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AIBU?

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Original poster

Key worker rant

352 replies

cutie101 · 18/08/2020 23:02

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?

OP posts:
Willowmartha1 · 20/08/2020 10:18

As an 'admin' person working for the NHS I didn't have the option to work from home or be furloughed and had to cut my hours to care for my child as I'm a single mum, I'm therefore very grateful for the NHS discounts. No we aren't on the frontline but we work behind the scenes and all help the NHS run smoothly.

minnieok · 20/08/2020 10:34

I hear you, we have worked every day, no furlough. I officially have key worker status (was offered a school place letter by the council but my DD's refused to attend on the grounds of being at university, his unreasonable of them Grin).DPs company has a critical role in the manufacturing supply chain including ppe, bizarrely he's not counted as a key worker, but they managed to keep open due to fortunately no staff having childcare issues and lots of space. No discounts for us but my dental receptionist friend was bragging about her discount on a car (she was furloughed until August!)

snowbam · 20/08/2020 10:40

Such a weird post.

Teachers are key workers - even my neighbours a couple, who are both teachers and told me they were not doing much..

Even the teacher at my child's school who are zero work .. oh hang on we did get 2 A4 pages of work, and when I finally got hold of the teacher to see what I missed I was told

" Look, we were not trained on online delivery, nor the new systems"..

I have no issue with nhs admin staff being key workers. The teacher for my child clearly needed some good administrative skills. Smile

mummag · 20/08/2020 11:11

As I predicted its now turned into an excuse to lump all teachers as lazy feckless workshy moaners. There are hard working teachers, there are lazy teachers just like every other profession on the planet. All this divisive nonsense helps no-one. Ridiculous.

DanielRicciardosSmile · 20/08/2020 11:13

Whats your solution then, OP?

Discounts for everybody? For nobody? Shiny badges?

rosinavera · 20/08/2020 11:58

@cutie101

I'm not comparing how much we have worked, I am saying some people are benefitting from things for doing their regular everyday job in a completely unchanged way.
I'm NHS admin and no way is my everyday job unchanged!! The pressure on us is enormous! We've worked right through lockdown with staff dropping like flies around us with COVID. Our hospital was closed down for a month due to a huge spike in COVID but our workload was greater than ever.
StripyHorse · 20/08/2020 12:04

Snowbarn...that's shocking! We had 20 mins training on online delivery, so I worked through the Google classroom training as well as doing union funded training - all for free. That is not a valid excuse!

snowbam · 20/08/2020 20:01

stripyhorse I kid you not. But yes you can't generalise. There are lazy and organised teachers.

However It really opened our eyes to the school. We went higher in a polite manner and there were no apologies, no extra work just a couple of website links.

For a time thought the teacher and senior management had gone down with covid.

The good news is it really woke us up to what a failing school it is. So we knew we had to work extra hard as parents.

The communication about re-opening has been just as lax.

Basically a list of what parents can't do and that it will all be catch up work.. really strange.

Can't say I can trust the school management to keep the school clean.
But it certainly opened our eyes about a low performing culture. I think before we always put it down to them being over stretched but not now.

PrivateD00r · 20/08/2020 20:20

OP I would happily swap my NHS discount for your holidays Wink Fair trade?

PrivateD00r · 20/08/2020 20:22

Also, our primary has class collections every Christmas and end of school year, results in around £250 of vouchers each time!!! Again, I would be willing to trade for that with my discounts.... I wouldn't even be allowed to accept a gift like that in the NHS!

Sunrise85 · 20/08/2020 20:34

This pandemic has caused another pandemic of special snowflakes ❄️

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 20/08/2020 20:50

@PrivateD00r

Also, our primary has class collections every Christmas and end of school year, results in around £250 of vouchers each time!!! Again, I would be willing to trade for that with my discounts.... I wouldn't even be allowed to accept a gift like that in the NHS!
Exactly. Happy to take regular generous gifts that no other public sector worker gets but begrudges others a discount during a once in a lifetime pandemic isn't a good look.
NiceGerbil · 21/08/2020 04:15

I admit I haven't caught up on all the posts since i last posted.

Did anyone say what these special discounts are yet? DH is a key worker and we don't know about this!

