To not understand the animosity towards key workers

[IsItMeOrThemBeingKnobs]

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

Lulu I don’t get your holidays

im not on a high wage though I manage a mh unit

swings and roundabouts…

I thought the whole discount thing during lockdown was very unfair, all NHS staff whether they were working in ICU, or safely in an office somewhere got discounts and where able to go to the front of the queue etc ,but non NHS care staff didn't get the same recognition, I don't work as I'm a carer for my disabled child, so it's no skin off my nose but it just seemed unfair .

Its wrong. Lots of people work in badly paid jobs, why shouldn't they get discounts as well?

The blue light discount card existed wayyyyyyy before Covid. The pandemic is a red herring. The discounts are perk of the job for NHS, social care workers, police and armed forces etc. Personally, I’ve never used it but I’m entitled to one.
I don’t moan that people working in a school have 13 weeks annual leave nor that many transport companies provide free travel cards for all employees. Some jobs have better perks than others. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Asda aren’t doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. This is capitalism. It is a business strategy.
The problem is this government (high cost of living and the not fit for purpose benefit system) and the problem is employers paying low wages for important jobs e.g care work.
Getting cross with Asda for offering discounts to a group of people who have always been entitled to discounts as a perk of their job means you are missing the point. If people cannot afford to buy the basics, then it’s society who is going wrong at a macro level. It’s not the fault of Asda’s marketing team. They’ve got us talking, eh? We are missing the point though. No point in being angry a doctor gets 10% of his weetabix, let’s be angry that so many people are seriously concerned they cannot afford the very basics to
feed themselves.

it is far too broad a term 'keyworker' as if half of society are being protected by the brave souls who have given up their place on a lifeboat on the Titanic for the good of the rest of the ship. It was a blanket keyworker thing for anyone who worked in the NHS, when in reality it should have been for those who day in and out were directly exposed to the virus. That would include the likes of firemen, paramedic, ambulance staff, doctors, nurses and cleaning staff in hot areas.

The only thing more annoying than someone announcing they are “a key worker” is someone announcing they are a “vegan key worker”

I don’t care who gets discounts for what just stop telling everyone you’re a key worker.

I hate the phrase keyworker. I worked throughout the pandemic with client's giving advice, delivering food and essentials and making sure the most in need were OK. My friend who worked from home part time for the NHS would push to the front of queues with her NHS badge like she had such a hectic life. She got given free flowers from a supermarket once 😂

People aren't going to begrudge a hospital cleaner getting a discount but not the higher rate tax paying NHS workers.

The person who said that they didn't get furlough is also very rude. 3 million self employed people were #excluded and there were lots of other groups of people going to work without ppe and keeping the country running rg people in retail, people keeping the utilities going, people making food deliveries.

Rather than offer one group a discount, Asda should have ploughed that money into keeping their value range cheap or donating items to food banks.

The OP is talking about comments regarding discounts for keyworkers during/now the pandemic., not the blue light discounts. So this is since the pandemic, not pre. There are many types of keyworkers but some essential keyworkers whose lives where in the frontline, eg shop workers and bus drivers (most without protection unlike the nhs), are not considered worthy. Not all keyworkers are equal apparently. Hence the animosity.

NHS is an easy organisation to offer discount to, a huge number of staff to get business from and looks good for the company too and the volume sales will outweigh the loss of margin

I worked as a ' Key worker ' doing domiciliary home care on minimum wage. No discounts for me. It's virtue signalling bollox

God people are bitter. My friends all know about my blue light card and they check in with me if they want a discount! People are so desperate to be miserable about anything and everything!

Yeah that also bugs me hearing that.
I was being paid 130 a week, I had 3 children to support. Two weeks after the restaurant was allowed to reopen I was let go (last in, first out yay!)

I did apply for vacancies in care homes and bank nhs work (not for the discount I may add!) but it seems very hard to get in to if you don't have x amount of years experience.

