Employment Status

[poliphilo]

I fill in a lot of online questionnaires- in the hope of points (and points win prizes)- and I never know how to describe my employment status. Most of these questionnaires assume that you work for The Man- and give you a range of corporate identities to choose from. But I don't work for The Man. I work for Ailz. Alternatively I work for the government. What I am is Ailz's carer- for which the government pays me around £50 per week. When I displease Ailz she threatens to tell that nice Mr Brown about me and he'll take away my pittance. 

I stay at home, I make endless cups of tea, I'm sort of always around. By being sort of always around I make it possible for the two of us to live a normal life. I don't think of it as work. 

Usually I put myself down as unemployed or retired- because that's what it feels like.

And then the other day this guy from the Council came round to ask us our feelings about how the Council is making everything better and I had the usual problem with defining what I do. "So what do you do? He asked and I told him and he said, "But that's full-time employment" and of course he was right.

So I'm going with that in future. 

Employment status: fulltime.

Nature of Employment: other.

Comments

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

A good friend of mine works as a carer for his wife, who suffers with MS. His is most definitely full time employment, in that he looks after her 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

It's hard work, and anyone in that situation has my utmost admiration.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's about committment. It's about being constantly available.

(But I hate to blow my own trumpet).

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

Having done that with 2 children, I have some idea of how that is. However, the kids need you less and less, which gives you more of your own time back, unlike caring for an adult relative.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

They need you less and less...but...well...it goes in phases. You've still got the teenage years to come...and those can be tricky!

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

And part-time poet and novelist too.
I haven't read your Purchas pages yet but I bet they ought to gain a wider readership.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah... but that's not exactly work.

Writing Purchas was some of the best fun I've ever had.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Apart from anything else, being a carer is full-time employment because your commitment to doing it means that you are not available for other employment.

And it's only "Other" if the form doesn't offer "Carer" as an option.

Sorry, that sounds horribly dogmatic: I think it came out that way because I see it as important that people dealing with this information should be obliged to value what you do as work, and they won't unless you do. That's for the official forms, of course - how you see your life, how you describe what you do when talking socially, when you have the opportunity to talk more fully and with more nuance... well, that's another matter!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You're quite right.

This post is really about how I need to be more assertive.

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

Your friends have said all the things I would have said so I will only agree with them and with your last statement. You also, I think need to value yourself more.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes. It's true.

I've spent my life slinking along the hedgerows, hoping not to be seen.

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

BIG Mistake. You are an intelligent articulate person and what you have to say and to give IS of value.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

You have brought back memories of my father who was my mother's carer for almost 20 years. He was not yet retired when she became incapacitated and when he had to fill out forms about employment status and such he would write in "employed full time x 2".

I learned what loyalty and commitment meant from my dad.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

"employed full time X 2"- I'll remember that.

[msjann65.livejournal.com]

As you've probably noted from my posts, we are going through similar "caregiver" issues, too.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ailz's parents are approaching 80 and visibly failing. At the moment they're more or less capable of looking after themselves, but it's not going to be too long before something gives. The prospect frightens me.

[zoe-1418.livejournal.com]

"Being sort of always around" seems like a very good (for everyone) kind of fulltime employement, especially since tea is involved.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

And coffee and sometimes (last thing at night) coacoa.

[meekins-says.livejournal.com]

Unemployed? I'm glad you have changed the status to full time, it takes a very self-less person to be a carer 24-7.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

But it doesn't seem so when the person you're caring for is someone you love....

[meekins-says.livejournal.com]

Oh of course...don't get me wrong :)

But still...props to you for stepping up and helping out. Most people turn to nursing homes (even if the person is young)

[wyrmwwd.livejournal.com]

Consider yourself fortunate that you live in that on wonderful, civilized island, and you can GET money for caring. In this America, no one could care less.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The British welfare system is wonderful. Mind you, it's being steadily chipped away at. When I was a kid everyone could sign on with a national health dentist (and get treatment for free); now they're rare beasts.