Support thread for posters who have to go out to work in lockdown

[Vivana]

I thought I would make this thread for those of us who are essential workers and going out to work as normal during lock down. Be it a place to vent or if you just need some where to just chat. You will be welcome here

positive: my train will be less crowded
Negative: it'll be dark, cold and probably pissing down on the long arduous walk from the station to work.

Oh the bloody joy.

I'm not an "essential" worker but our industry is allowed to carry on (furniture manufacturing) so I'm going out to work as normal. It's pretty busy at the moment. Grateful to still have a job right now although I'm tired.

It’s not just essential workers. Plenty of others who are not key workers are still going in to the office! There’s lots of people not working from home this time .

Also lots who have been told they have to work from home who would much rather be going out to work

Yes I can understand but this is thread is mainly for people who are not working from home and it's for any people literally going out the door to work. From nurses to post man.

Been working the whole time out of the house since March.

If I’m being honest, previously I was jealous. My work was extremely busy with very challenging client behaviour (vet). Meanwhile parks were full of people sunning themselves and working from home or furloughed. I know I should be happy to have a job - of course, and I’m grateful. But I couldn’t help but be jealous.

This lockdown it seems a lot more people are going to work as normal so I feel nothing. Even my partner who works in a nonessential shop is going to work as they are allowed to be open for click and collect. It doesn’t feel much different to be honest this time but I know it hasn’t started yet.

@Vivana

Yes I can understand but this is thread is mainly for people who are not working from home and it's for any people literally going out the door to work. From nurses to post man.

And essential workers? As someone else has said ... many non essential workers are going to carry on working from their working place ...

I go to work as normal, come home in the evening, same as normal don't need a support thread over it

I managed to completely forget there was a pandemic yesterday so I was a bit surprised when I went to hug hubby when I got home and he stepped back and told me to change my clothes and shower. At least if I was wfh I wouldn't have to do that.

I'm a university lecturer. Last lockdown we moved completely to online teaching so I was wfh. In September when the students came back we had a mixture of face to face and online teaching, which meant I was in work for one day a week and wfh for three days (I don't work on Fridays).

Not sure what will happen this time. Universities have been specifically excluded from the lockdown, so I think it's up to the senior management. I hope we continue with some face to face teaching as it's better for the students IMO.

I loved working out of the house last lockdown, it kept me sane having routine still, and interaction (albeit at a distance) with other humans made a huge difference in coping mentally with everything going on. WFH this one and dreading it, there's more to it than 'keepimg safe".

That's just what I was thinking, @CoronaIsWatching!

yep. NHS clinician working in mental health.Been out at work all year. We have been ridiculously busy since about June, and a massive further increase this week. I love my job, and happy I can carry on doing it, but I'm tired! Very long days and working some weekends as well. I will be fine though as long as they don't shut schools again (dh a teacher so also out at work all day.)

My DH will be working in the office/out and about as normal. He worked from home for a few weeks last time but had to go back to the office at the first whiff from BJ that people should go to work....think it was mid June

DH definitely doesn’t need support to go to work in the same way that he always used to. He’s happy being back in the office but would quite like a day or two WFH - not for pandemic reasons though, but because he’d like to see DS more. I’m still working at home as well as doing the wrap round care while trying to work still. I’m dreading the prospect of being at home, it being dark so much, without even the prospect of getting out a bit each day to the gym which helps my mental health significantly.

DH isn’t an ‘essential’ worker though - you do realise ‘non essential’ workers have worked throughout the pandemic don’t you? . Also plenty of ‘keyworkers’ have WFH too

Please say we’re not going to go back to ‘I’m a keyworker......’ on countless threads and also Facebook pages where it’s just not relevant 😩

I actually saw car stickers recently that said ‘keyworker’ and then another one which said ‘essential keyworker’

@CoronaIsWatching

I go to work as normal, come home in the evening, same as normal don't need a support thread over it

This.

I work in a school; not a teacher but support staff.
My role involves first aid and caring for pupils who are unwell.
So far this week, a pupil vomited on the floor of the room I work in, and another was sent to me with symptoms that could be Covid-19.

I think you're getting some harsh replies. It is really nice of you to make a thread. For some people, this is going to be a really tough time. I will continue going out to work and am grateful for the routine but I do worry about the mental health aspect. Going to work. Coming home. Going to work. Coming home. Argh. Already dreading it.

@AllTheUserNamesAreTaken I completely agree! It feels like a not so subtle way of trying to get attention and praise. The whole “key worker” thing just isn’t really a thing anymore. Nearly all workers are working and loads not from home.

[quote Bocadilla]@AllTheUserNamesAreTaken I completely agree! It feels like a not so subtle way of trying to get attention and praise. The whole “key worker” thing just isn’t really a thing anymore. Nearly all workers are working and loads not from home.[/quote]
and many of us that are working from home might be working harder than ever.
in the last month I've been doing an average of 10h/day m-f and Saturdays between 8-10hours ... this will be like this for half of the lockdown. dont need a thread about how amazing I'm ... we all are good and helping each other by going to work or staying at home

Lockdown2 changes nothing for us. I work in health and did work from home through spring/summer but it broke me so I've been back in work 2-4 days a week since August. Dh works in school. Kids are in school. We've seen friends to walk/run with but rarely been in other's houses since March. Not been out for a meal.
I'm frustrated that dh & I have left the house together twice since our holiday in August and never without a child. I miss spending time with him..

Other than my lovely next door neighbour who is a mobile hairdresser, I don't actually have any friends who won't still be going to work. I work in a school, I fully expect that if we close at all (seeming more and more unlikely), that we will probably have 3/4 of the children in as 'keyworker' children.
Let's be real, it really isn't a lock down like last time.

The harsh replies I just ignore and to the ones saying they don't need a support thread then why post on here in the first place. Wfh people can make there own support thread to nothing stopping them to do that and I'm sure some would like that

I'll be doing face to face teaching at a university two days a week. Will be pleased to get out the house, to be honest.

I'm.just confused about why there has to be a 'support' thread at all. Do you just mean a place to rant and moan and let off steam? If so, nearly all the threads on MN are appropriate. Just get on with your day to day life. If people are struggling in lockdown, they can post on here regardless of their current employment status.
Utterly pretentious key worker nonsense again

I don’t know anyone wfh this time

It’s very much business as usual near me and has been for months