[Closed] Key workers

Back in work tomorrow fire engines still need fixing. Had a bizarre 2weeks holiday at home.

I don't consider myself key but we're an engineering workshop supplying the oil and gas industry, the boss even spoke to the local Tory MP for guidance whether to remain open after initially closing and was told to carry on but with extra distancing measures.
Wife is an HDU nurse so definitely key.

Hospital laboratory for me and school for my wife.

I'm on a shift rotation at the moment so various days in/out. My wife is on reduced hours to two days a week. The little one has a nursery place still on the days when we're both working, but given how our days fall, she's only there once in the next three weeks.

Field Service Engineer, Nuclear Sector. Booked to be away from home now for at least the next 6 weeks, home at weekends. Finding hotels open for key workers within travelling distance from site is an issue let alone sourcing food once you're there. Almost all hotel restaurants are closed so it's relying on takeaways or supermarkets, not so easy in an unfamiliar area. I have porridge pots and pot noodles in my bag.

I'm a copper in London

Work in a Jobcentre, something like 150,000 claims in last few weeks means we have never been busier 🙁

Waste water treatment. Running my own site. No visitors allowed onsite. Quite peaceful but lonely at work.

Work in a pharmacy so going in every day and will be for as long as I can.

Fire and Rescue here. Lots of cleaning in station at the moment but quiet otherwise. Got some time off in around ten days time but not quite sure it will be welcome!

Oil and gas worker doing more hours now.

I am a 'critical' worker apparently. Working on the government response to the pandemic. I've not pushed to the front of the queue at Asda yet 😀

Bus driver

FMCG drinks industry for me, or plastic bottles for pop, if you want the non-glamorous version. The Wife is a TA in primary school.

I'm still on continental shifts, although there are plans to reduce the amount of staff on shift to reduce exposure, confirmed tomorrow, so I'll potentially be in less than I should be. The Wife has two full weeks between now and June rather than a few hours a day.

Boy1 is home from Uni, Boy2 is home from Tech College. We've a house full of bored people. Netflix is getting a hammering. The Wife is OCD cleaning. The bike shed is clean and tidy. Don't know what we'll do for the next however many months.

@neila

Electric cool box with 240v adaptor can help in rooms without a fridge (aka minibar). Whilst crushed ice cocktails are out of scope, will keep milk/butter etc. useable.

Artic driver here . Mad busy at the moment

Repairs engineer on the 11kV network. So long as people want electricity, I'll be keep working.

One of today's example was that someone had set fire to a pole and knocked some 600 people off supply.

Police here.

Needless to say the response by senior management has been to bury heads in sand, so look out for anarchy in a town near you soon folks (whilst all your coppers are off).

I’m a copper in London

Have you been given the same PPE as us? That is, **** all & a bottle of anti-bacterial hand gel in the car you share with umpteen others?

We’ve been told “battle on, its business as usual” - by email obviously.

I work with adults with physical and learning disabilities. They're pretty much dependant on us to get by, and a lot of their normal support has disappeared, so I'm expecting to be working a lot of extra hours in the next couple of months. Possibly sleep-ins as well, which won't go down very well with my family.

I used to be a SCUBA-diving instructor. I knew I should never have given it up - underwater is probably the best place to ne right now.

We've had so.ilar advice. Keep doing your job, but stay 2m apart.

Erm, you know what my job entails, right?

Lost all my business income (holiday accommodation) so now working down the local coop. Apparently that makes me a key worker restocking loO rolls and selling them. Plus dog food, booze and lottery tickets.

I watched out the window as a guy from Amberon traffic management company was out putting cones on the road outside. Placing them between the cars next to the kerb. I’m guessing someone is planning on digging up the road, but can’t see anyone moving their cars (nowhere else to put them / self isolating etc )

classed as a key worker but dont feel it, fire and rescue manager, working from home, but as my stations are quiet at the moment then so am i. just responding to incidents at the mo from home and feel humbled at the work the NHS (and all support workers) are doing while im relatively quiet.
id like to volunteer to help out where needed, so will ask that question this coming week.

wife was a pharmacy dispenser, she left as the pay was sh1t for the responsibility, but has now volunteered to go back to help out the shops that need it right now.

IT consultant here and not a key worker. But my role is WFH or client sites, and as the clients are all working remotely I am now WFH all the time. So it's basically normal work time for me - which is annoying as people are enjoying time off.

