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.

It doesnt sound like the OP can do her job from home.

It sounds like she wants her co workers to take the risk. She says they dont need all the staff in.

So she has decided she doesnt want to be one of the ones in. Fair enough. But she cant also decide wants to be paid, just like the ones that are in.

Caht have it all ways.

There are plenty of people around the country still having to go to work, what make you think you're so special?

The pledge is for businesses that have been told by the government to close.

I stand by my point though @CappyCapCap, they are highly unlikely to need a full staff in the nursery. And therefore they should not all be there - the more people, the greater risk of infection. Even if OP can't work from home, she has already said she would take unpaid leave. In the circumstances, that might actually seem sensible, rather than selfish.

My nursery half lots of staff without children who could work with out filling up the schools and would if I didn't have a child myself.

Read what you have written above. How is that in any way fair? I think you either need to resign or suck it up and go in. When this is all over you need to reconsider your career: you are a key worker. If you can’t/don’t want to have this responsibility then you need to find another occupation.

they are highly unlikely to need a full staff in the nursery. And therefore they should not all be there - the more people, the greater risk of infection. Even if OP can't work from home, she has already said she would take unpaid leave. In the circumstances, that might actually seem sensible, rather than selfish.

So why are ops colleagues ok to take the risk but not her?
She has only just posted she would take it unpaid, after I posted.

She wanted to not go and het paid like her colleagues who are taking on the risk.

She is selfish because she feels she cant take that risk but still wants paying. She has decided, others are less important and the risk is ok for them

But she still wanted to be paid.

I get that it is scary. I get that it doesn't seem fair.
I'm a TA, the very last thing I want to do is go out and look after the children of NHS staff who are more likely than anyone to be carrying the virus home to their children. I want to get my little family at home shut the door and not come out until it's gone.
But I can't, because if I don't go to work then those NHS staff don't go to work and people die that didn't have to. I can't have that on my conscience so I will go, hate every minute but suck it up because some things are bigger than individuals.

No, you are a key worker and this is what you can do to help.

I didn't state that I want to get paid. I'd take unpaid and in fact have been working on my budget to work out how to live without my usual pay. I am just thinking the nursery using the 80% to pay wages is not what it's for and that being told that they expect everyone in when they won't need everyone is a bit out of order and doesnt help in stopping the spread of this virus.

Its easy then if you want sit at home without pay, resign.

Many of us are key workers and scared of what that means but have to keep doing our jobs to help get the country through this.

Bet you expect to utilise the services of other key workers though.

I understand why OP feels as she does and any other food retail staff.
A nursery nurse worker and checkout worker is not like an emergency service worker who went into the job knowing it was dangerous and risky.

We now suddenly have a lot of people in minimum wage jobs with poor terms and conditions who find themselves doing high risk jobs which could lead to them contracting a deadly virus. It is not selfish for anyone, let alone a parent with a child, to not want to be in that situation, a situation they couldn't have possibly predicted that they would be in.

Plus as I'm just a luchcover usually, priority should be given to full time workers to continue earning a wage whilst helping frontline staff.

I hope the information you have been given on this thread has helped you to decide what to do Jenny. Just don't expect your colleagues to cough up (unfortunately phrase) for a leaving present -when- if you do the honourable thing and resign

But your nursery WONT be getting the 80%. They won't be misusing it because they won't have it.

It could be that not all surgery staff are needed there every day. Mid numbers drop, people might work fewer hours......but you'd ALL have to come in sometimes. It won't be that some come in all the time and some don't. Having the job means you are ALL responsible to carry out your essential role, even if it isn't as many hours as possible.

If you don't want to do it, you will need to resign. If you are in this role, it continues and you need to work your share of the hours. Simples!

OK I admit I am scared and my anxiety is going through the roof. I'm close to tears because of this. I was very ill last year of work for weeks due to suspected pneumonia and had to take a cocktail of mess to recover. It was the worst illness I had ever experienced and I don't want to risk getting like that again or my children getting that.

I'm a nursery nurse with uncontrolled asthma, on Friday morning I was told to go home and self isolate, an hour later my manager phoned to say I had to come back to work, Im terrified, Im obviously likely to catch the virus in my job, my breathing is bad anyway.
I use seretide and montelukast and still use my reliever at least 6 times a day. I have a nebuliser and use it quite often.
I'll be in work tomorrow as I've no choice. Its my job.

