Please give me examples of "non essential" jobs that you or friends/relatives are expected to do because those jobs can't be done from home ...

[ChicChicChicChiclana]

A car wash was open on my high street today (London, most hard-hit borough).

I understand that the workers there want to carry on working because they are getting cash in hand and the business is probably not registered in any way (so they can't be furloughed).

They had customers. WHO??? If I can live with long straggly greying hair, I can live with a dirty car.

So, the people who are still working outside of your home - and aren't seen as a key worker - what is your job, what are you having to do?

Butcher - some are busier than Christmas right now

I understand that the workers there want to carry on working because they are getting cash in hand and the business is probably not registered in any way (so they can't be furloughed).

Being paid in cash doesn't mean cash in hand. There are plenty of people car washing who are register self employed. The likelihood is they have chosen to open and work because there is enough demand and they will earn more than if they don't work. It's not fair to judge people washing cars as being off the books.

Oh and car wash businesses are register and insured.

People working in online shopping warehouses, plus delivery of said items, they'll probably be quite busy now.

To answer the question in the OP, the difference between car washes and hairdressers is that car washing does not need close personal contact, unlike hairdressing and other grooming services for that matter.

You are sounding quite judgy OP - is that why you wanted lots of examples? So you can judge individually, who in your opinion should go to work? GVT advise is given above. The aim of furlough is used to stop companies going under, not to stop people from going work.
Shall I send you my local FB group? You would love it there with all the like-minded curtain-twitchers.

My DH drills boreholes. He’s been furloughed as his firm couldn't get basic materials but is going back to work. He normally works on farms so very easy to socially distance!

Biotech company
Office staff (incl me) are wfh, but the lab team need to be in the labs to work - having to do this in shifts to manage distancing

We initially thought we'd see a big drop in work (preclinical drug discovery) but it's not really happened

Managing the finances from home when certain companies insist on posting paper invoices to an unmanned office (then complaining I've not paid them) is my main problem at the moment

I live in an area surrounded by quarries. My DH is furloughed as they are on a skeleton staff. Plenty of teams within the quarry ni change. Some roles and sections nore essential than others.
Factories that create chemicals are open, small engineering firms, soap and candle one is very busy!

Warehouse worker for an online shop.

My DH is self employed and runs a printing company and can’t work from home. He is still quite busy and is still working. He’s furloughed his staff member and is working alone so can easily maintain social distancing. His unit is closed to the public and he’s providing no-contact deliveries.

He’s not as busy as normal, we live in a tourist area so this time of year most of his work is normally from businesses preparing for the holiday season.

The company I work for makes stuff for the camping/leisure industry. Technically we could have stayed open. The factory is huge and social distancing is easy to maintain, we could have reorganised the offices so we had an office each.

Our order book is full, we have plenty of work. However, travel restrictions and the fact that the transport you need to use to get to us is running a freight/key workers/hospital appointments only service at the moment mean none of our customers can get to us, so we are closed and all on furlough

Neighbours had a tree surgeon in last week. Our kids loved the 2 hrs of free entertainment! Mother in law had somebody come to inspect her solar panels. Only examples I can think of.

I’ve been considering getting a skip delivered.... can’t really see any risk....

I'm a cleaner. Obviously I can't work from home but it would a) be mixing households b) I don't want to go into peoples homes. I know some want me to visit but its tough shit really. I have furloughed myself anyway.

DPs company fixes doors and cctvs in hospitals and health care centres as well as installing new access controls and cameras. All new installs are on hold but general maintenance and call outs still happening.

@BBCONEANDTWO I am having a new house built on my land ad we had plasterers in this week. However it is a small build, there were just the two of them on site and they were able to keep 2 metres distance. Building work can carry on as long as proper distancing is possible.

@Moo678 I had a skip delivered a couple of weeks ago for a clear out. It was fine.

Lots of factories still manufacturing around here, with reduced staffing to allow for social distancing.

On my street, this week, I've seen gardeners, window cleaners and someone getting their guttering replaced.

My neighbour is a lawyer. Meetings conducted remotely but still doing paperwork in his office.

DB is a letting agent - some work can be done at home, some requires customer contact.

A friend works in non-essential retail but they're going in on a rota to do tasks needed prior to reopening - I haven't asked but assume stock-taking etc.

Other friends work for rentokil, securicor and GreenThumb.