I'm a firefighter in leeds, we have been asked to volunteer for roles as well as normal duties including delivering food and medicine,driving ambulances and body retrieval. The mrs is a care worker for adults with physical and learning disabilities and now we are both teacher to the two little ones between shifts lol

I work in Timpsons

Work in a bank HQ.. back office dealing with all the people after payment holidays currently. It's a very big office and we've only just all moved 2 desks apart on Friday. It's a big office with hundreds of people in. It's very odd at the minute, people are very jumpy. People having to take time off for childcare having to take holiday or unpaid, very badly organised. We keep getting emails from the ceo telling us what a good job we're doing, filmed in his raab jumper in his drawing room.

Fuel delivery driver here to domestic and business premises. Domestic deliveries have gone mental, mental busy just now. Meant to be off next week but that got cancelled.

Onzadog - who you with?
I’m Head of Innovation at NPg - so not key today, but two of my staff are redeployed to support the local resilience forums so they now are.
I’ll probably get redeployed at some point down the line - I’ll have to try to remember what I once knew.

I'm an accountant....rarely been busier! But doing it all from home!

which is annoying as people are enjoying time off

see the post a few above yours about processing hundreds of thousands of benefits claims. I don’t think many people are ’enjoying’ time off.

Hospital laboratory for me and school for my wife.

+1 (only we're not married 😳)

On split shifts now to reduce the amount of staff in at one time. Going to work means it's not as strange as having to stay at home. Only weird days are the one day a week we get off, don't think I'd cope at home permanently

Manufacturing here.

Not a key worker, but the machine trundles on. Can do most remotely from home (in a more time consuming, less efficient type of way) but will be going in to do a safety related inspection tomorrow. The worker ants are still on continental shift, but work stations have been spaced out to reduce attrition. Much faith being placed in hand sanitiser.

If push comes to shove, the employer will be classed as a 'key' industry because part of them is involved with supplying the MOD, so will likely carry on regardless.

Am slightly non-plussed that "only travel to work if [travel is] essential" has become "only travel to essential work" in the pitchfork-wielding world of ****ter and arcebook.

Mrs Lunge works in a pharmacy at a hospital...that has no A&E and is elective surgery only.
So at the moment, she’s working but it’s dead as they’ve emptied all of the beds. She’s expecting this quietness to end shortly.
Me, I’m “working” in recruitment from home. And by working I mean sending a few emails, posting positive crap in LinkedIn and talking to desperate candidates. Sod all jobs out there.

I’m still controlling the few planes we’ve got left at the airport.

We’re down to skeleton staff to have as few of us in the building as possible. I’m only down to work half of my shifts in April, the rest are standby. It all feels very weird.

We have coastguard, hospital, lifeline, police & hems flights so that should keep us open which is a slight comfort. Aviation is not a good place to be at the moment, I’m nightshift tonight, I won’t be very busy.

I work in IT for a large bank, so classed as a key worker. This week will be my first proper WFH week, over the past week we've been extremely busy supporting users and getting hundreds of laptops built for the remainder of users who aren't able to WFH yet.

Out customer service teams have been scary busy last week, 150+ calls queueing all the time.

Us vets are still working, emergencies only and having to send staff home to keep functioning, but still available 24/7 as ever.

Forestry engineer. Basically my job is maintaining in forest roads, bridges and timber transfer facilities to get timber to the mill.

Two reasons it's important - distribution of everything uses pallets, people need paper. If we reused pallets like we should I could probably sit at home and polish bicycles.

I work in Timpsons

I see what you did there

I'm a shift engineer in a dried foods factory.
Staff-wise, we're about 20pc down, but only a couple off in the dept. Nobody, afaik, diagnosed, but isolating with symptoms. The office staff are all wfh, everyone else is still on shifts.

Police and NHS (nurse) in our house so both still going to work so childcare could get tricky.

Otherwise fine apart from a three day Glastonbury tailback while I’m waiting for tartanscarf up there to get a few more bog rolls out on the shelves.

Flour Milling
I'm the engineering manager, we were already at about 95% capacity but now we are at 115% so base stocks are dropping all the time, we usually like to have 1000 Tonnes in stock for opening on a Monday.
Its squeaky bum time at the moment, we have run 168hrs per week for the last 3 & that's it as there are only 168 hours in a week except this one as its 167 🙁
To compound this I have had to split the team up so unless its an emergency only 1 engineer on site at any one time. We usually have 4 at any one time which is not going to work long time for reliability.
Oh and I'm on call from 20:00-07:00 all this week as well so I'm stroking my lucky Rabbits foot till its bald 😮

Flat out with lambing here. Certainly don't consider myself as a key worker, but I know there is a massive disconnect between the general urban consumer and primary food production, and the recent focus on the importance/role of the supermarkets has perhaps masked it even more. But without seeds being planted, and animals being bred, and the whole shebang nurtured until harvest, then at some point down the line the whole lot will come crashing down.

a three day Glastonbury tailback

Well, you learn something new every day...

