Key worker rant

[cutie101]

What qualifies as key worker really annoys me.
More to the point the people who benefit from discounts and privileges even though they havent been in critical roles is getting to me.
Yes frontline staff have been absolutely amazing and deserve it, but what about the admin person who works for the NHS, or the optician, or the psychologists etc..their jobs haven't been impacted at all, but they benefit from the same discount as the true heroes. Im a teacher and have honestly never worked more than I have since March, in every day looking after children of key workers and vulnerable children, plus creating and recording lessons, making work available online, marking all work each day as well as so many other things...really annoyed me that looking in a car showroom the other day, those who work for the NHS get the staff discount at the moment, but not me. I am more than happy for the doctors, nurses, paramedics etc to benefit, but random admin who have been working from home or even furloughed...
Likewise I know a couple, both who worked from home throughout, just like so many other people. One is a solicitor in the public sector and the other works for a water company in their IT department. Again neither job critical during this time, but because one works for a water company and the other in the public sector, they are both classified as key workers so their children could carry on going to school, nursery etc.
I'm grumpy and ranting, but does anyone else feel the same?

There's two different things here. The understanding of what a keyworker is and the basis of discount offers.

You have no idea what these people are doing working from home either.

We're on page 11 of this thread and I haven't seen one follow-up post from the OP

Couldn’t get past this bit.

but what about the admin person who works for the NHS, or the optician, or the psychologists etc..their jobs haven't been impacted at all

Pahahaha! Yeah alright then. Seeing as we’re playing a game of Whataboitery, what about the admin person working on a COVID ward or supporting consultants working with COVID patients? Or the psychologist that is providing psychological therapy to healthcare workers and families with PTSD because of the crisis?

You have no idea OP. Just none.

Suspect this is to open the flood gates to slate other professions and slate teachers especially. Pitting us all against each other is a waste of energy.

Suspect this is to open the flood gates to slate other professions and slate teachers especially. Pitting us all against each other is a waste of energy.

Agree. I wonder what the motive is.

I am a key worker and think it's not a competition.

@hibbledobble

I'm an NHS doctor, and worked on the coronavirus wards during the peak. I saw the most harrowing things. Your post is absolute nonsense.

NHS admin staff were redeployed to support roles on the ward in many cases: helping with flow and discharges etc. Their jobs are very important regardless, as the need for admin does not disappear during a pandemic: it increases!

NHS psychologists have been playing a key role looking after mental health, which has unsurprisingly deteriorated.

Everyone who works in the NHS, including the cleaners and admin staff (in fact especially the cleaners and admin staff) have played a key role.

I hate this. We are all important.

Key workers who work from home are also vital, helping to provide key services. I don't understand the school of thought that just because someone works from home, they don't need childcare. It's impossible to work effectively and care for or school a child.

I'm really dismayed to see all the key worker bashing posts lately. I don't consider myself a hero, in fact I think the 'hero' mantra is toxic. We are normal people, who deserve safe working conditions and reasonable pay. Calling us heroes detracts from that.

100% this... I am a doctor in Public Health so have been working to coordinate a response to a pandemic for the past six months.

Without NHS (and LA) admin staff there would have been no response, they worked long hours on low pay. They are valuable and irreplaceable keyworkers

Ffs. You're in the category of people who have had guaranteed schooling for your kids at a time when most people have had to work and have their kids at home for 6 months and YOU think you've never worked harder. Teachers are on a different planet, I've seen posts where people say the only jobs where people work harder are surgeons, it's ridiculous. Get a grip.

What have you been doing for 18 hours a day?

I got something like a 25% paperchase voucher with my school email and I’m pretty sure lots of places do teacher discount included in the key worker stuff.

Some places do teacher discount all year

I'm in the same boat OP but I don't care. You sound very bitter. You sound like you need a break.

I am a speech therapist just finished a 12 hour day. I can tell you our admin have gone in every day and worked flat out over hours. I couldn't have continued my video and direct work allowing parents to feed their children ( not covid but I think we d agree essential) without them. I equally am from a full family full of teachers who have worked one day a week in school throughout and have lived getting rid of all the pressure. I don't envy them they deserve it and I am glad they are safe . Just as they don't envy me a silly discount

I STILL want to know from op what all these discounts are.

DH is a key worker. We haven't looked into discounts.

What are we missing out on, that has the OP so riled?

DH role is one that I expect OP would see as not frontline.

But he's had 3 colleagues die of the virus.

I don't know anyone who has.

His area/ employer has been v badly hit. I have had to switch the news over so the kids don't worry.

But yeah tell me about the discounts please!

I have to repeatedly remind myself that not all teachers are like some of the ones on mumsnet. I've spent 20 years in health and social care , my friends , partner etc have done the same. Would you really like to discuss unappreciated jobs ? Seriously?

I haven't heard a peep of the sort of winge you so proudly pronounce from any of them. 18 hour days ? Now do it overnight as well , do it when people are literally throwing things at you, do it when half the visitors are blaming you for things outside of your control and the other half turn up for half an hour and think they are experts on infection control, I am not suggesting teaching is not hard but the self indulgent rubbish like this is hard to read. The key here is I haven't heard any of my ex colleagues etc complain about being missed out for sodding discounts like this. I have seen alot on mumsnet dramatic overindulgence of a pity party from teachers. Thank all that is holy my DC teachers seem to be sensible and less interested in grandiosity and feeling sorry for themselves. They are amazing people that recognise everyone has been hit by this and we all work together.

