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Original poster

To not understand the animosity towards key workers

299 replies

IsItMeOrThemBeingKnobs · 20/05/2022 21:15

Just seen a newspaper post a story about Asda giving an extra discount to Blue Light Card holders and there are 1000s of comments on it just full of hatred towards key worker discounts and so much “what about me”

I’ve noticed this more and more recently. There was another company advertising a discount to all key workers (so not just blue light card but school staff, anyone that holds a key working role etc) and the comments on that were the same.

This is definitely a new thing since Covid has eased and it makes me feel quite uncomfortable that we begrudge others a job that entitles them to a discount card. I’m pretty sure there are similar employee perks in other organisations, and I know times are really tough for all, but the division it’s causing is quite extreme.

YANBU - it’s bloody weird, you’re right
YABU - screw key workers, what about me

OP posts:
KatherineofGaunt · 21/05/2022 10:18

Never heard of them for us.

"But just like some people think gps are hiding behind covid, plenty teachers did too."

'Plenty of' or 'plenty think?

"Lots of social media posts ftomteachers enjoying their extended break fine March to seot 2020"

I only remember a few I saw from friends who were either a) enjoying the sun but still working in the garden or b) part-time so posting about spending their free time how they liked. I don't doubt a few exist, but no doubt they also exist from NHS workers working from home for the entire duration of the pandemic, not just Mar-July (I won't say until Sept as August and two weeks of July are unpaid holiday so teachers can do what they like then).

I find it interesting how you feel the NHS are being bashed so school staff (because it's not just teachers who work in schools, of course) are fair game. How about deciding that no-one deserves to be put down, especially when so much of what you say is hearsay.

orwellwasright · 21/05/2022 10:23

It's what happens when you have a decade of Tories and austerity. Everyone gets so fucking miserable that they start begrudging anyone else's good fortune. The media loves to play on this with endless 'THEY are taking from YOU' hysteria.

KatherineofGaunt · 21/05/2022 10:24

WeOnlyTalkAboutBruno · 21/05/2022 10:06

But just like some people think gps are hiding behind covid, plenty teachers did too

Lots of social media posts ftomteachers enjoying their extended break fine March to seot 2020

this was our experience in the first lockdown. With my own child as well as teacher friends and relatives.

they did seem to get their act together after that though.

In my experience, of the many teaching colleagues and friends I have, none were lounging at home. All were either in school providing key worker provision or working from home getting to grips with new online systems. I was even working on one of my days off to provide extra online lessons to one of my SEN pupils.

Lachimolala · 21/05/2022 10:34

This reply has been deleted

Not in the spirit of the site

This a foul thing to say. I don’t agree with anyone calling themselves a ‘hero’ but how is this not the front line? You do know people who worked in the grocery stores making sure everyone got their food risked their lives every day?

I worked in B&Q so no furlough for me either, almost all of us caught covid from the general public coming in to buy their ‘essential items’ of plants and paint so and I quote ‘we’ve got something to do during lockdown’ from the people that caught covid two died just from our store alone, are you understanding this? People died because they were working on the front line alongside the care home staff, bin men, the supermarkets, the delivery drivers etc.

Topgub · 21/05/2022 10:37

@KatherineofGaunt my own experience isn't hearsay.

Nor was the unions attitudes and campaigns

I was on a different forum for most of thd last 2 years and the attitudes of most teachers were pretty awful.

PaddingtonBearStareAgain · 21/05/2022 10:45

GerronBuzanDoThaWomwok · 20/05/2022 23:44

Crikeyalmighty
I get really annoyed with the key worker thing. There are some key workers who are on exceedingly good money. I'm glad they do the job they do, but why should they benefit from discounts when my son who deals non stop with people's computer hardware including health, council, retail etc does not. People in key worker roles often benefit from far better long term benefits and pension provision than the average private company

I also dislike the whole keyworker thing, but insofar as pensions and benefits are concerned for public services, people who seem to resent that provision could always try working in the public sector. Spending your working life there takes its toll. Not asking for sympathy, but that's the reality.The pensions really aren't that great after giving over 40 years to keeping people safe, despite restructures, mass redundancies, deaths and preventable tragedies, health-destroying caseloads and corruption.🤕

Huge sweeping statement there. Not all people that work in the public sector come accross those things. Not by a long shot.

Pretty sure mass redundancies and corruption occur in the private sector too,

TeddyisMydog · 21/05/2022 10:48

Although I've just noticed Iceland are doing are a 10%, discount for 60s and over
Not 1 comment complaining about that, saying what about me 🤔

rookiemere · 21/05/2022 10:57

I think one of my main issues about it is that I don't believe care workers qualify for these discounts and they absolutely got a hard deal during lockdown with unavoidable exposure to covid and have poor working conditions.

Companies give these discounts and make a big deal of them because they think it makes them look good to us - the general public.

If they want to continue to give them during a period of high inflation and rising living costs, that's fine but it certainly won't influence me one way or another about where to shop.

Arsewangry · 21/05/2022 10:57

We don't get many perks working in the public sector. Blimey.

Arsewangry · 21/05/2022 10:59

We worked our arses off through the pandemic trying to ensure the public were kept safe, no furlough, then our pay was frozen, called lazy for working ourselves ragged from home, and now 91,000 of us face redundancy over the next three years, please let us enjoy the tiny little perks we are granted!!

mumda · 21/05/2022 11:02

I don't want the discount. But also I don't want to be paying for it.

rookiemere · 21/05/2022 11:03

@Arsewangry and that's the issue as it's somehow implicit in your post that those of us not in key worker jobs didn't do mist of those things( although to be fair as I work in the financial sector I was given it but never used it as I could work from home - had I known I was effectively denying my teen an education for best part of a year I may have acted differently .

