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

What gets people's goat is the ridiculous fawning over every 'hero' working for the NHS or police and the people who have a total God complex as a result, tarnishing the overall image.

Just...no. I accept that there are medical staff and police officers on the actual front line to whom the Country should be very grateful. But there's a huge amount of standard admin type roles which are filled with normal, totally non-heroic, people.

One of my neighbours works on reception in our local hospital foyer. Standard 9-5 admin/customer service type work. She bangs on and on about being a fucking key worker until you want to scream.

My SIL works for the police as a non emergency call handler. She had less training than my local bank call centre gives staff...it's just switchboard work, for which she's very well paid. She's another with a serious God complex that wants everyone to recognise her and fawn over her. You're just answering a phone and pressing buttons my lovely 🙄

I don't begrudge ANYONE an employee discount scheme...great, good for you. I have one in work myself and make good use out of it.

But I suspect lots of people have examples of people they know like my examples - and hearing them wittering on for 2 years and being included in the numerous 'hero worshipping' adverts and posts by massive businesses has started to rankle.

I think the term 'key worker' gets peoples backs up. There were so many people who kept the country running during the pandemic who were not considered key workers and still had to juggle work and home schooling. While at the same time knew that many many NHS services were not working at all during this time.

I think there are alot of people struggling to put food on the table, and it's hard to see others benefitiing from a discount, in the liklihood that people without the discount are subsidising it....even when they are living on the breadline themselves.

Its a hard world at the moment for everyone.

There were also 'keyworkers' like my relative who is a truck driver. Due to restricted opening hours then special hours that excluded him, he couldn't just go to the supermarket in the early morning after working all night. Then when he went later in the day before a shift the shelves were empty. Same for me going after work.

The pandemic was harsh. It’s no one’s fault that we lived through that. Many people saw their livelihoods cut off and had no income and no government support. That was harsh.

People who worked in ICU etc deserve all the praise in the world, but we are two years in and that’s not what this ASDA discount is about. Many keyworkers who kept you working during the pandemic aren’t eligible. Teachers, sewage workers, the guys delivering oxygen, guys working on the National grid. Many are on minimum wage too.

But this isn't an employee scheme. It's subsidised by everyone else, not the company someone works for. And an increasing number of us are experiencing first-hand the way vast swathes of the NHS are still operating as if there was no Covid vaccine. From emergency ambulances not arriving until the patient is dead, to GPs walled up behind technology and not seeing patients face to face, many of us are in despair. It's time for these schemes to just stop.

Paramedic here. I’ve always found it a bit odd the way some of my colleagues strut about with their lanyards and uniform showing (usually with sunglasses on their head rain or shine 🙄) and it’s embarrassing when they ask EVERYWHERE “do you you do NHS discount?”. I had a blue light card but only used it occasionally when out for dinner with friends to make the bill cheaper for everyone. I haven’t bothered renewing it because I never remember I have it until afterwards. I never bothered with the queue jumping nonsense either. I’d rather the elderly and disabled who couldn’t stand in a queue for long get priority.

It is just a job that I get paid a decent wage for in the grand scheme of things (now, not when I was training or newly qualified….that was harder financially). People do fawn and gush over it though which I find cringeworthy. Even yesterday I had the “oooh thankyou for what you do. I couldn’t do what you do” when they found out my job. It’s lovely but I don’t like it. My job is 80% common sense and 20% a bit of knowledge and skills that most people could easily pick up through training.

I do really hate the “what about me” trope though. It’s so toxic and mean. Nobody can do anything without that rearing it’s ugly mean spirited head. Everyone Active have offered a years free gym membership to Ukrainian refugees and the comments people have been making on that are disgusting.

About a month ago I was asked to unplug my car in Lidl by a lanyard waving woman who informed me she was a keyworker.

From emergency ambulances not arriving until the patient is dead,

This is mainly to do with ambulances stacking at hospitals unable to offload their patients rather than ambulance services ignoring the vaccine. It’s not unusual now to spend half a shift queuing at A&E. If you can’t offload your patient you can’t go to the next one waiting or you can’t get the vehicle back to base for the next crew/shift.

Blue light card is not limited to NHS staff.

It was around long before Covid

It is also not free

The vast majority of patient facing staff are paid MUCH less than 100k and are also struggling with the cost of living.

NHS staff are also real people who don’t think they are “hero’s” trying to do their best to care in a broken under funded system.

how about attacking the government for the terrible state of the NHS and GP services instead ☹️

If anyone wants the discount, get a job in the NHS. Or quit complaining!