Meds not mess

OP has said many times that not all staff at her setting are needed in. It therefore seems totally irresponsible of her employer to insist that every member of staff come in every day - this is not going to help in terms of minimising the risk of infection. There are different ways that businesses/services could manage this - my friend works at a school where all teachers are working from home (setting work etc) and support staff are going in on a rota basis to look after the children that need to be there. Another setting I know have asked staff with underlying health conditions to stay off, followed by those with people in their household with underlying health conditions; the rest of the staff for whom neither of those categories apply will be going in. All staff are being paid. OPs setting should be looking at how they manage this, and definitely should not be claiming the wage help scheme if they are still open.
And yet.....everyone here seems adamant that every single keyworker must be at work, no questions asked. Well frankly that seems like a pretty shortsighted approach and not one that is going to help with reducing the spread of infection. It is nowhere near as black and white as people on here seem to think it is. Just because many keyworkers have to be in work full time, that does nor mean that everyone that falls into this very broad category has to be - or should be. Please stop being so judgemental.

"Cometh the hour, cometh the man" (or not as the case may be)

I have been told that as they are getting help to pay wages (governments 80% pledge) I am to attend or not get paid.

Your op said this.

You are attend or not get paid. Why is that an issue if you didnt expect to get paid.

They didnt say you must attend. They said you wonr get paid if you dont. So dont go in.

If your issue wasnt to do with pay, theres no issue.

It is ok to be scared. A lot of people are. If you can, hoik your drawers up to your chin and crack on. If you are too scared you can quit and stay home.

And to echo a poster above, the 80% payment thing doesn’t apply to your place of work.

I am a key worker, a teaching assistant. I am waiting for confirmation of numbers of children expected in school over the next few weeks. I will be going in on a rota basis, starting Wednesday.

I was initially dismayed by the amount of my colleagues who bowed out due to varying reasons, some of which are questionable, and I have lost respect for some, but as my 5 children are over 18 and both my parents are deceased, I am willing to step up in this time of need. If I wasn't needed in school, then I would like to volunteer myself at the hospital. My husband is also a key worker in the food industry.

I can understand your concerns with regard to the health risks as you have a young child. As a person of faith, I am putting my trust in my Lord.

I am just thinking the nursery using the 80% to pay wages is not what it's for and that being told that they expect everyone in when they won't need everyone is a bit out of order and doesnt help in stopping the spread of this virus.

They are using it correctly. They are using it to pay wages when they have less people paying for wages. Without the grant they may have to close or lay people off.

That's how it should be used.

It's not for people refusing to work, when their job is open and can provide work.

People without children aren’t immune to this illness and may well have other caring responsibilities (parents / grandparents / partners). You can’t ask them to pick up the slack because you think you have more of a right to stay well than they do.

Also, either you have misunderstood what your work are saying about wages or they have. If you are open and working as normal, they will not be entitled to seek payment of 80% of your wages from the government.

I know you’re scared. Everyone is scared. I still have to go to work some days because I’m a lawyer and the courts aren’t closed. It frightens me too. But your fear isn’t unique or more of a priority than anyone else’s; we all have to pull together in this.

Also, either you have misunderstood what your work are saying about wages or they have. If you are open and working as normal, they will not be entitled to seek payment of 80% of your wages from the government.

That's not quite true.

If the nursery has less than usual income and wouldnt be able to remain open with the current income, they could claim it.

If they have 20 staff usually. But only work for 10 and reduced income, so would normally have to lay 10 people off they can claim it and keep all 20 staff.

However that doesnt mean that staff choosing not to work get paid. They wouldnt be able to claim for OP from the government, because she is choosing not to work.

If you are a key worker and you are supporting front line staff then in my opinion you have a duty to help.

I am married to a Teacher and would rather they didn’t have to go in as it increases my risk and the DC risk. I can however see that it is needed and therefore I can accept that.

I will be really pissed off if people take the piss though. It’s amazing how many people think they have important jobs when the vast majority don’t. The only jobs that matter are the ones the key workers are doing. The rest can be put on hold.