Angry at my work basically forcing us to work.

[Jennywren2978]

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.

I think your employer has misunderstood. The government aren't paying 80% of wages for people still working. Nor are they paying it to people choosing to self isolate. It's for employees who otherwise would've been laid off due to having no work at the moment.

You can’t choose not to work and expect 80% of your wages.

The 80% wages is for people who have been laid off/jobs frozen due to businesses being closed....not through their own choice.

Thank God all the shop workers, nurses, etc aren’t all deciding to choose to pack their jobs in.

As a teacher I am setting work on line - full on lessons with all sort of whizzy resources which will take me ages and then I have also volunteered to go into school and look after the children of key workers. I also have my own DD at home. Why on earth would I not be doing more than normal to help out everyone in this situation?

OP, ask your manager if you can be on put a rota (that seems fair if all the children won’t be in) but do not be having a hissy fit over this.

But you're a key worker and you're needed so that other key workers can work to save lives. Don't you get that?

So it's okay for those without children to work? What if they live with elderly parents, or their partner is being treated for cancer?

Yes, it's better if fewer people came into contact with each other. But just because you have a child doesn't mean you should automatically get to stay home, not working, but getting full pay.

Dont dress it up as concern for others , frankly I would have more respect for you if you just admitted you were selfish. Yes of course it's awful for you and every other key worker having to do this. I'm unbelievably and intensely grateful to every single frontline worker , NHS to supermarkets to everything else.

We are all scared at differing degrees. Key workers are scared of catching the virus, those who have lost their jobs are scared of making the rent payment next month , people who have lost every penny because of business closure are scared they wont be able to put food on the table soon, older people are scared of getting basic supplies in shops because of panic buyers. It sucks, all of this does. Noone comes out easy. However the majority , thankfully and I hope, are recognising it is what it is. At least the others mostly are admitting that they are selfish.

Take a breath , stand back, yes it does suck, yes I can completely understand the fear. However everyone is struggling at the moment , take ownership and admit your fear, admit you are being unreasonable. It's awful and I am sorry you are scared, really. However you are being selfish, NHS workers are literally 0utting their lives on the line, they aren't as a rule winging that they are doing the "right" thing by arguing these issues. They are front and centre, the least we can do is to make sure they know their children are safe and cared for while they risk themselves.

Remember people have long memories and after this settles down people will remember your actions and your words. You get to choose now whether you are of the " we all stand together and fight together " group, or the " I'm not stepping up and I'm opting out " group. Fear makes people do things they wouldn't usually and maybe ot is unfair, but it is true, be careful what you have to face at the end of this.

Ultimately it comes down to all of our thoughts, selfish though they may be, if I get unlucky , if I get really ill, we had all better hope that we did the right thing now so there are medical professionals to treat us when the chips are down. Because if they are at home because they dont have childcare?? Think carefully about what that means.

Why is your life more valuable,e than mine - i’m A frontline HCP. Surely that should mean everyone would just carry on as normal because you have to? People isolating are reducing the spread and thus reducing the pressure on NHS services and you.

I want to keep my family safe and therefore not work
I’d like that too as have a very vulnerable family member in the house but if all NHS nurses (like me) did that then who’d look after the sick?

Your nursery is surely only looking after the children of key workers?

I think the hostility on here towards the OP is really unfair. The fact is, not everyone designated as a 'keyworker' actually needs to be at work, many could work from home and some might be in a key profession but not an essential role within that. They should therefore absolutely be staying at home, rather than sending their child to school. Only those key workers who need to be in work in order for society to keep going should be in work. The keyworker list is extensive - and it would be craziness to insist that absolutely everyone on this list must leave their house and go to work everyday just for the sake of it. I appreciate that it isn't fair on the frontline workers, school staff etc who are needed to be in work (and we are incredibly grateful to all of you for doing this) - but sadly in the current situation that is how it is.
I'm an early years practitioner. The nursery school I work in will be open on Monday and are expecting between 3-8 children to be there. The majority of staff will be going in initially, and then a rota system will be set up to ensure correct ratios for the number of children. The staff that aren't needed on any one day will be working from home. Myself and one other colleague are already working from home because we have vulnerable family members living with us. As far as I am aware, our colleagues are ok with this as they recognise our personal situations and the fact that we aren't really needed at work. I don't consider this to be selfish.

@Jennywren2978 you are classed as a key worker. Even in lock down, you possibly may work. Depending on what sort of lock down they do.

Because without your work, the NHS wont have enough staff.

I get you not wanting to work. That's understandable.

But if you choose that, then you are choosing to not get paid.

You cabt be a key worker, who refuses to work but still gets paid.

So your choice is to work.....or not get paid.

You can have it both ways

Well I don't expect to be paid to be honest, and will gladly self isolate without pay if that's what it takes to get rid of or at least slow this virus down. I'm just angry that my work seem to want to use the money to keep themselves running and pay the wages of those that work. I'm sure the 80% was to pay those not able to work due to being laid off. Angry that been made to feel bad if I choose to protect my family by the insinuation that now they are open they require all staff in.