The NHS has record vacancies right now for all sorts of roles inc non clinical roles such as business analysts, business technology etc. Don’t want to move because you will be paid less? That’ll be why they’re getting the discount!

Why not?
Looking to book a small local concert next week and on their page they state that they give free tickets to people on the NMW. Seems fair enough to me.

I don't care what others get but I'm well tired of the keyworkers bullshit. All jobs are needed in society, the concept has completely lost its initial meaning/intention which was merely around schooling, not about rating the value of people's respective professions.

I think it’s a nonsense term which is intrinsically divisive and presents certain roles as socially purposive and others as not, whereas in fact countless other jobs are socially purposive (why should a school receptionist, say, get a different status from the child minder whose work enables her to do hers?)

I also think (and there are examples on this thread) some people seem to think everyone who wasn’t a key worker was furloughed during lockdown. Obviously not true and very irritating for those of us who were working FT throughout while also home schooling, doing jobs that are just as necessary as anyone else’s.

A key worker discount or fast queue would really put me off using a business. All sorts of unfair things happened during the pandemic- might have been necessary then but that’s no reason to keep them now.

I have a blue light card. And it's great. However during covid, the NHS discounts made me uncomfortable, as I was on full pay and working full time. I saved money. Many other people weren't so lucky.

I never jumped the queue. I only shop on my days off and my time is no more important than anyone else's. Besides I enjoyed taking to people and being out of the house!

Because it’s just virtue signalling from the business and doesn’t necessarily help the people who need it.

NHS workers have structured pay and job security, the medics have a career for life. Some NHS/blue lights employees are very well paid (some aren’t). Lots of people don’t have those things and are on low wages. The rise in cost of living affects everyone.

it’s back to the whole keyworkers and home schooling issue - yes keyworkers needed access to schools, yes they worked hard in the pandemic, but some of us (civil service) weren’t entitled to furlough, were expected to do our jobs (and more) from home, and to educate our children simultaneously. Others had to go to work keeping everyone else fed and the lights on. It’s been hard for everyone, different kinds of hard, but rewarding one group of people can feel a little like disregard for other struggles.

I've had a blue light card and used health service discount for years. Well before covid. Before that I had employee discount and perks at other shops working at McDonald's in 6th form, an NUS card as a student and perks at work in academia. I've always had a discount at the local Domino's as well for example. These things were in place well before the pandemic. Large organisations have the power to negotiate deals for their staff. These are just perks that other people are only aware of following the pandemic. People standing on the doorstep clapping (a completely ridiculous gesture) has just increased animosity towards us and made some people working in the NHS feel like they're owed the world on a silver platter.

I work with a lady like this. We work in a food shop and I have to admit being there for the first month of lockdown affected me quite badly but I did it, she however didn't work the first 6 weeks due to a bereavement (fair enough) but is always telling people "oh I'm a keyworker". I'm sorry but we're not doing anything special we're only working because we have no choice.
Morrisons gave their staff t-shirts that announced "I'm a keyworker" I used to feel embarrassed for them.
Anyway back to the point if Asda can afford to do this why don't they just reduce prices on staple goods so we all benefit.

"It's time for these schemes to just stop."

It's not a keyworker scheme. Why don't people read things properly before they start frothing. It's a discount card that has been around for ages. It isn't for keyworkers because teachers aren't eligible.

"Because it’s just virtue signalling from the business and doesn’t necessarily help the people who need it."

They are not interested in 'helping the people who need it' because they're not a charity. They're interested in attracting new customers away from Aldi and Lidl, and this discount card might encourage new shopping habits. It pays for itself if it works.

OP also said:

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.

Why don’t people read things properly? 😭

Cokehead, plenty of comments referencing the Asda scheme.

I'd also be interested in where is still running a keyworker discount.

@justfiveminutes

It is for key workers

Teachers weren't key workers

Their unions actively campaigned to shut schools, keep them shut longer and to keep their staff home

Locally, most teachers didn't set foot in a school during the lockdowns and did very little work

Schools also made it as difficult as possible for kids to access the 'key worker' provision. Including sending out guilt tripping emails to parents discouraging them from using it and urging them to think of the teachers and their families.

What do teachers need a discount for? Well paid, secure job. Loads of holidays

If hcp don't deserve it teachers sure as shit don't

Topgub, yes teachers were keyworkers. We had letters giving us permission to leave the house during lockdown, could send our children to school, and could access all of the keyworker benefits.