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.

Surely anyone offering discount can give it to whom they chose.
I used to work in the NHS and imo the people who deserve discount are staff in care homes.
They’re badly paid and work incredibly hard.

choose

I agree. I'm so sick of the constant over- thanking of the NHS. it's not very British at all.

Isn’t giving a hearty discount to everyone simply know as ‘making a loss’?

There’s nothing wrong with offering an NHS discount and frankly as the wife of an intensive care Dr and best friend of an intensive care nurse I am of the opinion that regardless of how ‘this pandemic has effected us all’ they deserve a treat more than you!

How many times have you held the hand of somebody as die terrified any alone (no loved one allowed in) this week? I’m gonna go ahead and guess that’s ZERO

*as they died

But most NHS back office staff are working from home. Why are they getting discounts and vaccines?

Supermarket workers, school staff....are also working like dogs but face to face and at considerably more risk. Why are they not getting discounts or vaccines?

This screams what about all lives matter...

If you ask, there are quite a lot if discounts around - Forces discounts have existed for ages (as DH found out when he, purely and genuinely by accident, waved his MOD90 instead of credit card and the waiter said 'thank you sir, I'll get your bill changed' and returned with 10% off)

There are also all sort of paid clubs ('join and get 50% off first purchase and 10% thereafter') or loyalty cards (collect stamps, discount or free coffee after so many). Plus loads of people share codes online, so anyone can use them.

It's entirely up to the business who it decides to favour. If you think a different group should benefit instead or as well, then you need to lobby for it.

In that yes all those jobs are important but at the moment the NHS is in a major mess and the focus should be on them.

God this again.

Nhs discounts, like the blue light card, have been around for years, and tbh I’ve not noticed any great increase of retailers offering it through the pandemic it’s just become more publicised.

It’s easy to look at another person and be jealous, as frontline NHS I’m jealous of people in nice safe roles, who always finish on time, get bonuses and a nice all expenses paid for Christmas party. But hey ho that’s life, and this is the career I chose.

Companies offer NHS discounts because it is a good promotion tool. There are a big employer and this is a way to get lots of people to use their service or product.

Other organisations negotiate these. Like the police, banks and LAs.

It’s a commercial thing. It doesn’t need to be fair. The companies who offer it aren’t answerable to the Op. It is targeted promotion.

There’s nothing wrong with offering an NHS discount and frankly as the wife of an intensive care Dr and best friend of an intensive care nurse I am of the opinion that regardless of how ‘this pandemic has effected us all’ they deserve a treat more than you!

How many times have you held the hand of somebody as die terrified any alone (no loved one allowed in) this week? I’m gonna go ahead and guess that’s ZERO

Very, very much agree with this POV.

Out of my friendship circle I have a few friends who work for NHS all but one earned between 38-54k with shift allowance and a bit of overtime .

@rwalker

Out of my friendship circle I have a few friends who work for NHS all but one earned between 38-54k with shift allowance and a bit of overtime .

The only colleague of mine who earned 50k out of the normal staff was a junior sister band 6 who worked permanent nights and a lot of over time. The average band 5 nurse is not on 50k even with shift allowance.

I don't think you sound bitter OP.

I think that you've created a very reasonable point on a subject that lots of people get unreasonably obsessed about. How dare you take the name of 'our NHS' in vain?

If the Thursday night clapping brigade decided NHS workers could piss on the elderly every hour you'd be crucified for suggesting otherwise.

They're the heroes of the pandemic don't you know and it's grabby to suggest anyone else deserves to share that title.

NHS staff “sat at home with their feet up”? Nice to know the clinical staff value their support workers so much, who I can assure you are not all “sat at home with their feet up”.

Many of them are in hospitals, in and out of all the danger zones, constant contact with other members of staff. Working in offices with no social distancing because there isn’t the space. Working long hours and getting called out, doing work that the hospital couldn’t function without, under tremendous pressure.

What a horrible thread.

