Key work, low pay

With the coronavirus outbreak growing daily in the UK the government has already taken steps to limit physical contact in the country. Initially, schools and childcare services were closed, and beginning this week people have been asked to stay at home and to drastically reduce and if possible eliminate time spent with those not in their household. To enable this, a large range of businesses have been closed down, leaving swathes of workers temporarily or permanently jobless.

A fairly long list of 'key workers' are still expected, and desperately needed, to keep on working through the crisis though - in many cases on the front lines. During this difficult time, a lot is being asked of our doctors, nurses, police officers, but also those working in our supermarkets and collecting our refuse. With obvious exceptions such as doctors aside, many of these vital occupations are also paid below the national average.

As estimates from Check-a-Salary show, jobs such as childcare worker, care worker and retail assistant command on average annual pay well below the nationwide median salary calculated by the Office for National Statistics as just under £25 thousand. While a registered nurse and a paramedic can expect to earn above this figure, some would argue that the extreme demands and high importance of the jobs justify more financial reward.