Military Veterans.....

[mushroom25]

deserving of respect? or country-invading-killers-of-innocent people not worthy of it? words spoken out of turn by this specsavers employee? or fair comment not worthy of the fuss being made?

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/woodbridge-specsavers-suffolk-veteran-incident-1-5907296

[Baldric]

Mrs B and myself have used Specsavers for, probably 10 years,
Will not be going back that's for sure, Mrs B agrees.
They will be made aware of why.

[jackthehat]

I can't imagine Specsavers, as a business, either hold or endorse similar views to these....

A single employee shooting their mouth off should be no reason to abandon using their services.

[Peter Pedant]

insulting vets is something I dont support
( however I am conflicted about saying - shoot them or tear their fingernails out, - the gainsayers not the vets)

clearly an employee has to follow his employers lead ( or leave ) so in the course of work, it should be forbidden

This was a problem in Brun ten or fifteen years ago - visitors going up to injured vets in one of the hospitals and saying - you are killing my brothers

and the brummies basically responded - when we get out we will kill a few more

why has it been made public as speccy responded appropriately ....
and speccie is not denying the conversation took place - oo er mrs!

[237SJ]

That's just one idiot employee - if you boycotted every business with an idiot employee, you wouldn't be able to deal with anyone.

[Peter Pedant]

well dont go to vision express
one of my neighbours was 'too ill to be seen'
oh said the skool leaver, he has to go to A+E !

Asda saw him instead - thank you Mr Akeel !

[Theland]

I bet the offender was a Muslim.

[237SJ]

^ Are there many of those in Suffolk?

[Mamyalynne]

Everyone sees life differently - the trick is to know when to keep your mouth shut.

This employee didn't.

[JF85]

When I was in hospital, I don't remember random visitors being told I was a veteran. But that wasn't Birmingham. Maybe we do things differently in the wilds?

[agchristie]

Suspension seemed inevitable.

The employee could well be out the door!

[Peter Pedant]

no politics to customers is an obvious one ....

a.tho once a customer told me to vote Labour - I simpered and said something

[Prudie]

And yet I bet it was far more likely a young leftie (equally prejudiced). I'm not surprised at the comment, I don't think it's that rare a view. When I was a student that was the opinion of many of my long-haired peers including my own boyfriend.

[Peter Pedant]

// When I was in hospital, I don't remember random visitors being told I was a veteran.//

um were you in with a head injury ? well it wouldnt have been the vet's own visitors would it? - or would it?

[Hopkirk]

Specsavers are franchises, so this piece of excrement would be an employee of that local business, and not Specsavers itself.

[KARL]

In my opinion verbally abusing an ex-soldier regarding his past employment is inappropriate, as with any verbal abuse.

There is no suggestion, and I find it highly unlikely, that the sacked person knows the ex-serviceman or his career. However, he is said (and claims) to be a "veteran" - of an armed conflict, one assumes. The implication is that his participation was in military conflict within the last 38 years. Unless I am confused, only two of these involved (official) UK soil (invasion or direct defence/policing) - Northern Ireland and the Falkland Islands. The rest all involved the UK sending its forces to fight abroad where the UK was not under military attack or in a state major civil conflagration.

If the ex-serviceman fought in the first two then the abuse was at least inaccurate. If in any of the others, then it may have been correct but nevertheless uncalled for.

I would not agree with the quite common assumption that an ex-serviceman has sacrificed anything "for his country", he applied for a job, got it and (one assumes) did what was expected of him. On leaving his job he would appear to get certain privileges, which he is entitled to claim. I find the modern "hero" label applied in blanket fashion an entirely inappropriate jingoism.

[JF85]

Sorry, that's no clearer.

Were they people who knew these vets and visited to look for a fight, or strangers who took the opportunity simply because it was on a plate?

How long did it continue for it to be considered a problem rather than an incident?

I don't mean to be pedantic, but you do slightly invite it.

[JF85]

I agree with KARL on the blanket use of 'hero', but don't consider priority treatment for work-related injuries or illness to be a privilege. Employers should be held responsible for their employees' health, at least where it has been caused or aggravated by their work.

[Baldric]

When he asked to be listed as a veteran, Mr Leale claims a staff member accused him of “killing innocent people”.
He said he was left “gobsmacked” by the alleged comment.

[murraymints]

but..as others have said..an individual made the comment..not Specsavers , and they have been sufficiently horrified to immediately suspend the said person pending further action.... no point in boycotting Specsavers for the unauthorised and unsupported comments made by a soon to be ex employee...

[andy-hughes]

I did pick out the quote at the end of the piece - // “... this isn’t the way Steve deserves to be treated after giving 32 years of his life for his country.”

First and foremost, Steve has not 'given thirty-two years of his life for his country' - that makes him a career soldier by choice, not a conscript or someone unwilling to do what is required of them as a serving solider.

I mention that simply because it actually clouds the issue here.

Steve does not deserve to be treated this way whether he was a soldier or a lion-tamer - his past occupation is not the issue.

He does not deserve to be treated this way simply because he is a citizen going about his business, and should not be the victim of a yob who doesn't have the manners and professional courtesy to keep his arrogant pointless opinions to himself in the workplace.