I was top of band 6, admittedly only 3 days a week and earned about 22k a year. I never earned Enough to pay my 1990s student loan off.

IME a lot of people are part time purely because the pace is so relentless they’d have a breakdown if they worked full time.

Was certainly the case for me. I got out, work full time now and more than double what I did. I couldn’t have done full time ward/shift work.

@N0Sl33p

But most NHS back office staff are working from home. Why are they getting discounts and vaccines?

Supermarket workers, school staff....are also working like dogs but face to face and at considerably more risk. Why are they not getting discounts or vaccines?

You’ll be glad to know that I believe morrisons have extended their 10% discount to school staff. Though God knows when the OP finds out she’ll probably start a thread about that asking why they deserve it when they’re sat at home not doing anything. 🤔🙄

I’m sure supermarket staff get discount in their own store.

As for other shops it’s up to the employer/company to negotiate that discount.

I’m ex nhs (well still on the bank) but my main employer is a local private firm, but a large employer in the city. I get more and better discounts through their negotiated schemes than with the nhs. I get a load off my gym membership, 40% Odeon cinema tickets, restaurant discounts, etc.

@Covidcorvid
band 6 nurse
radiographer
District nurse in community team

Other friend is a porter earned just over 20k

You seemed to of missed where I said all but 1 and the range I quoted started at 38k not 50k

Imagine being frontline staff & reading this. I'm sure they'd rather swap jobs with you.
Feel free to get a job in the NHS is you want a 10% discount in morrisons...

I’m frontline NHS on covid wards and have been mostly oblivious to discounts. I’ll look out for them now!

@tinierclanger

NHS staff “sat at home with their feet up”? Nice to know the clinical staff value their support workers so much, who I can assure you are not all “sat at home with their feet up”.

Many of them are in hospitals, in and out of all the danger zones, constant contact with other members of staff. Working in offices with no social distancing because there isn’t the space. Working long hours and getting called out, doing work that the hospital couldn’t function without, under tremendous pressure.

Exactly! The hospital couldn't function without the work my team do. There have been several periods since march where I have had to work (admittedly from home) 14-16 hour days. I've had to go on site off and on throughout as have all of my colleagues.

Our vaccination centres have large numbers of "back office" staff working at them, bringing them into contact with 100s of people a day, is it only once they start working there that they deserve a discount or a vaccination?

I honestly don't mind people outside the NHS thinking if you aren't a doctor or a nurse you don't deserve anything, but someone who works for the NHS thinking that we are all sat home with our feet up seriously pisses me off. If you know of people in your trust doing that, complain, don't assume we all are.

And you seem to have missed the bit where I said the average band 5 nurse isn’t on 50k. If your friends are on higher bands then with overtime and shift allowance then yes, very possible....same as my band 6 friend.

But please make that clear in your posts rather than giving the impression most staff can be on 38-50k because that isn’t true. Of course if people have been promoted to junior management and specialised roles they will be paid more. Of course if they do overtime they will be paid more.

Wish I earned 50k. I’m in half that. only senior staff seem to earn that or those that are experienced and do a lot of bank. Those HCAs that do a great deal of nursing care bar meds on wards will be lucky to hit 20k.

Lots of companies, clubs, unions, organisations all use discount schemes. It’s marketing. NHS discounts are not new. It’s not just nhs staff that get them. Asking small businesses for discounts is grabby whoever you work for. But big business offer them for a reason not to be nice.

I agree with the pp who mentioned bonuses those not in the public sector, or those who have parties paid for with free bars, better working conditions, private healthcare allowance and so on. Yes we choose who we work for but some in the private sector complaining about a ten percent discount are very well looked after by their companies.

I will add care home staff who work so hard and are paid so badly absolutely should get every discount offered!!

Wow, how pathetic. If some businesses decided they want to show appreciation by giving NHS stuff a discount, what's wrong with that? There's nothing unfair about it. It's their choice.