To be fed up with all the NHS discount codes?

[YouDoYouHun]

Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for NHS workers on the front line dealing with the pandemic, that's not what this thread is about, but AIBU to have had enough of shops and businesses offering NHS discount only? Generally, this isn't a new thing and has been around since last March, but this past week or so I have received quite a few emails from various shops/businesses (I won't name) including national and local, offering discount codes for NHS staff only. Great, they deserve it....but what about everyone else too? What about supermarket workers? Council workers? Labourers? Delivery drivers? The postal service? What about the people who have lost their jobs too? Granted, disposable income will be low to non existent so frivolous online shopping purchases will likely not be high on the priority list, but wouldn't that be more reason to offer a discount? for people struggling? How about a pandemic discount code so everyone can enjoy a treat rather than just singling out the NHS and sending the message that unless you work for the NHS you are undeserving?

The NHS also covers a huge variation of roles and I don't particularly find it fair that Mary who works behind the scenes gets the discount just because she is an NHS employee but Barry who works in a supermarket doesn't receive any discount because he doesn't work for the NHS? Not the greatest example, but you hopefully get my point.

This isn't meant to sound grabby. It's not about the discount. Shops/businesses are struggling too and don't have to offer any discount at all. My point is, if there is going to be a discount offered, why effectively invalidate other professions by sending the message that they haven't worked hard enough/suffererd enough to receive the 'prize' that is a discount code?

YABU - what are you talking about? Only NHS employees should receive discounts.

YANBU - This pandemic has affected us all in different ways and we shouldn't be made to feel any less important because we don't work for the NHS.

@EmmanuelleMakro

Completely agree OP. Ex -colleague does an envelope stufffing admin job 16 hours a week in the NHS (16 hours to maximise benefits /natch) abd not only crows about the discounts but blags other things (eg queue jumping) on the back of it. Given this whole lockdown life is to ‘protect’ the sainted NHS which is bureaucratic dinosaur it is likely to create a backlash of resentment.

This is a disingenuous post. There is no such job as "envelope stuffer" in the NHS. Stop trivialising other people's jobs. They will be an admin assistant and considering the NHS is skint and only hires when necessary they're probably doing a job that's vital such as ensuring patients get letters, appointments, cancellations, clinics run on time, equipment is ordered, staff are paid, staff are supported etc. That's important work - why shouldn't they get a discount?

@EmmanuelleMakro

Completely agree OP. Ex -colleague does an envelope stufffing admin job 16 hours a week in the NHS (16 hours to maximise benefits /natch) abd not only crows about the discounts but blags other things (eg queue jumping) on the back of it. Given this whole lockdown life is to ‘protect’ the sainted NHS which is bureaucratic dinosaur it is likely to create a backlash of resentment.

I think we're trying to protect the sainted NHS so that your partner, or your mum, or your kids don't die of something survivable while waiting for an ambulance, or waiting to be transferred from an ambulance queueing outside a rammed hospital. Weird that you make that sound like a bad thing imo.

@EmmanuelleMakro

Private hospitals have frontline staff saving lives - why no discount fur them? The chippy Sadiq Khan (soon to be gone thankfully) waived the congestion charge fir NHS, not private hospitals which reduce pressure on the NHS.

People employed by the private sector can look to their employer for bonuses, perks and benefits.

@EmmanuelleMakro

Completely agree OP. Ex -colleague does an envelope stufffing admin job 16 hours a week in the NHS (16 hours to maximise benefits /natch) abd not only crows about the discounts but blags other things (eg queue jumping) on the back of it. Given this whole lockdown life is to ‘protect’ the sainted NHS which is bureaucratic dinosaur it is likely to create a backlash of resentment.

There really is no such job in the NHS. The more junior admin jobs are absolutely vital to the smooth running of a hospital. Any letters she might put in envelopes will likely be sending appointments or outcomes of consultations, both of which are essential of course. I loathe the sneering over low banded staff, as I said, it just shows ignorance of the role those staff play in caring for patients.

23:14Doublefaced

I don't think Marlene who works in HR does, sorry.’

Marlene in HR co ordinates the redeployment of staff between the departments most in desperate need of cover in conjunction with ward sisters,
Martha in payroll makes sure I get paid so I don’t lose my home.
Mary in stores spends eight hours a day sourcing PPE and overseeing it’s distribution.
Paul in estates services syringe drivers and makes sure we have enough in circulation to ensure people die peacefully.
Robert in laundry is working overtime because of the amount of infected linen being produced.
Susan in the labs is processing rapid covid swabs from A&E so staff can allocate patients to red/green covid wards asap.
Betty in the kitchens spends 12 hours loading dirty dishes into dishwashers.
Lucy the consultants secretary books the scans and ambulance transport to get Bobs spinal cord compression diagnosed.