Train driver. Astonished at the fact that not enough is being done to stop idiots from travelling. We are only supposed to be running for key workers and absolutely essential travel.

There were rumours that British Transport Police were at Piccadilly station in Manchester and only letting key workers through into the station from the streets with proof (letter and/or ID) of their key worker status, no idea if that's true but it needs to be done.

Leading hand for a packaging compnay
Busy as hell making up for the smokers that say they have to self isolate due to asthma!
A few more off with symptoms? I think there will be a few firsts here for people getting c19 twice or even 3 times

Anyone else feel work colleges are taking the michael?
I've got my list for the first out the door when the down turn hits

I work in mining, the only reason I'm still working is because my flight was cancelled and the borders all locked down. Week 7 now and I do not know when I will get home, probably some time in august is my best guess.

Cop in Manchester. Not "front line" uniform but still operational.

Have you been given the same PPE as us? That is, **** all & a bottle of anti-bacterial hand gel in the car you share with umpteen others?

We’ve been told “battle on, its business as usual” – by email obviously.

Not yet seen any hand gel Mildred! We've been told its coming this week but as it will be in 5l tubs we have to find our own little bottles to decant it into. Each deployable vehicle has been equipped with a 'COVID kit'. Consisting of an apron mask and gloves.....

Food manufacture and distribution (cheese and dairy mainly) massive shift in product format has caused a large number of losses and the usual suspects have scarpered to self isolate in the first week. Rough times but still need to go in. International hub for deliveries too.

The large-ish estate and associated farm is operational and busy time of the year, so I’m thankful I’m still able to work.

Power station engineer. My role isn't core operational any more, but our station manager seems to be on some matcho keeping the place running trip, even though other stations in our group are WFH where possible. He's still sat in an office with the Engineering and Production managers, if one of them gets it, whole exec team are infected, the prick.

Specialist courier, classed as a key worker due to what we deliver. Still in work as normal but there is a lot less to deliver and collect. We'll never stop but there isn't enough work for all of our drivers so it's uncertain times.

Mechanical engineer in a pharma plant, producing Penicillin. Theyve made all of us key workers, in reality it's only operators and trades that are required on site, I'll only be going in if there's a breakdown requiring my support tbh.

Very thankful I took the big step to leave aviation 5.5 years ago.

Wife is a nurse, giving eye injections to keep folks from going blind, they'll keep that service going as long as possible. 🙏🏻

I work in IT for a bank - we don't have retail customers in the UK, but we're still classed as a key worker (apparently).

I've just had a week off, but I've been 100% WFH since early March (usually 40%).

All actual work is suspended now, unless it's regulator mandated. We're focusing on keeping the lights on with a reduced workforce.

Some teams are having to travel to the office, but there's split teams and strict enforcement of what team is allowed in the office on what weeks. They have all been given a letter in case they get stopped by the police.

maccruiskeen
Subscriber
which is annoying as people are enjoying time off

see the post a few above yours about processing hundreds of thousands of benefits claims. I don’t think many people are ’enjoying’ time off.

If anyone in Newcastle needs a hand, I need the money - FMCG production experience and chemistry/lab if so thinking about QC work short term. Officially unemployed on 1st April. Going to look at volunteering this week but I've been focused on finding an income first. It appears all the jobs in supermarkets and farms weren't around here.

Relaxing it isn't.

But well done to all those still doing difficult jobs. Lots of talk of front line staff but I know a fair number in the Civil service (including my wife) and less glamorous roles who are putting in extra hours to keep things going.

Paramedic here, and the wife is a critical care nurse. Pure luck that neither of us has got the rona yet

Power station operator here, been self isolated for 2 weeks past last Friday and not going back in until this Friday as we've shifted to 12 hour working. So I've had a fair amount of time off, thankfully I'm one of the few that has ended up in the house.

And now I know where Phil and Nobeer work (or have a fair idea).

@mildred

Yep. An absolute shambles

Assembly fitter making plant for food and pharma industries. Several of our customers have asked for assurances that we will be able to supply spare parts so that was all the boss needed to call us essential workers. Production staff not happy as with some of the work social distancing can be difficult to maintain without working in an unsafe manner.

And now I know where Phil and Nobeer work (or have a fair idea).

We now know where you work 🙂

IT consultant here and not a key worker. But my role is WFH or client sites, and as the clients are all working remotely I am now WFH all the time. So it’s basically normal work time for me – which is annoying as people are enjoying time off.