This. My husband maintained the Internet lines throughout the lockdowns, pretty essential to keep people working from home, and systems for ambulance, fire, police etc. I find it odd that key worker discounts are so selective, such as NHS and blue light, especially as when you looked at the list of key workers the majority of jobs were on the list. We all make the world go round and I agree that if supermarkets worked on making prices lower we'd all be able to be more comfortable

Discounts should be for the most needy which aren’t NHS workers in secure jobs.

I did/ do begrudge discounts for NHS workers with no direct contact to patients eg office staff doing no jobs that are no different to other office workers up and down the land.

I also begrudge discounts to the Cahms workers who dumped kids and gave next to no support during the pandemic leaving schools to trudge on in as normal and look after the same children with zero protection or social distancing.

Millions of people are struggling to make ends meet. So want any help they can get, and wish to have that others have.

The people they should be blaming are not those who get discounts, but the government.

I pack fish fingers in a factory. We were mildly amused to be given letters to confirm we were keyworkers in case the police wondered why we were out and about at five in the morning.

What didn't amuse us so much was leaving work at 2pm and finding no bread and milk in the shops as those who weren't working had got there before us.
Or finding that covid spreads quite quickly when you work shoulder to shoulder with your 200 workmates in a windowless room. Lots of people off sick ( no sickpay just ssp) People actually died of covid too. Who knew packing fish fingers could be so dangerous.

We still don't see ourselves as keyworkers, but there were a lot of minimum wage paid staff in many jobs, unable to claim sick pay who certainly should have had a bit of recognition for working through the pandemic.

Discounts to people who don’t need it or deserve it take discounts from those who do. Companies don’t do both and frankly ignoring those far more deserving ie the fish finger packet below as opposed to well paid NHS office workers tucked away at home is actually pretty awful.

This. The list of discounts DH and DB get through their corporate roles are endless, far higher than any business offers to NHS/keyworkers etc. They are both in 6 figure salaries and also get health insurance, company cars and a host of other benefits 'keyworkers' could only dream of. Discounts extent beyond a single supermarket and to a huge range of stores via corporate vouchers. Corporate vouchers are also given as employee rewards to avoid paying tax on them. Their companies allowed them to wfh throughout as well as sending regular little rewards and treats via courier - eg team building day and a luxury lunch, bottle of wine and snacks delivered so they could have it virtually. Schools closed and activity packs sent to employees with children

Funnily enough, I have never heard anyone begrudge them of any of it and I can guarantee you that a good portion of posters on here will use the company that DB works for and therefore indirectly be paying for this treatment for their employees..

As many have said, the blue light card isn't new, it was around many years before covid and so were NHS discounts from selected retailers. If someone feels they should also be entitled to the perks another has, they should so something about it rather than whining

Lots of people seem very annoyed about this. It's not a 'keyworker' discount because I'm a teacher and don't qualify. They are just now accepting the Blue Light Card that gives discount at loads of places and has been around for ages.

Just like some places accept a student discount card, and some places offer discounts to teachers.

And it's not targeting the people who need it most - low waged, unemployed, homeless - because that makes bad business sense. They might be marketing it as 'helping out' but it's also about attracting new customers - the sort of customers they want, those who might make the switch permanent and have money to spend.

I don't begrudge someone else getting discount.

When did someone announce they were a vegan key worker?

Surely this is taking advantage of the scheme? Even when I got a staff discount card for the supermarket I worked in, the partner card had to be used by someone who lived at the same address.

It does rankle a bit when you're a minimum wage non council, non NHS key worker.
I don't begrudge anyone getting a bonus like this but I wish more could to reflect those who did their bit behind the scenes sometimes working without the protection and voice afforded by large organisations.

100% this. Im a key worker but well aware my pay, working conditions and job security are far far better than a lot of peoples. Why should I get a discount when I chose this career path? I have a decent salary, good maternity leave, decent pension. I completely understand in these difficult times that people begrudge particularly senior key workers on good money discounts they don’t need.