The widely-predicted second lockdown is now well underway. Everyone who isn’t a ‘key worker’ has been asked, where possible, to work from home. Both the first lockdown and its sequel have provided an excellent opportunity to reflect on which kinds of work we simply can’t do without as a nation. Back in January, before the word ‘coronavirus’ had landed on most people’s radars, more than half of a poll of UK workers reported being dissatisfied with their jobs. It might be that a switch to something more fundamentally useful might provide the required satisfaction!
Key workers tend to fall into one of three categories.
Healthcare
During a pandemic, the role of those providing medical care is obvious. This is something that the country broadly appreciates – and thus hand-drawn rainbow murals have started appearing in front-facing windows, and weekly rounds of clapping came to be practiced back in March.
Doctors and nurses – the people who actually provide the care – receive the lion’s share of the plaudits. But cleaners, midwives, hospital administrators, and in-home carers all have a role to play. After all, it would be difficult to run any kind of medical organisation with no-one to do the paperwork.
During a lockdown, it might be difficult for patients to actually get to the hospital, and thus we should not forget the people who ferry patients back and forth. This includes ambulances, as well as non-emergency vehicles and modified minibuses which help to ensure that long-term patients can still receive the care they need without diverting resources from the larger care system.
Education
Among the most painful consequences of the lockdown has been the detrimental effect it has had on the education of young people. As well as teachers, the government includes support staff, social workers and childcare providers among its list of essential education workers. The lockdown has undoubtedly worsened an educational class divide, with those from low-income backgrounds being less able to cope with home-schooling. When things return to normal, educators will have a considerable task ahead of them in making up for lost time.
Given the correlation between education levels and a whole range of social ills, and the role that schools and other establishments play in reinforcing social responsibility, it’s likely that the lost year (or more) will have far-reaching and diffuse consequences, perhaps lasting for decades.
One of the side effects of lockdown has been a boom in online learning platforms like Skillshare, Udemy and Masterclass. People have been looking to build new skills, and better themselves at home. Adult education is likely to play a critical role for those students who’ve missed out on a school year – and thus it might be attractive for would-be teachers.
Public Safety
Keeping the country secure and safe is something that’s done quietly by a whole range of professionals. These include the armed forces, but also the police and fire services, who’ve still had to attend to the usual range of incidents, as well as having to adapt to their new responsibilities as marshals.
One groups of key workers that rarely get the acclaim they deserve are the staff at prisons, where managing the risk has been critical. Without these staff, our prisons would rapidly become unsafe and ineffective – they form a critical part of the justice system, and their role will need to be performed for as long as society is sending people to prison.