Key workers WFH vs Non Key Workers WFH

[ChickenPot]

Is there a difference?

Have seen a few threads of key workers WFH mentioning sending their children to school. However, having been WFH since March but not classified as a key worker this hasn't been an option.

Surely there's no difference? I assumed a key worker was someone who had to work on the frontline, aka not able to do their job from home and therefore allowances had to be made.

But if not, what constitutes as a key worker then?

Doesn't seem very fair on those who have been struggling to juggle keeping down a job alongside home schooling throughout the lockdowns. It's as though your job is important enough that you have to keep working throughout the pandemic, but not important enough for any help.

Someone who processes benefits without their 5 year interrupting their chain of thought and messing up someones finances, someone taking calls from vulnerable members of society without ignoring their children for hours at a time. Lots of key workers in local government can work at home. Doesn't make it any less important.

The whole thing isn't fair though I do appreciate that. No one wins here 🙁

I’d prioritise key workers working out of the home but so you really not think it’s reasonable for other critical roles working from home to be done properly? GPs working from home for example. I was not a key worker first time round and it was rubbish but there is quite clearly a difference in importance nationally between someone writing for a gossip magazine and a civil servant working on covid guidance as an example.

I think keyworker is more like someone who has to keep working to keep the country going. So someone working from home but keeping the NHS running, or keeping internet services working, or maintaining supermarket delivery lines, is just as important as the "front line" worker who delivers NHS, internet and food delivery to the end user.

Other jobs aren't "important enough" that you have to keep working through the pandemic. It's just that other jobs are possible to be done from home. They're not "keyworker" jobs because the country could continue to run without you.

I'm a keyworker and I can do some work from home and some not, I'm on call as well. However it's not predictable from day to day whether I'll be in or not. So sometimes I will be working from home. However, school say I can't just dip in and out - I can have a place but it has to be set.

There are lots of GP's, mental health professionals etc who do video consultations and work with patients online, send a prescription to the pharmacy remotely. Surely that is better than exposure to risk of the virus?

@frizzyandfrazzled

Someone who processes benefits without their 5 year interrupting their chain of thought and messing up someones finances, someone taking calls from vulnerable members of society without ignoring their children for hours at a time. Lots of key workers in local government can work at home. Doesn't make it any less important.

Lots of people in non “key worker” roles do very similar jobs that require concentration and dealing with sensitive issues.

Financial services is an obvious example. You could be dealing with someone’s life insurance, pension or mortgage while working from home.
Some teachers will be teaching online from home.
My friend is a speech therapist who is working from home but is still doing key work with patients. There are lots of genuine examples of this......

Also depends if you have to be in sensitive, confidential meetings. Lots of people adjust their working day around their kids (I did to some extent) but when meetings are scheduled, you have to attend. I would hate my children to overhear meetings given some of the content discussed. They would also be overhearing discussions about children in their own school

I suppose it depends what you do, I'm an nhs therapist currently working from home offering therapy to people with complex mental health problems. I wouldn't be able to do most of my job with young kids at home..it would be totally inappropriate for both patients and the children (no skin in the game btw as dont have kids) My DP is also nhs..in admin (although hes at the hospital 4 days out of 5) on the days at home he could probably juggle a child.

I thought it's only essential workers or vulnerable children who had a school place now.

I'm a key worker as work in utilities, but yes - important enough to be identified as such, but not to get any help at all.

We didn't take a place last time as we left the spaces for those who may need it more. It was hell.

This time round I've requested a space each for my dc. I've explained our full circs to the school and they choose who comes in based on need. We may not get a place as those may go to the families who are more in need.

However we may. And if we do, I'm taking it.

In my area you need two key worker parents working out of the home to get school place help, and there is no furlough option at work.

