To think retail staff should be wearing masks too?

[cccro]

Sorry if this has already been posted.
Today I went to a few shops.
Wilkos -no staff wearing masks,yes screens at tills but staff at door and walking around aren't wearing masks.
Primark -no staff wearing masks
Superdrug -no staff wearing masks

What's the rule here?
Are sales assistants immune from catching covid?
I don't understand why they aren't wearing masks?

I think it's right that retail workers don't have to wear a mask. They are there all day and are often behind perspex if they're behind the till. Hand sanitisers at the door make more sense to me.

I think the government brought in masks in shops due to pressure from the media and to make anxious people more likely to leave their houses and go to shops. I'm not anxious about the virus, but masks put me off going into shops just to browse.

I agree 100%, i've just worked 7 hours in retail wearing a visor, no problem.. but go to my local Spar and get staff walking right past me with no covering, if i can do it so can they!

[quote cccro]@Jakobabear I guess shoppers could say the exact same.
Why do we have to wear one now when we didn't at the peak.
Guess it works both ways [/quote]
Your attitude is selfish, you and others like you are coming across as petulant little children stamping your feet.

I am all for masks (asthmatic and been wearing one long before it became mandatory), but having to work 10 hours whilst performing manual labour (because lifting heavy crates and boxes in a repetitive motion for 10 hours is exactly that,) it is bloody hardwork physically.

Those people (including me) choose to go in those shops, we have a choice but those workers not behind a screen are being bombarded by the breath and coughs and sneezes of hundreds of people daily (yes it is still that many in a large supermarket). You and all those that can wear a mask are protecting the staff who have no choice but to be there - their chance of catching covid19 in that environment is far greater than yours - how long exactly does it take to do your shopping - not counting the queuing?

Just out of curiosity, how long do you wear a mask for daily? Have you been lucky enough to be able to work from home to keep yourself and your vulnerable family members safe? Or maybe you have been at work this whole time in a public facing capacity, part of the amazing group from all fields keeping this country going? (My money is on you have been not mixing with joe public face to face, on a daily basis).

My comment was to @cccro

I agree with you, OP. I feel anyone working with the public (HCPs, retailers, hospitality workers, etc) should be wearing masks except for those exempt.

Yes, it sucks. As an HCP, it's interesting reading all the rhetoric that HCPs are used to wearing masks like we're genetically pre-disposed. We aren't.
I wore a mask only a handful of times (3-4) before the pandemic and only for very short periods (

Some.of you quit the crying about retail staff not wearing masks. About time retail staff got protection from customers who think it's ok to come right up to you

Haven’t read the whole thread so sorry if someone has already made this point but I think staff who have to communicate with shoppers/ customers etc shouldn’t have to wear masks. My sister is deaf and needs to be able to lip read to tell what strangers are saying. She’s absolutely no chance if they’re wearing a mask. Or maybe if they want to wear one fine, but be allowed to remove it for communicating with people such as my sister.

@ThatDamnScientist I have worked all through the lockdown.
I work for a well known train company based in the station (and yes I wear a mask for 7-8 hours per day)
Also have had much abuse from runts of society but I still would rather wear a mask.
That's just my opinion
We all have different opinions on what we think is right or wrong.

They are all wearing masks in our local aldi on the shop floor and shifting around jobs, so having a turn on tills behind a screen instead, or working out back. Seems a Very sensible approach.

I was in primark and Ikea the other day and I think most wearing mask or visor

I don’t have to go to either shop it’s nit a necessity

We have to wear masks often for long periods of time it is uncomfortable (surgical, my cotton mask I wear out is far more comfortable)

No it doesn’t work both ways because at the peak we were bit wondering around non essential shops

You can always shop online

Well I think this weekend things will change further with the weather warming up again

The staff wearing them will start to ditch them
And customers are going to turn up the abuse and not want to wear theirs

Going to be fun! Not

Which one of us retail workers is going to get the abuse first? One of us on this very thread is going to be pretty upset this weekend, can guarantee it

@Jellykat

I agree 100%, i've just worked 7 hours in retail wearing a visor, no problem.. but go to my local Spar and get staff walking right past me with no covering, if i can do it so can they!

This is what gets me too. Fair enough for staff not wearing masks when behind their perspex screens. And, to some extent, not wearing them on the shop floor all day, but if they're not wearing them, then at least they should respect the 2 metre social distancing where possible and not brush past customers when they don't need to (i.e. when the aisle is wide enough!). I feel the same re those who can't wear masks due to medical reasons - keep 2 metres away then whenever possible.

well no masks were worn by our shop floor staff today....a few started off with them but the heat made it quite dangerous

lots of customers barely out the door before pulling them off and now started pulling them down to talk to us as its a struggle to hear........and they get angry we can't hear them too!!

How odd!!

@Lazypuppy

Staff have to go to work, masks are to protect them. Its your choice to go shopping.

Unless you are stood close chatting to them for more than 5mins, you are unlikely to catch it

Not true. It’s now proven airborne. Hence why it spread so rapidly in care homes and hospitals.

Though if you as a shop worker don’t want to wear a mask, I fully respect that. Miserable and hot. Shoppers have a choice to stay away if they don’t like this
I hate how life is right now!

I've chosen not to wear a mask at work now and that's because dealing with very hot ovens is not very practical wearing a mask. But if I go for my break and want to buy something I'll wear one then.

4hr shift today (small retail/pharmacy) only 2 customers not wearing a mask - I asked gently if they had a reason for not covering their face (there is only the customer and me in the shop, so can ask discreetly) - one was exempt, the other was just absent minded and popped it on...

No-one asked why I was not, I am behind a perspex shield.

No fuss, no bother, people are just getting on with it. Only fuss seems to be on social media and forum sites.

@cologne4711

You can't expect shop staff to wear a mask for a 8 hour shift.

Customers can protect themselves and staff by wearing one for 10 minutes (or however long they are in the shop).

Why on earth not? I'm a midwife, we wear them for 12.5 hour shifts on the hottest ward in the hospital, doing a very physical job.

Yes, it's uncomfrtable
No we don't like it
No, we're not used to doing it, we never wore masks before Covid

If we can do it for 12.5 hours, I donlt see why a retail worker can't do it for 8.

Staff in both of my local Lidl’s was wearing masks. Even the ones at the checkout behind the plexis

@DisgruntledSnowman (love your name! ☺️)
Thanks for being there and doing an incredible job! 💐

Yes, 💯 agree

As an NHS worker I'm used to wearing a mask but the ones we use now most of the time are similar to the disposables the available on the internet so less comfortable,every breath out goes across your eyes,for 13 hours.
I don't have a choice but were I in retail would not wear them in quiet times.And like V.Sockpuppet you get less scared and become more pragmatic over time.
To reduce your chances of catching anything in supermarkets,wear a mask,have a list ordered to the one way system and go at quiet times.

Retail staff do have a choice and some of choose not to wear them. It's about time retail staff were protected

Visors hurt my head. I wear a mask. I don't judge staff or customers who choose not to wear one, it's non of my business.
Customers whinge about wearing it for 10 mins. Not much I can say so I just smile (which they obvs don't see 😂).
Too late really for them. People feel invincible with them on. I just want to do my job safely, without being verbally abused or sneered at. So whatever keeps me sane through my shift!

Screens at tills I would prefer to see.