None of these people have laid hands or even eyes on patients. Our NHS is a team effort. Sure there are a fair few middle and high level managers who are very definitely surplus to requirements.
But people like the OP and you who begrudge these people a fucking 10% discount because they’re not beside us on the front line? Pathetic. Spiteful. And very, very sad.

You have misrepresented my post. I already said that anyone who is at risk (eg kitchen staff, cleaners etc) is also front line in my opinion because they can't wfh,if you reread my post.

But there are tens of thousands of NHS staff who are wfh, and if you don't believe that this is the case then you obviously are not aware of the number of these types of roles. Are they doing a vital job? I'm sure most of them are. But is it the same as being on the front line? No it isn't.

Every working person in the country is playing a vital role, because the economy as a whole is what funds the NHS, no thriving economy, no NHS.

So do I think that an HR person working for the NHS is more important than any HR person, no I don't.

But you did say that staff in NHS HR don't deserve a discount, whilst other NHS staff do. That infers an in inherent hierarchy of importance, and a lack of understanding of what makes the NHS function.

Staff discounts have been available to all NHS (and other public service) employees for years. If companies want to offer a discount, that's great, I mean it's no different to student discount really is it? Or making the effort to sign up to Quidco to get discounts.

@Noconceptofnormal your post wasn't misrepresented. It came across as nothing but snotty and sneery. Where had your underlying deep hatred for the non clinical NHS staff came from? Do you believe HR staff in a private company get paid the same as NHS staff, since you were confident to state that NHS workers have a good salary (still laughing about that one)? The 10% discount that are so upset and stamping your foot about wouldn't even touch the sides in covering the differences between NHS HR staff and non NHS HR staff. As for paper pushers, you really are something else.

As a few other people mentioned, this pandemic hasn't half shown people up for who they truly are.

Oh look another NHS bashing thread that starts with Don’t get me wrong. 🙄 do you people ever give up? What are you all trying to achieve by passively aggressively turning on the NHS workers being given a token gesture? I bet this lot all banged pots and pans during the first wave and plastered it all over social media. Shameful.

‘Don’t get me wrong.’

This thread reminded me I’ve got a blue light card. Just got a massive discount discount online that I would otherwise have overlooked.

So thanks!

@Thewiseoneincognito it's not an NHS bashing thread at all. That's not how it started out anyway. Making sweeping general assumptions? Now that's shameful.

@CountessFrog good for you. Anyone can type in 'voucher codes' in Google and get the same, if not higher discount. As stated more times than I can even be bothered explaining anymore. It isn't about the discount. But whatever, you enjoy it.

[quote YouDoYouHun]@Thewiseoneincognito it's not an NHS bashing thread at all. That's not how it started out anyway. Making sweeping general assumptions? Now that's shameful.[/quote]
It absolutely is and it's disgusting, certainly towards non clinical staff who many of you ignorant individuals class as 'paper pushers' and who are all sitting at home with their feet up. This is exactly the way you wanted the thread to go. I would really make use of your time by having a good look into what the non clinical staff do and how much of an important role it is before you go crying on about a small 10% discount which, as I mentioned, doesn't even come close to covering the small wages we get pay. And people complain about teacher bashing? Which I see far more complaints about than actual teacher bashing itself. I just honestly couldn't embarrass myself by sneering at a low paid worker who's worked every day since the pandemic began whilst a huge amount of people had the luxury of working safely at home and bashing them for getting a discount.

The world has gone nuts, I'm sad and angry In equal measure

Oh no, some people are fed up that NHS workers get a discount in some shops. They really are the true victims of covid.

Lets clap on a Monday morning for allthose people fed up that another group of people get some benefits that they don't, what a sacrifice they're making.

RosieRose guarantee away, but it would be astonishing for someone to stop patronising a supermarket over something that didn't happen 😆

If lots of people know an admin, it will be because NHS England is the fifth biggest employer in the WORLD. If would be hard not to know someone.

As for them using their lanyards, it's hardly surprising the state of the queues at the time. It seemed to be every man for himself. I just felt sorry for the old lady in front of me.

@YorkiePud25

NHS worker here - agree it's a bit rubbish that non patient facing staff seem to get the benefits when they're sat at home with their feet up. But, having been on the front line (mental health nurse) and working with colleagues who are being burnt out in ICUs, I think people need to get a grip and realise that although other key workers are extremely important, the NHS staff are massively underpaid (support workers and nurses) and are risking so much by working directly with patients with covid, usually with incorrect PPE and unsafe staffing levels.

