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

Exactly, I had one before covid because I was a care assistant. They're for people who work in services that we all rely on one way or another, though some like teachers, aren't included and I think maybe they should be.

We do, as a society, need to attract people to these jobs or we suffer the concequences - like we are now with many services struggling to recruit staff. Less and less people are choosing them because they're not attractive careers. But people seem short sighted and blinkered on this point, demanding that these services are staffed and run well yet unwilling to entertain the some of the reasons they're not is the treatment and poor regard of the people working in them - 'A job they chose' is a common response, well we need to do what we can to ensure people do choose these jobs don't we?

And I'll just say that a 10% discount on some things I bought really wasn't the reason I was a care assistant, and didn't really take the edge off the utterly shit conditions you're expected to work under and be grateful for.

If you want the 10% discount, then you need to put up with all the other shit a job that gives you it goes with - and increasingly people aren't.

I’d be pretty peed off too if I’d worked on the bins, delivered groceries, drove a bus/tram/train, or many other unsung roles throughout.

Where’s their discount?

Blue light discount is been around for years though- the sudden hatred now seems very much media driven. But then so does the hatred for all HCW as well. We are all shit, lazy, and incompetent.........

Right at the beginning this applied to everyone. We were all advised not to handle things if we weren’t going to buy them. I remember having to take a dc to the shop with me in the early days and constantly reminding them not to touch. There was a lot of worry about surface transmission at the beginning.

The discount card was set up years ago to offer discounts to certain professions. I don't think they're under any obligation to include 'everyone who deserves it.' Just like student discount cards don't have to extend their benefits to non-students.

Claps should be enough. Thats what the government said so why not give everyone a discount, especially those who don't get claps or rainbows in the window for them

The website Discounts for Teachers includes anyone who works in education, including cleaners and admin staff.
Similar discounts to Blue Light.

" why not give everyone a discount"

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

There are several teachers ones also.......are they MN acceptable?........

Someone was complaining about the lack of ambulances and access to GPs

Thsts not because they're 'hiding' behind covid. Its because of lack of staff, lack of funding and the nhs being on its knees.

Staff are leaving in droves and we have no way to replace them.

Then folk moan about how shit the service is and shit the staff are which increases the pressure which makes more people leave which makes the service worse.

The job is so hard. And relatively under paid for most.

And yes lots of other jobs deserve more recognition and better pay that they won't get that from shitting on nhs staff

"And yes lots of other jobs deserve more recognition and better pay that they won't get that from shitting on nhs staff."

Yet your last post was shitting on teachers.

Justfiveminutes

The discount card was set up years ago to offer discounts to certain professions. I don't think they're under any obligation to include 'everyone who deserves it.' Just like student discount cards don't have to extend their benefits to non-students.”

needs to be revised, in that case, or scrapped. of course there’s no obligation but it’s non-sensical. Why is an NHS admin worker any more “deserving” than a TA or a postie?

Slightly off topic, but I know several lawyers and accountants (in the private sector) who were working from home, and who continually referred to themselves as key workers, kids in the schools etc.

I (also a lawyer in the private sector - I’m not a lawyer any more but I was back then) could not see the argument. It’s not that the jobs aren’t important - obviously they are - but I thought the whole point of the school provision was for people who needed the childcare because they HAD to work out of the home. They weren’t exactly out there on the front line.

I worked from home with two tiny children (one was infant school aged, the other a toddler in nursery) and do you know what? it nearly bloody killed me. But i did it.

I didn’t want them in the school/nursery hubs anyway. They sounded utterly cold and miserable here.

@WeOnlyTalkAboutBruno I’m a lawyer who worked from home while home schooling, and I also know lawyers who claimed to be key workers to send their kids to school, on the basis that they were “court staff” (I’m talking about commercial sols and barristers who didn’t go near a court). A lot of piss taking.

I would love to know if anyone is studying whether children home schooled in the pandemic have different outcomes from those who went to school.

I'm an SEN teacher and was in school throughout bar the first three or four weeks over the Easter holiday until we got everything sorted.

But don't let that sway you from your teacher-bashing narrative.

The thing is (and sorry of this has already been said) the Blue Light Card isn't some sort of reward for keyworkers because they are somehow more worthy than the rest of the population.

It's simply an employee discount / benefits scheme. I'm in another one too through work. If you can persuade companies that you have a large pool of people who may buy from them if a small discount is offered then you have the beginnings of an employee discount scheme.

Anyone who work for a reasonably large employee probably has access to a similar scheme, as do GMB union members (and probably other unions too).

Your voting options are ridiculous- it’s possible to think YABU without also thinking “screw key workers, what about me”.

BlueLightCard is now available for NHS pensioners as well - just received mine.

Had to send copy of latest P60 to prove eligibility.

Costs £4.99 for 2 years. Will easily make that back.

@justfiveminutes

Maybe a bit.

@KatherineofGaunt

If you think me pointing out why the teachers local to me and teaching unions dont deserve to be included in the key worker group is teaching bashing thats fine

Thought I'd share out the bashing

Topgub, you're bashing the wrong people. I've spent the whole thread saying I don't get the discount but am happy for those that do.

Your facts are incorrect about unions trying to keep schools closed (they were trying to get safe working conditions but you know what? We went in anyway, regardless of no vaccine and no PPE) and you're assuming that just because a school near you chose to close completely and not make their teachers work at all, that it was the same everywhere. Your assumptions and incorrect facts absolutely are teacher-bashing.

I'm not bashing NHS staff for getting a blue light discount, nor for the fact that I've only just had the date for my next audiology appointment after 3 years since the last. Everyone struggled in the pandemic and the only people who deserve bashing are the government.

NEU discount scheme:
neu.org.uk/neu-rewards

Another teaching discount scheme:
www.discountsforteachers.co.uk/

@KatherineofGaunt

I'm absolutely not incorrect. Teaching unions were actively campaigning for schools to be closed and then for them not to be re opened.

A counter campaign was even started by a group called them for us.

Children were utterly failed during the lockdowns by lots of teachers and their unions

Not all, lots of teachers also did everything they could to help.

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

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.