To think it's U to make us stand all day?

[FedupofbeingtoldIcantusemyname]

I work part time in retail.

I've somebody various jobs before where standing and walking for the entirety of a shift (anything from 8-14hrs) is an absolutely necessity.

However, in my current job there is at least an a possibility that we could sit down whilst on the till but we aren't allowed - why?

The tills are in such an area of the shop that you could fit high stools behind the till area and no one needs to walk through so there is no reason why, practically, you couldn't have chairs there.

Aibu to think they are U to not allow us chairs? Me and several other colleagues have to work 9-10hrs shifts which is a long time on your feet

Yanbu. I had a similar job once where I had to stand at the same till for hours without a chance of walking around even a little bit to stretch my legs. A chair or seat would have made a massive difference.

Do you spend all day at the tills?

I had the same problem before I left my retail job. When I was pregnant I had to beg for a chair!
With my second pregnancy I developed PGP and simply couldn't stand for very long. The manager at the time was sensible and found me lots of sitting down jobs. Didn't stop some bods from head office having a go at me when I didn't leap up to go on the tills. They wouldn't take "I can't" for an answer, so I hobbled to the tills, only to be overtaken by three other members of staff who were much quicker than me! I hobbled back to the job I was doing.
We used to be able to sit down. It was a perk of being on the till. I don't know why it was changed.

Don't you get a lunch break? That's really poor if you don't. I have worked in a shitty hotel where I was expected to stand at the desk for a full eight hours and a lunch / tea / loo break was a rare luxury. Some employers totally take the piss. On the up side, I think standing is better for you than sitting, but no break is shit.

Sometimes yes hermione, if we aren't on till then we are walking around the shop floor, putting stock out etc so it's fair enough we can't sit down at all. There are some days we are at the tills all day though, especially when it's busy.

YANBU

I'd get a chair then anyway and let them complain. Disciplinary over sitting down, that'll go down well!

What reason have they given?

They haven't given a reason as such, just that we aren't allowed! Probably something to do with it not being as nice for customers?

I think if you're standing in one spot all day, it would be nice for them to let you sit down.

Presumably if you were injured or pregnant you'd be allowed a chair?

YANBU. I once worked in a shop where were weren't even allowed to kneel/sit on the floor to stock shelves. And they paid is £1.98 p/h.

Yes there was a colleague who had an injury and she was allowed a chair. A one point she was away from the till and I jokingly sat on it, the manager spotted me and told me to get up.

I temporarily worked on the tills at Asda, apparently you need a doctors note to have a bottle of water with you , with 4-5 hours between breaks it seemed kind of harsh to me.

YANBU - I worked in a hotel waitressing a long time ago. Every shift, 8-10 hours of walking, I felt like I was walking on hot coals by the end of it. It's a long time to be on your feet

What is their reason for not being able to provide high stools at the tills at least?

I've never understood why retail staff can't have high stools to sit on.. I've never walked into a shop and thought 'wow, look how smart everyone looks standing'

I worked at a garage once, doing the evening shift. From about 9pm there would be virtually no customers, but I was expected to stand. Id do super slow shelf stocking, line up the sweets... to fill the time, but eventually I'd run out of things and just stand there. Best I could do was sit on an milk crate for a bit and hide from the cameras like I was off doing something. Once i fell asleep standing up with my head on the counter. Woke up when a customer 'ahem'd'.

Standing still is very hard. I was more tired from standing and mooching all day in a shop, than the following job walking all over a hospital.

When teaching, I pace the classroom a lot, and find that I end up perching on the corners of desks to break up the stiffness of standing.

I couldn't stand outside Buckingham Palace in a bear skin hat

How is it nicer for the customer if you are standing up?
It doesn't bother me in the least if the person on the till is sitting down, as long as they deal with me promptly (and don't carry on glumly gazing into space with their head in their hands whilst chewing gum, as happened to me last week)

This is what I hate about retail jobs, I used to work for a larfe well known electricals store (now closed down) and we stood all day long. Fine when it was busy and you were moving about all the time, but when quiet, it was ridiculous to be stood behind a counter (if on till duty) and have to stand in the same place for ages just waiting for a customer to arrive, and unable to leave your station. Is it any wonder staff take long loo breaks, its awful, painful and dehumanising to be made to stand all day like this for no good reason.

Ive never worked in a retail job where you can sit

Every chance you ask for a chair you get denied

Even my local boots has just been refitted so they can't sit down whilst working

It's awful

Large!

I understand your pain, but most retail and hospitality jobs are like this.

Try gel insoles for shoes and if you're really struggling maybe look for a new line of work.

YANBU, someone in your company is a control freak.

I think there should be chairs behind tills - why does standing on the spot and probably damaging your knees look "better" than sitting down and being comfortable?!

I've never worked a retail job where you've been allowed to sit down, it sucks. Luckily my job is in a clothes shop and if you're in the stock room, there are seats up there. When it's busy, people argue over who is getting replenishment stock so they get to sit down and listen to the radio for a bit!

YANBU that's well out of order

YANBU. How many breaks do you get? Do you have a lunch break? I used to stand for the entirety of an 8 hour shift but I got breaks where I could go and sit down.