Could of friends are drs. Next door neighbour are drs. I haven’t seen them in months because if they aren’t at work. They are just crumpled on the sofa. Both broken. (We text daily. I like to make sure they are ok. We’re so close to both sets of neighbours. The guy next door actually ran into our neighbours burning building to save his children. So yeah. We love them obviously)

I don’t know how much more our drs and nurses can take before they either physically give up. Or mentally and if we’ve none

Then what happens? They already told me lots of people are starting to hand in their notices. Which is way more dangerous than Covid. Is no drs and nurses to look after us.

I have a blue light card (armed forces) and I think it’s important in society that we give benefits to those who 1) often don’t get paid that well and 2) risk their lives/are put in danger /have to deal with traumatic things. All for service to someone else.
Yes the supermarket worker is working in the pandemic but they’re not in a traumatic or routinely dangerous job requiring immense responsibility.
The pay for a junior soldier or junior doctor vs what is expected of them, for eg, is low.

NHS starr signed up to work with sick people and germs

We didn’t sign up to work in a pandemic without sufficient protection. Not even masks were provided in the first wave. Lots of NHS staff died from covid, more are disabled by long covid with no idea if or when they’ll be able to work again or have a decent quality of life. The NHS doesn’t pay staff sick pay forever. Nobody signed up to die or be left permanently unable to work. If you can’t carry out your job due to illness, and reasonable adjustments can’t be made, that job will be gone along with your income.

Shop workers didn't. None of the people in the industries that have been decimated signed up for losing all their income.anz not being able to feed their family

Any job that involves dealing with the public involves germs and sick people to some extent. People go shopping when they have colds or a bug, go to restaurants when they’re unknowingly infectious. Anyone can wonder into a shop and vomit on the floor, or go to the shop/cafe toilet and have diarrhoea. Waitresses, hotel staff, flight attendants, shop staff all get sneezed on or coughed on by members of the public.

Many people in retail, hospitality, beauty industries have been furloughed on 80% pay so they can stay safely at home. Self employed people have been given grants and government pay outs.

If they’ve been sacked they can still find another career or even apply for an NHS job if they feel that is more secure!

As for feeding their families, we have UC, housing benefit, JSA, FSM, food banks and many other forms of help for those who have lost their incomes.

YouDoYouHub, oh do shut up.

I think it's more of a PR thing than anything else. Can't be seen to not provide discount to NHS workers for fear the daily mail will splash it across their front page. That's for national companies, local businesses probably want the good name of discounting but also help those in their local community on who they rely upon to stay open.

I agree this pandemic has shown us up for who we are....a bunch of bitter curtain

twitchers by the sound of it who are happy to bang pots to look woke in front of the nieghbours.

@TattyDevine

RosieRose guarantee away, but it would be astonishing for someone to stop patronising a supermarket over something that didn't happen 😆

If lots of people know an admin, it will be because NHS England is the fifth biggest employer in the WORLD. If would be hard not to know someone.

As for them using their lanyards, it's hardly surprising the state of the queues at the time. It seemed to be every man for himself. I just felt sorry for the old lady in front of me.

But it shouldn't have happened. They were giving priority to elderly and vulnerable customers and still are. So a bit daft to refuse to shop there anymore imo, when it would appear to have been entirely a misunderstanding (rather than prioritising lazy NHS pen pushers over little old ladies, as you suggest).

The issue is that the NHS also employs hundreds of thousands of admin / managers / paper pushers who are nowhere near the front line and never will be. In fact they've been working from home since March. And they have pensions / decent salaries and job security that most people right now can only dream of,and many of them have already been vaccinated despite no or very little patient contact

What I'd really like to see is all NHS managers and admin staff walk out and nit do their job for a week. Let's see then how the NHS manages with just clinical staff working.

I predict not very well.

"The issue is that the NHS also employs hundreds of thousands of admin / managers / paper pushers who are nowhere near the front line and never will be. In fact they've been working from home since March. And they have pensions / decent salaries and job security that most people right now can only dream of,and many of them have already been vaccinated despite no or very little patient contact."

And why should those fuckers get a 10% discount or a free coffee eh?

Honestly, listen to yourselves. Imagine being someone jealously assessing someone's entitlement to a discount code or a perk. What a mean-spirited thread this is.

Most surgical teams couldn’t do their jobs without many of these feckless “paper pushers”.

How offensive and ill-informed are you?