I don't mind supermarkets giving the discount, but it's not a positive selling point for me.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 21/05/2022 11:05

Arsewangry · 21/05/2022 10:59

We worked our arses off through the pandemic trying to ensure the public were kept safe, no furlough, then our pay was frozen, called lazy for working ourselves ragged from home, and now 91,000 of us face redundancy over the next three years, please let us enjoy the tiny little perks we are granted!!

I did all that too and I'm not a key worker. I'm on minimum wage in the private sector.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 21/05/2022 11:06

Arsewangry · 21/05/2022 10:57

We don't get many perks working in the public sector. Blimey.

And everyone in the private sector does? I earn minimum wage and I bet you get full sick pay and more holidays than I do.

GreatBigBeautifulTommorow · 21/05/2022 11:07

rookiemere · 21/05/2022 10:57

I think one of my main issues about it is that I don't believe care workers qualify for these discounts and they absolutely got a hard deal during lockdown with unavoidable exposure to covid and have poor working conditions.

Companies give these discounts and make a big deal of them because they think it makes them look good to us - the general public.

If they want to continue to give them during a period of high inflation and rising living costs, that's fine but it certainly won't influence me one way or another about where to shop.

Social care workers are able to purchase the blue light card, along with lots of other sectors.

GreatBigBeautifulTommorow · 21/05/2022 11:12

@rookiemere

To not understand the animosity towards key workers
rookiemere · 21/05/2022 11:18

@GreatBigBeautifulTommorow that's good news thanks

MissyGez · 21/05/2022 11:35

This discount is nothing to do with being a 'keyworker' or working during a pandemic. Asda themselves have not mentioned keyworkers or covid.

The Blue Light card has been around for years and have discounts or offers for many more retailers than just Asda.

From the websites a list of others who are eligible:

NHS - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
Police Service - ID Required: Payslip.
Ambulance Service - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
Fire Service - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
HM Prison Service/HMPPS - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
NHS Dental Practice - ID Required: Payslip.
HM Armed Forces - ID Required: Payslip.
MoD Civil Servant - ID Required: Payslip.
MoD Fire Service - ID Required: Payslip.
MoD Police - ID Required: Payslip.
Highway Traffic Officers - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
Home Office - Border Force - ID Required: Payslip.
Home Office - Immigration Enforcement - ID Required: Payslip.
Home Office - UK Visas and Immigration - ID Required: Payslip.
Social Care - Care Company Workforce - Company must be on either the CQC, RQIA, Care Inspectorate Scotland or Care Inspectorate Wales to be eligible.ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
Social Care - Social Worker - ID Required: ID card, Payslip or SWE/SCW/SSSC/NISCC number.
Social Care - Care Home - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
Social Care - Residential Care - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.
Social Care - Council (Working in Care Sector) - ID Required: ID card or Payslip (if these do not state job role, please include a contract alongside).
Social Care - Foster Carer - ID Required: ID card.
Pharmacy Workers - ID Required: ID card or Payslip.

MissyGez · 21/05/2022 11:37

Plus the volunteers that are eligible as posted by @GreatBigBeautifulTommorow

Svara · 21/05/2022 12:37

justfiveminutes · 21/05/2022 09:17

" why not give everyone a discount"

Just reduce the price of everything by 10%? I doubt many businesses would be lining up for that.

The 10% is off clothes, toys etc too. Just reducing the price of staple foods, those that don't attact VAT, would be a good thing. Maybe children's clothing, doesn't need to be everything.

orwellwasright · 21/05/2022 12:51

Waxonwaxoff0 · 21/05/2022 11:06

And everyone in the private sector does? I earn minimum wage and I bet you get full sick pay and more holidays than I do.

Show quote history

This is what I mean. Media and the government love this sort of squabbling. Suits their divide and conquer narrative.

P0tat0275 · 21/05/2022 13:31

Arsewangry

All of you did not work your arses off and many hid at home. Many other sectors didn’t have that luxury, had to pick up the pieces and still are.

P0tat0275 · 21/05/2022 13:34

Why do the retired get it? Retired forces at 50 on a nice pension… Why are they more deserving than a minimum wage shop worker who worked throughout the pandemic at risk?

howtomoveforwards · 21/05/2022 13:43

It's what happens when you have a decade of Tories and austerity. Everyone gets so fucking miserable that they start begrudging anyone else's good fortune

good fortune? Really? You think a 10% discount on groceries is good fortune for those people who were risking contracting covid in those early days of the pandemic? You think it was good fortune to watch people die, or have to call relatives and tell them there loved one was dying? Do you think that the teachers caring for the staff of NHS workers went into school every morning with a happy heart or were scared the chain of infection from hospital to parent to child to school staff might mean they ended up sick? What about those in supermarkets or keeping our infrastructure working so others could sit at home on the internet with clean water in their pipes and electric and gas that worked? You think they consider it was their good fortune that they got the odd discounted coffee or do you think they might have preferred a job that kept them at home like thousands of others?

MissyGez · 21/05/2022 13:44

P0tat0275 · 21/05/2022 13:34

Why do the retired get it? Retired forces at 50 on a nice pension… Why are they more deserving than a minimum wage shop worker who worked throughout the pandemic at risk?

Because its nothing to do with how much you earn, it nothing to do with working during the pandemic