I fully recognise that not all teachers on here are like this and that it's a very hard job. It's not the only hard job in the world , seriously for every teacher that complains come and be a social care worker or manager , see if you last a week if your concern is not getting a discount.

I never hear colleagues claim they are worse off or winge they are being picked on. I bloody see a lot of it on here from teachers who seem to back each other up and encourage a behaviour that they are the tortured minority. That is truly becoming an embarrassment to your profession.

Literally a post above is hinting at designs to open the floodgates to pick on and I quote "especially teachers". No , if people are getting annoyed it's because teachers on here are becoming beyond entitled in their victim mentality. You have literal doctors fighting on the frontline who are telling you how necessary those "unimportant " roles are.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Very few people are dancing merrily through this. You do not get to decide you are more deserving than someone else.

@Shinyletsbebadguys

I have to repeatedly remind myself that not all teachers are like some of the ones on mumsnet. I've spent 20 years in health and social care , my friends , partner etc have done the same. Would you really like to discuss unappreciated jobs ? Seriously?

I haven't heard a peep of the sort of winge you so proudly pronounce from any of them. 18 hour days ? Now do it overnight as well , do it when people are literally throwing things at you, do it when half the visitors are blaming you for things outside of your control and the other half turn up for half an hour and think they are experts on infection control, I am not suggesting teaching is not hard but the self indulgent rubbish like this is hard to read. The key here is I haven't heard any of my ex colleagues etc complain about being missed out for sodding discounts like this. I have seen alot on mumsnet dramatic overindulgence of a pity party from teachers. Thank all that is holy my DC teachers seem to be sensible and less interested in grandiosity and feeling sorry for themselves. They are amazing people that recognise everyone has been hit by this and we all work together.

I fully recognise that not all teachers on here are like this and that it's a very hard job. It's not the only hard job in the world , seriously for every teacher that complains come and be a social care worker or manager , see if you last a week if your concern is not getting a discount.

I never hear colleagues claim they are worse off or winge they are being picked on. I bloody see a lot of it on here from teachers who seem to back each other up and encourage a behaviour that they are the tortured minority. That is truly becoming an embarrassment to your profession.

Literally a post above is hinting at designs to open the floodgates to pick on and I quote "especially teachers". No , if people are getting annoyed it's because teachers on here are becoming beyond entitled in their victim mentality. You have literal doctors fighting on the frontline who are telling you how necessary those "unimportant " roles are.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Very few people are dancing merrily through this. You do not get to decide you are more deserving than someone else.

What do you mean by 'some of the ones'? If you mean the ones who would like safer working conditions (but will still be working) and want parents to know the current model isn't going to work, please don't lump us in with the one moaning about NHS discounts.

I’ve got 2 jobs.
One I’m a “random NHS admin” as you put it.
I actually single handedly co ordinate all of the care home discharges in our district over 3 days.
The other 2 days, I’m long term supply (although I had DD 12 days ago, so not doing either.)

My NHS job was harder than my teaching post through Covid even though I was WFH and it’s only Admin

My husband is a key worker in the oil industry and works long shifts outside in all weather in overalls and PPE. What are these discounts you speak of? He deserves them! My kids teacher- no calls, no online lessons, no marking, a weekly email with worksheets and a blog saying how he had done his garden and had BBQs.

Lots of people qualify as key workers. You just sound p* of that NHS workers get a discount and you don't - so don't shop with that dealer.
If you can;t afford a new car, don't buy one.

If everyone that comes within the term 'key worker' got an automatic discount, prices would be far higher to non key workers.

As a keyworker I'm sure you would soon be complaining if they had furloughed all the waste-of-space admin staff and there was no-one there to process your wage payment at the end of the month.

Waah, waah, me me me.

I worked throughout in random admin in the care home sector. No testing until April. Caught Covid from a resident who was discharged from hospital with no testing (wandering around coughing) but no one was supporting or interested in the care sector at that point. Yes it was demoralising no free coffee vouchers or pats on the back not an actual care worker so not being able to get shopping in special slots. But hey the “real heroes” needed to be paid so this random admin had to get on. Our boss even said “oh the admin don’t need masks” hence the Covid. So basically thrown under the bus.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/family-kids/mum-divides-opinion-after-claiming-22545785.amp

Lazy journalism again

Why don’t you retrain if you think the grass is greener?

The term keyworker only existed to allow people to get places at school? And this has now finished hasnt it? People confused it with essential work, thinking only key workers could go to work. This wasnt true, as anybody could go to work who couldnt work from home. So for me keyworkers have had their 5 mins of fame and no longer exist.

I just wanted to point out (sorry I’m not trawling through this huge thread to check if it’s already been said!) that NHS worker discounts are less about ‘perks’ but more about being able to target a large group of people in a marketing sense. NHS discounts have existed for eons along with the blue light card. Admittedly it’s been rebranded lately as a thanks but it isn’t - it’s just a way to get people’s money.

Any large corporation or society can do the same, Yelp used to offer the most amazing staff discounts I’ve seen purely by being organised enough to use their mass purchasing power. I don’t know if they still have the same scheme but it was much better than the NHS one although they seemed to focus on more leisure activities like concerts and shows rather than 20% off car insurance.