@daisypond. I’m so sorry to hear of your illness and wanted to wish you very best wishes for your health in the future xx
Take care x

The 80% is if your premises closed down and you were unable to work, there is work for you but you don't wish to so would not apply to you. So your option is either leave your job or perhaps take parental leave without pay. Either way you won't get wages or 80% but if you really want to stay home with your child thats choice you need to make.

This is coming from a member of Emergency Services who is also worried for my child but I will be going to work as I cannot afford to stay at home with ought money.

I'm sure the 80% was to pay those not able to work due to being laid off.

You're getting bit muddle op.
This is only being paid IF your workplace closes.
Yours hasn't.

It would go to say 'employees' in a clothes shop which has been made to close.

I’m a key worker.

I live with my parents and help out due to their advancing years etc.

I hear that should it be required, I will have to move cities to be available for work at short notice and self isolate so that I lessen the risk of being unwell so that our part of the framework can go on.

I will do this despite my fears as my job is a fairly useful little cog in the wheel.

I know our neighbours will mind my parents, so I am hugely grateful for that. But my heart will be ruddy heavy.

And my mum is worried for me because I’ll be alone.

I don’t want to be in a strange city, isolated, worried for my family and possibly no way to get home if a lockdown arises and the worst happens.

And I know my problem is beyond tiny compared to most. But we have to do what we can so that we can get some kind of normality again.

And although my mum worries she might not see me again, she knows it is necessary.

I suppose what I’m trying to say that a lot of mums are worried. And it doesn’t matter to them how old their babies are but sometimes needs must.

@pinkpip100 op is one fo the key workers that needs to be in though.

She is needed, the business is open, she cant choose not to work and then still get paid.

Totally get her not want to be working. I totally understand not all key workers actually need to go in. But OP isnt one of those that can WFH.

The problem is l think EVERYONE wants it both ways. Key worker when it suits, not when it isn’t. Get paid when it suits but not actually wanting to go to work. So yeah OP like most people commenting you are selfish

I'm sure the 80% was to pay those not able to work due to being laid off

That's exactly right.

But you arent being laid off. You are choosing to not go in.

Say you self isolate for 2 weeks. That would be without pay, if you choose to refuse to return and they sack you, that still doesnt qualify you for 80%.
The 80% is for people who work for a business that will be there to open after this is over, so they dont have to make people redundant for the sake of a few months.

Refusing to work, doesnt put you in that category.

@cappycapcap it sounds as though she isn't necessarily needed to be in work - very few nurseries will need all of their staff in everyday, as they are only caring for a small percentage of the children they would usually care for. As I said, I work in a nursery school but am not needed so am working from home. According to everyone else on here, because I am a keyworker I should be in work regardless of that, or else I am being selfish - which would mean 4 more children in school next week, including one very vulnerable one.

@Jennywren2978. I can understand you want to stay at home .. majority of people would like to do that .
But it’s just not possible.
My DH works in the NHS and has an underlying condition , he is in a higher risk group but not the highest ( hope that statement doesn’t come back to haunt me ) I’d IDEALLY like for him to stay home for 12 weeks with no pay ( and yes I’m selfish in thinking that - I admit it )
However he completely dismissed my suggestion- it’s his job and the risks he faces are faced by so many .
He says he has responsibilities and he will meet them .
I agree with him , even if I’m not exactly embracing it .
I’m grateful for the many who are stepping up to the plate in our country and in awe of them all . God bless every one of them .

I thank the staff in supermarkets for coming in to make sure I can feed my family each time I pass through a till point .
I’ve not come close ( and hopefully won’t ) to an NHS worker or used their services during these trying times so I’d like to thank you all on here - very sincerely.
Take care and stay well.

@opinionatedfreak I'm completely with you on this one. I'm a frontline NHS worker too. I've had to pack a suitcase and go and live at my Mother's house which is closer to the hospital I work at than my own home. I've done this partly because I don't want to use public transport atm (I can walk to work from my Mother's house) and partly because I want to be close at hand if I'm urgently needed at the hospital to fulfill duties other than the ones I normally tend to. Why would someone be so selfish at a time like this when we all need to pull together?

But some nursery workers are needed in.

Very few nursery workers can do their job from home.

If people want to be paid and their work is open and they caht work from home the they need to go in.

You are unbelievably selfish.

@opinionatedfreak I forgot to add, in leaving my home (for the forseeable) I've had to leave my 19 year old Son alone at home. I don't want him to come with me to my Mum's as I don't want him to catch the virus if I get it. P.S. My Mum doesn't live at her house, she stays with her partner at his flat.

OP as a front line HCP (so is DH) and the parent of small children, I would dearly love to not have to send them to childcare so that I can continue to work should your family get sick.

I rely on you, so that I can do my job.