Yankathebear · 21/08/2020 06:48

I can’t speak for opticians or those that work for water companies but nhs admin and psychologists have been working harder than ever.
You can have my discounts, I haven’t used them.

PollyHasAPocket · 21/08/2020 07:04

@PrivateD00r

Also, our primary has class collections every Christmas and end of school year, results in around £250 of vouchers each time!!! Again, I would be willing to trade for that with my discounts.... I wouldn't even be allowed to accept a gift like that in the NHS!
Me either, I'd have to report a gift like that and probably be unable to accept it as it could be seen as bribery.
Suzi888 · 21/08/2020 07:16

Kind of see where you are coming from. I’m a key worker and neither me or my colleagues played the key worker card. We’ve also not used the free childcare scheme. Nothing. If that makes you feel any better Grin

I always try to focus on myself and what I’m grateful for rather than worrying about what someone else has.
My manager earns more than double what I do, she can’t do anything, doesn’t have a clue. Her manager knows she can’t do the job, she delegates tasks to us.
Another friend of mine earns a considerable wage and has done nothing in lockdown, turned his laptop to “need childcare” and sat there watching Netflix and gloated about it!

You’ll drive yourself crazy thinking about the unfairness of everything and it gets you nowhere, apart from feeling bitter and resentful.

uglyface · 21/08/2020 07:19

I really want to know where all these teachers who did nothing work - I’m clearly in the wrong school. All the way through I have been teaching key worker children during the day and planning lessons/recording videos/marking work late into the night. My DP spent hours walking our toddler round the garden at weekends so I could keep up.

I don’t give a flying fart about discounts or hero status - just a bit of understanding that teachers are not all lazy sods, and that the complete lack of government direction is what has led to massive inequalities in education.

BojoKilledMyMojo · 21/08/2020 07:25

I just don't care. Nothing is being taken away from me in order for others to be given perks so it makes no difference to my life whatsoever.

I also know that front line staff couldn't function without all of the other support staff.

Jennev · 21/08/2020 08:02

I am one of your Admin KEY WORKERS who worked around the clock cancelling appointments! 60000 letters were sent out for March-May alone. And it’s still continuing and no, not all of us had or have the choice of working from home, so please, get ur facts right before you put up a ridiculous post like this!! That’s MY rant!!

Orchidsindoors · 21/08/2020 14:36

Jennerv....I think what the op is saying that you were just doing your job, and get discounts whereas teachers dont.

Pomegranatepompom · 21/08/2020 14:53

But people weren’t just going their jobs, many were working in very difficult circumstances, in different depts, with fewer staff.
There weren’t any magical discounts anyway.
This constant bitterness and jealousy is shameful.

Orchidsindoors · 21/08/2020 15:21

Pomegranate, they may have been doing different things, but they would be working within their remit and job pay level. For example they wouldnt send an admin worker to do anything surgical. Some would have been moved up a scale if they were taking on extra duties. We need to get away from the fallacy that key workers were saving the world. They were doing their job and being paid for it, as were millions of others, working from home. The only reason they were given the term key worker, was to get the childcare, not to get discounts, that's just an added nicety.

Pomegranatepompom · 21/08/2020 16:26

Cardiac nurses volunteered to work in itu - if they get a free coffee for doing that, why should it bother anyone?
I don’t think anyone wants people to feel That they saved the world/ are special. The term key worker wasn’t requested or wanted.

If you were working in critical care, you were putting yourself (and family) at risk, it was far far safer to work from hone.

Canklesforankles · 21/08/2020 16:38

At the beginning we were taking unknown risks with our health. It feels better now we have more experience of treating people and of keeping ourselves safe.
The amber PPE on the COVID wards was shit at the beginning and not as good as the red ppe on icu. It has improved now which helps.

There isn’t a risk free area. It’s not just icu, staff in maternity and A&E were infected too. All the staff are at risk.

Yes we were just doing our jobs.
In a pandemic surge.
In the biggest health crisis for a century.

Doesn’t make me a hero but not something to be jealous of either.

Pomegranatepompom · 21/08/2020 16:42

Yes lots of people were at risk, not just nhs, transport, supermarkets etc