childcare for those in essential jobs which will ensure the health of many is selfish.

daisypond · 22/03/2020 13:50

Nursery cannot claim the 80% and have you work. If nursery is running a reduced staffing timetable, I’m not sure how they choose which staff work or don’t.

woodhill · 22/03/2020 13:52

I know Jenny, it is natural to feel anxious in this situation

BriefDisaster · 22/03/2020 13:53

Very selfish indeed. Loads of people are still going to work, get over yourself. If everyone took your stance we would have no food, power, police, paramedics, hopitals etc.

Bins would not be emptied, your broadband would fail, you couldn't access any money etc. etc. etc.

itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted · 22/03/2020 13:53

I am thinking about others too.

Nope you are thinking about yourself

You'd rather other people do what's needed whilst you sit at home and do nothing

The only way to overcome this is to pull together

Glad it's not 1914 or 1939 or we really would be fucked

opinionatedfreak · 22/03/2020 13:55

And jenny I’m also anxious 14 doctors have died in Italy (mostly from my specialty) and >3500 HCPs are Ill there.

Yet those of us who don’t have underlying conditions are going in.
People who do have underlying conditions in their households are moving out to protect that person.

daisypond · 22/03/2020 13:57

The majority of people have to actually go out of their house to work. I’m one of them. I have to cross London on public transport while undergoing cancer treatment to get to work. I live in a virus hotspot.

MrsMGE · 22/03/2020 13:58

In my entire workplace there was one person with this attitude.

Enough said, this person will not be welcome with open arms by any of my colleagues when this is over.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 22/03/2020 14:00

You want to get paid but you’re choosing to sit at home on your arse for no particular reason whilst your co workers do your work for you?

Yes you are selfish.

Bbq1 · 22/03/2020 14:00

Op i am entirely on your side as I'm in the exact same position as you and feel the same. I wouldn't bother posting on here though you'll get slaughtered for being scared and wanting to keep yourself and your family safe like the majority. Just been in local Tesco's and the cashier barked at me to "stand behind the line". You now have to pay them etc at arms length. Us working in childcare aren't even afforded that much protection...