To think shopworkers want customers to wear masks?

[bravefox]

Just that really. I wear a mask when I go into shops as I suspect shopworkers want customers to, but very few other people seem to bother/care. I know some people can't wear masks, but they majority certainly could. To me it's just a politeness thing.

YANBU: Shopworkers want customers to wear masks
YABU: Shopworkers don't care

I've only been to the corner shop and post office and as the staff aren't wearing masks and there are no signs I presume they're not bothered.

If I go into town or supermarket (which is unlikely, I don't see the point) I'll be removing the mask between shops. I wore one for the first time on Monday as I was back in the office and it was unbearable. When there was no one around I had it hanging from one ear so I could breathe properly. There's nothing I can do about work, but I won't be going anywhere else if they become mandatory.

If shopkeepers want customers to wear masks they should too. Very few in my area wear them at all now. I wish it had been made compulsory early on to be honest.

I am am wearing masks in all indoor public spaces and refuse to use any businesses where staff are not doing the same.

You'd honestly have a really hard time shopping round here. Yesterday in a large retail shop I saw one staff member in a mask and that was pulled down under his chin, another large store only the security guard on the door had one. In the supermarkets and convenience stores no one wears them apart from one very diligent lady in Sainsbury's local who wears a visor and loudly instructs her customers of the process while the rest of the line of staff don't pay any heed.

I'm on the fence. I prefer the idea of distancing as I think masks give a false sense of security against the virus. That said, if they were mandatory I would wear one.

Far more irritating imo are the staff in supermarkets who want customers to follow their one way system but then don't follow it themselves and have the audacity to tut at the customer going the correct way because they dared to pass the staff member too closely.

I agree OP, I was the only person in the M&S food hall wearing a mask at the weekend. The shard were visibly nervous as the store was getting too full and people were not distancing themselves. The checkout operator thanked me for wearing a mask as I was leaving.

@princesspenny

Yes, we do. Thankfully only 2 days until it becomes compulsory here in Scotland

I do wish to would be compulsory here (England).

A member of my family has worked on a shop floor all throughout this pandemic (supermarket, not behind a screened till or counter) no fucks given by management to the safety of staff - controlled numbers allowed in? Not in the supermarket where they work, no fucks given by customers to follow social distancing, they can find themselves surrounded by upto 5 people jostling to get to shelves and shoving past them.

I am asthmatic and wear a mask to protect others. My autistic 17 year old wears a mask, my autistic 5 year really tries, she struggles but even she tries.

I think if you are capable and you don't then you are a selfish excuse for a human being.

I just see loads of people with masks wearing it wrong. And thinking they don’t have to do social distancing etc.
I think they give a false sense of security

I am am wearing masks in all indoor public spaces and refuse to use any businesses where staff are not doing the same.

There will always be exemptions though. So it may be mandatory/store policy but still there will be members of staff wearing no mask because they are exempt.

@contrmary

I've got a mask but it feels like I'm being waterboarded if I wear it when doing anything other than sitting down. I've got asthma and it is hard enough to breathe as it is sometimes.

Plus in most shops the workers don't wear masks either, so no, I don't think they can reasonably expect customers to. Obviously in some places it's the law, fair enough.

I am reading a lot of comments deriding shopworkers - I see that as using any excuse to relinquish yourself of the responsibility you have to be a decent human being.

@contrmary

Apologies, didn't mean to quote you.

Shopworker here. We are wearing the see-through visors (I work at Next) and we are the only store on our retail park where staff are wearing any form of PPE.

I'd love customers to wear masks. We have to sit with them for up to an hour if we are filling out paperwork for home finance agreements, and when we are walking the shop floor we are constantly approached by customers who stand far too close, don't step back if we ask them to, and who seem to be very touchy-feely at the moment. There have been several in the past couple of weeks who want to touch us on the arm all the time....! I guess tactile people are going to find it hard to change the habits of a lifetime.

We have several asthmatic staff members, and they are fine with the visors as they don't actually touch your face or restrict airflow. They do mess with your vision and hearing though! If we are doing certain tasks (working in close proximity with other staff members, or packaging up returned stock) we are also supposed to wear a disposable face mask underneath the visor, but in practice that has been left up to the individual. We can wear a disposable mask under the visor at all times on the shop floor if we wish, but the visor is mandatory.

I was thanked by a Sainsbury’s employee for wearing a mask! This was in peak lockdown though

@midnightstar66

I am am wearing masks in all indoor public spaces and refuse to use any businesses where staff are not doing the same.

