Things are easier for the rich

[andrewducker]

Because I work for a large company, that has the kind of employee* that people want as customers, we have a negotiating advantage when it comes to buying things.

Which means that we have a corporate perks scheme that gives me access to things like gift cards with discounts. For instance, I live a 5 minute walk from a decent sized Sainsbury's supermarket. And one of the available gift cards gives me 5% off of Sainsbury's gift cards. So I can put a couple of hundred pounds on the gift card at the start of the month and get everthing they sell 5% cheaper than anyone who doesn't have access to this kind of perk. Like most poor people.

I'm not going to stop taking advatnage of it because, well, cheap stuff. But it doesn't feel right to me that I get things cheaper than other people because I work for a successful company.


*Like me

Comments

[teresafloyd]

There's that fine old saying that "The rich get richer." It's based in the truth that people like to court the best clients that they can get including giving them gifts. It's a common business practice because it is effective.

I see nothing wrong with taking advantage of the benefits earned through your intelligence, education, and even luck.

If you feel any guilt about it, you could just continue to make donations to the kinds of charities that tend to help people who don't have access to those perks. That's a way of sharing the benefits.

[pseudomonas]

This is on top of things like having the resources to bulk-buy and store items (especially when the prices are low), having the mobility to get to shops that sell cheaper/better food, and so on.

[birguslatro]

Even without perks, the well-paid are in a better position for buying stuff than the poor, so it's an odd thing to single out.

Something does need to be done about the growing inequality between rich and poor though. It's a bit of a time-bomb, given the also growing numbers of unemployed among the young.