Genuine Question - Am I an essential worker?

Hi all, hope everybody is keeping safe in these crazy times!

The facts are these:

My wife and I run a payroll company in Dorset and are both self employed. We have approximately 200 companies that we run payroll for, mostly monthly, of which about 150 are families who employ carers to look after their children who have a varying degree of disability and special needs. The carers provide respite for the parents.

Our office is about 16 miles from our home. We actually manage the bank accounts for around 30 of these families and also some of the larger "commercial companies" with the biggest being 140 employees.

Whilst we obviously have broadband at home, to work from home would be a massive slow down of our capacity, which at this time of the month, when every employee needs paying, would make it more than a 24 hour a day task.

We have been driving from the house to our office, locking the office door, working extremely hard to late hours, and then driving straight back home.

Fortunately we have broken the back of March. My question is, do you think it is right to continue this policy or should we work from home at a reduced capacity, possibly resulting in employees not getting paid on time? It's a dilema...

Your doing the right thing mate by the sounds of what you have just said.

So long as the health of your good wife abd yourself is fine then I think you should carry on as you are if it's just the two of you at the office, doors locked etc as you say.

I'm in a similar industry and they have classed us as 'critical key workers'.

Hi all, hope everybody is keeping safe in these crazy times!

The facts are these:

My wife and I run a payroll company in Dorset and are both self employed. We have approximately 200 companies that we run payroll for, mostly monthly, of which about 150 are families who employ carers to look after their children who have a varying degree of disability and special needs. The carers provide respite for the parents.

Our office is about 16 miles from our home. We actually manage the bank accounts for around 30 of these families and also some of the larger "commercial companies" with the biggest being 140 employees.

Whilst we obviously have broadband at home, to work from home would be a massive slow down of our capacity, which at this time of the month, when every employee needs paying, would make it more than a 24 hour a day task.

We have been driving from the house to our office, locking the office door, working extremely hard to late hours, and then driving straight back home.

Fortunately we have broken the back of March. My question is, do you think it is right to continue this policy or should we work from home at a reduced capacity, possibly resulting in employees not getting paid on time? It's a dilema...

not sure where the doubt is..
some key workers will not be paid unless you work...must make you a key worker..

As dogfound says you’re paying key workers their pay which in turn keeps them in work doing the job they need to without stressing over if they’re going to get paid, you are therefore classed as a key worker yourself. As long as you follow the social distancing and hand washing routine you should be fine

200 companies with x amount of employees all depending on YOU to make sure they're paid. You're essential mate, keep up the good work.