Similar here, but I've been redeployed into IT Support. Our workload has increased 300% as all our clients are trying to WFH, it's been very frustrating when a lot of them have dismissed the idea of Business Continuity planning / disaster recovery planning for years and now expect to take all their kit home and it just work as if they were in the office, immediately.

I'm hoping as this become more normal this week I can get some more work setting up better remote working systems for clients than trying to remember how to set-up VPNs etc.

Most of my mates work on construction sites in management so they're kicking about at home spending about an hour a day on paperwork before watching netflix etc. I'm the one with a load of DIY jobs to do and no time to do it ha ha.

welshfarmer
Certainly don’t consider myself as a key worker

I certainly consider you to be one

Pharma medicine testing and release here, got my letter on Thursday, we are doing 2 days on site with 3 at home currently.
closed and secure site so not too much of an issue, might even be able to do some running laps of the internal ring road at lunch

Embedded in a NHS early intervention in psychosis team as an employment specialist, basically helping people back into work. Self isolating till Wednesday then being redeployed as a STW Worker just to make sure people are getting meds, doing ok and most importantly keeping stable/not deteriorating.

I know the financial impact of all this is going to be a mess we'll be crawling out from for years to come....but the mental health issues this causes/propagates is going to be a right pickle.

Law enforcement, non-operational at present. Currently sat in my secure office on a secure site doing things. No sign of being asked to go to operational work atm, although I did dig out my cuffs, asp and pava last week and start a go bag - god knows where my body armour is though. All my training and work has always been covert ops, so possibly of limited use - are we still using Judges’ Rules? Still get a hankering to get back outside though.

@maccruiskeen seems about right though I'm not a desk engineer.

@kilo Justice Department called, they're sending an H wagon to take you to the nearest sector house.

Air traffic control officer.

Not much flying to be fair but the sky's need to stay open and safe. Some sad non standard conversations with pilots

Feel a bit if a fraud. Got friends in the NHS.....

Cop. I did the NCALT package...yaàay
@kilo, Wooden truncheon and whistle still works....

I’m classed as a key worker and have a letter from my Director stating so

I’m a chuffin Grounds Person (on a large estate with 3 care homes)

So step aside all of you NHS, Police, Fire, Air traffic, food distribution etc above, I’m the real hero for keeping grass short

🙄

Ffs

(I am grateful of actually being in work though, working outdoors is what my mental health needs right now)

I’m a chuffin Grounds Person (on a large estate with 3 care homes)

much needed eye candy for the residents. Is it time for your Diet Coke break yet?

There are 80 private homes on the estate, i think the director (wfh) just wants us in to keep them off his back (they like to moan, and some would complain if we had to self isolate and grass wasn’t being cut)

Cutting the grass is self oscilating.

Another Police Officer here. Frontline response team Sergeant in a small East Anglian town. Wife is also in the job.

Work have been good on any support that can be sent in an email, but less forthcoming with any physical PPE.

We are all isolating as I started with symptoms this time last week. Due back to work next Monday when I fit back in my shift pattern.

Airline pilot. Gone from ferrying passengers around to (largely) freighter operations.

.

Electrical Control Room Operator for Network Rail, currently on two weeks leave but then its back to work as someone has to manage our 33/22/11KV & 750DC network.

TRI (mobile train fitter) its a weird quiet time atm, haven’t been near a train for a while, just sat waiting for incidents.

Cutting forme manufacturing here. Last week was a lot of new signage for supermarkets and some banking literature, then the last few days has been loads of formes for cutting Pvc face shields for the NHS.
It's certainly varied!

Electrician repairing faults in social housing (and now I'm an allrounder tradesman , as we're so short of staff).
We have 150+ workers doing repairs normally. There are 13 of us now.
The number of calls has reduced, but we are doing more work than we'd normally do.
And today has started with the idiots. 2 windows broken on one estate, as some idiot thought it'd be a good idea to smash windows with his air rifle at 2.30am last night.
And another one today, "i tried to change my kitchen light yesterday, but it went bang, and I havent got any lights working at all now"
I was there at 10.15am today, all curtains were closed, knocked 3 times over 5 minutes, and rang the house phone, they couldnt be bothered to get up, so they are still without lights.

Local Gov IT gimp. Usually applications integration and web stuff, but we're all mucking in as much as we can with the helpdesk at the mo, as 400 or so people turn on their PC's at home and expect to be able to just 'dial in'.
Never done first line support, always had a lot of respect for their patience and skills, now have even more.

However, feel like an utter fraud being classed as a 'key worker'. All I'm doing is following a set of instructions and emailing out documents.