The clue is in the name. I'm not trying to be a dick but keyworkers need to be able to do their jobs which is often impossible with kids around. Non keyworker jobs aren't as necessary to the functioning of society as keyworker jobs. That's literally it.
I've done child protection meetings sitting on my bed as my child was in the living room due to self isolating and I've had him walk in on me on a highly sensitive phone call with a mother whose child was being taken into care. I need a place for him at school even if I'm sitting at home doing my work.

To put it bluntly, would you want your children listening to phone calls about children being sexually abused?

Equally, would you want to have a phone call to get an update about your child being adopted, whilst the professional you are speaking to has their own child shouting that their bum needs wiping in the background?

I'd like to think we can all agree that not all work from home is the same, and not all work from home is safe or appropriate to do with a child around.

@Timeforabiscuit

I thought it's only essential workers or vulnerable children who had a school place now.

I'm a key worker as work in utilities, but yes - important enough to be identified as such, but not to get any help at all.

There is no distinction. If you're a keyworker then you are entitled to request a place.

I completely understand in regards to health care workers, and yes 100% safer for them to be taking the calls from home etc.

I do believe however in many cases there would be a very thin line.

My job is government based. If I make a mistake, someone's future will be impacted negatively and there would be extreme consequences. However, as its a majority admin role, it isn't classed as a key worker role. However my concentration is very much needed to ensure the system runs smoothly.

Would this be different to say, a teacher now working from home?

As ever, it seems so many lines in this are blurry. Not surprising given we're dealing with a global pandemic and no one is going to have the right answers. It just feels a little unfair sometimes.

frizzyandfrazzled
Someone who processes benefits without their 5 year interrupting their chain of thought and messing up someones finances, someone taking calls from vulnerable members of society without ignoring their children for hours at a time. Lots of key workers in local government can work at home. Doesn't make it any less important.

Lots of people in non “key worker” roles do very similar jobs that require concentration and dealing with sensitive issues.

Yes but they aren't essential to the running of the country. Sorry again not meaning to sound like a dick but if there has to be a priority then that's it

I'm the type of keyworker @applecatchers36 describes. I can work from home (some of the time) via video and telephone (need to be present in clinic other times) but it would be completely inappropriate for me to have a little one running around and would risk patient care and confidentiality

I made a post yesterday asking the difference between key, essential and critical workers but got no response. Are they all the same thing?

I'd like to clarify, the majority of my meetings would be in regards to confidential information, of a sensitive nature. That in any other circs would completely go against GDPR if someone outside the office was to be aware of. Yet my husband would now be privy to that information. Same goes for him, meetings throughout the day, highly confidential information regarding substantial financial money movements. Which (much to my dismay and boredom!) am now fully aware of. Even though we work in different rooms, it's impossible to not overhear.

So I can assume our children are also aware. Although how much they take in who knows!

Yeah, nothing is as black and white as made out to be.

I am a civil servant and a key worker. I can do 90% of my job from home, but I can’t do it whilst looking after a 10 month old. Nursery criteria is that both parents need to be key workers. I’ll be OK, as my employer is understanding and a lot of my team have nursery or early years children, but it’s not going to be good for anyone!

I would actually be in complete agreement with some of the posters here, you're a key worker if the country depends on you doing your job correctly.

But I do think there are probably people out there with complicated job roles who should be getting help and aren't.

It's just something I've been wondering about recently. We know a couple who both work in HR, and they've been classified by their kids school as key workers. But to me, I wouldn't see that as a key worker role at all.

It's a confusing mess with no clear answers.
I work in supported housing and have a disabled partner.
I didn't take a place last time so that others could benefit but a lot of friends with furloughed parents did.
I am therefore pushing for a space this time and I know a lot of other parents are too.
I deal with a lot of emergencies, safeguarding, homelessness and have to go out at short notice a lot.
I will leave it up to the school to decide.

My company insists we are key workers to justify cramming people into the office. We are not key workers, each and every one of us is set up to work from home, we all worked from home in the first lock down. It's just yet another greedy greedy business without any care for its staff.

Hats off to all the real key workers.