You'd honestly have a really hard time shopping round here. Yesterday in a large retail shop I saw one staff member in a mask and that was pulled down under his chin, another large store only the security guard on the door had one. In the supermarkets and convenience stores no one wears them apart from one very diligent lady in Sainsbury's local who wears a visor and loudly instructs her customers of the process while the rest of the line of staff don't pay any heed.

Yes it is the same where I live unfortunately. Luckily I am happy to do most things online. I expect things will change in the autumn when cases start to rise again and it will be a choice between shutting businesses down or making masks manditory.

Toddler DS won't allow me to wear my mask. He will wear his one for 30 seconds max and then pull it off. Then pull mine off and suddenly it's a hilarious game. 🤦

Becoming the norm and will be compulsory on Friday here in Sotland.

I am considering going back to work soon (not planned) after having my baby. I work in a supermarket and it wouldn't bother me. Most customers don't stand over staff members for 15 minutes or even 5 so doesn't worry me.
Also in hospital at the moment and it's a struggle to hear the staff clearly due to the masks. So it'll be the same in the supermarket.

I work in a shop, I used to wear a mask but head office have recently changed our guidance so that it isn't mandatory. If I served you, you'd be 2 meters away, behind a screen and I'd sanitise my hands before and after the process. I won't wear a mask if it isn't compulsory though and so long as their sensible, I'd rather customers didn't either.

We get a lot of abuse from customers, particularly since lockdown, and giving aggressive (almost always) men an opportunity to hide their face makes me quite nervous. A few previously banned people have tried to come in, thinking we won't recognise them with a mask on. Masks also make it very difficult to tell a young person's age and people don't like being asked to remove them or show me ID.

Also, I think it's worth mentioning, 9/10 customers wearing masks don't wear them properly, leaving their nose exposed and rendering them useless.

Plus, my boss and 2 of my colleagues are deaf so we'd not be very useful with masks on.

As a pp said, reading this from outside the UK is jaw dropping. Why the hell would you not? They help because if you're asymptomatic you can spread it, the masks reduce this risk. You're not taking a risk with your own life it's everyone else you come in contact with. 90% of people who I see in shops when I have to go are wearing them and it's a tiny minority who have a problem with it.

Saying it's a bit late now, well for what's already happened yes but it's not gone. You can wear a mask and stop it being worse in the future.

Saying you keep your distance, well you can't account for others actions so if someone trips by you or leans across you to get something in the shop that's distance gone.

You're only in a shop for an hour max doing 'the big shop'. It's not bloody hard, wear a mask, wash/sanitize your hands when you take it off.

I am really surprised how long this thread stood without certain posters turning up and explaining why it can't be done by loads of copy and paste from articles

I wore a mask before lockdown as I'm a cleaner going into peoples homes. It was horrible, unbearable claustrophobic etc etc (I'm not asthmatic). I've just gone back to work now and I'm wearing it again and do you know what? I hardly notice its there. Yes there are a myriad of reasons why people can't wear them but the rest of you just bloody wear one and stop whining.
You do get used to it.
Do the medical staff whine on their first day when they have to wear one? No. They wear it a damn sight longer than us general public will ever do.

A lot of shop workers are'nt wearing masks especially in supermarkets so i don't think they ate worried about the customers

@DomDoesWotHeWants

So how are people with conditions like asthma etc. meant to go to work? How are they meant to feed themselves or collect prescriptions or see a doctor?

I have asthma and I wear a mask for shortish periods. I was shielded for months, wearing a mask outside is far less of a restriction than that. It's for the good of the community.

And I know for sure there are people who just don't like them so pretend to have conditions.

I am more and more a wheelchair user and don't think it is disablist to ask anyone to look out for the rest of the community. I wear a mask, even though it's uncomfortable. If it gets too much I leave the shop and go outside and remove the mask. It isn't difficult to look out for other people's safety.

I'm not talking about finding it a "little uncomfortable".

I'm talking about those who cannot wear a mask because they have panic attacks or can't breathe. What are those people supposed to do for the next 12-18 months or however long we want everyone to wear a mask for?

shoppers should wear masks to protect others. There is some evidence that they reduce transmission, so the anti-science blubberers can just drop dead. (if only they would!) Not fun to wear a mask for a full shift so if the shoppers wear them it is considerate for the staff.

yes, it makes communication a bit harder. You aren't in a shop to chat. Go jabber elsewhere or use the phone. And keep 2m away if at all possible, if you didn't learn about the cube law at school then go look it up.

large numbers of the good people of London evidently give zero fucks about risk management so not surprised that the rules on public transport are being ignored. Perhaps it is a stealth method of reducing the overcrowding?