Would I be classed as a critical worker?

[TheGriffle]

Could someone give me their opinion on whether my role would be classed as a critical worker according to the government definition?

I was classed as a key worker last lockdown as is DH (he works for Environmental Health so I know he is one!) but now the wording seems to have changed to critical worker and now I’m not sure.

I work in an Arms Length organisation processing and activating housing applications for the councils housing stock. I can work from home but not when I have my 3 and 7 year olds at home with me and DH is in and out of the house for his job.

We had a fight with school last lockdown as we couldn’t do our keyworker roles with our children at home but they were reluctant to take dd1 as we were at home.

Now the possibility of more school closures is on the horizon (not yet for us thankfully) but it probably will happen. I’m wondering if we will qualify for a school place now the wording has changed to critical workers not key workers.

I don’t think you would be classed as critical.

I'd say yes, you are doing something essential.

And I don't think school needs to know where you're doing your job from tbh.

Our nursery is only allowing you a place if you’re both key workers AND both working outside the home.

I think you're bullet point 2 doing essential public service work.

@Sexnotgender

Our nursery is only allowing you a place if you’re both key workers AND both working outside the home.

What happens if you have to make confidential calls? Medical type stuff etc? I think they're being too fussy. The gov says work from home if you can- the nursery will be forcing people to go into work when they could work at home if kids at nursery.

Whether you're a critical worker or not, I think from the view you can work from home (even though hard) you wouldn't qualify. During lockdown our school was working at 100% capacity, ie we couldn't take any more children on due to numbers already coming in, two staff working in the class (so if one went off the bubble wasn't broken with a different member of staff) and staff shielding.

Sorry I’ve just looked at the list you would be classed as one but who knows about a space at school?

My sister is a nurse and was refused last time as she was working from home.

It doesn’t say that. We’ve been sent the gov list and it just lists the jobs on it. There is no mention of parents wfh. They said yesterday children of key workers can go to school not only if both parents are not wfh.

Thanks for the opinions, bit mixed which is the same as how I’m feeling! I wasn’t sure if the council housing waiting list is classed as essential.

Our nursery shut altogether last time even to key workers and I wasn’t prepared to send my just 3 year old to the ‘central hub’ with people I and she didn’t know. Am I right in that nurseries are still open in tier 4 areas even where primaries have shut?

We can just about manage to work from home when dd who is 7 is at home, albeit it with her spending lots of time on roblox, iPad and tv and not much school work getting done but having the 3 year old home nearly broke us both.

I work for a housing association and although we arent classed as key workers, my team was as we were involved in child safeguarding and domestic abuse. In addition our Band A move team were also classed as it due to the emergency moves required for safety. Check with your LA, they should know which team members are KW.