Employer telling us not to go out to restaurants and bars?

[RootsnAll]

We’ve been told by the head of our department that we aren’t to go out to restaurants or bars as that’s where Covid is being spread the most. Obviously I understand the reasoning behind but surely they can’t tell us what to do/not do in our spare time? AIBU?

We’ve worked throughout the pandemic in the office as our work is essential but we wear masks constantly (unless eating or drinking away from others) and keep socially distanced at all times. Lots of hand washing and hand sanitising. Not in a job that involves visiting or seeing other people outside of the department.

Not sure if I’m being unreasonable feeling fed up being told what to do? I keep to the gov rules etc but going out for a drink with my husband is such a nice break after a hectic week at work.

Pubs are tricky in my opinion and I’m not sure the night economy should be open. Restaurants however feel very safe and are being unfairly lumped in with pubs - probably because there’s overlap, but a pub meal at 7pm in an ‘eating pub’ is likely to be a different experience to an 11pm trip to city centre bar. I personally think we need a 10pm curfew.

Ignore!

Tim Martin (can't stand the man, but this was interesting) was on radio this morning, repeating same numbers as others quoted. Only quite small % of his Wetherspoons pubs have had any staff test positive. Only 1% had more than one employee test positive. Conclusion : Given pubs have been open 2 months, barely any spread is happening linked to pubs.

OP: your workplace has no right to demand such things of you

Ridiculous interference in your personal and social life by your employer which appears not only to be illegal but potentially actionable.

It will be one idiot with half an education thats thought this up.

Of course they cant tell you not to do something perfectly legal! It's like saying they dont want you to go food shopping/the hair dressers/a chemist. All of those places are open for business. There is literally nothing they can do about it

I have to get public transport to get to work, where distancing is impossible, and yet have found all cafes, restaurants, pubs etc to adhere really well to the guidelines.

They can't dictate what you do in your free time.

Follow government advice and follow protocol at work for everyone's sake but in your own time it is up to you if you visit pubs and restaurants they cannot and shouldn't tell you how to live your life.

I've eaten out a couple of times. It's probably good advice for some locations but I found others who had really thought about it (my local Beefeater deserves special praise). I can see why they are ASKING but I don't think they can enforce it, as you're not doing anything illegal.

YANBU and whilst they can make a polite request and inform you of the outcomes they absolutely cannot enforce it.

@RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime

It's like someone taking part in horse jumping or rugby or skiing at the weekends and ending up off sick with an injury. Of course they are free to do it, but you can understand colleagues and employers being a bit annoyed that someone is off work because they knowingly put themselves at risk.

Slightly different if you're off sick with an injury than if you bring an infectious disease into the workplace which potentially shuts down the Company. You are knowingly impacting the earring ability of all your colleagues.

"impacting the earning ability"
It's down to all of us to behave sensibly.

They can’t tell you what to do however saying that my employer asked us if we intended to frequent pubs etc. If so we were kindly asked to work from home. We are key workers and function we need at least a few people on the office. A case of covid at the office and an inability to use it would see the business cease functioning and we’d likely not have jobs to go back to. I’d rather be able to pay my bills than have a drink at the pub..... I think you need to weigh it all up and decide for yourself if it’s worth the risk

While I agree about what others said, if it was an order - they don't own you.

BUT, if the team I manage went out on a social event all together / group or 6, then all had to isolate because one had covid positive swab, I might be a bit irritated. Mainly because they would be the first to moan if another team did it and they had to pick up the slack (client facing roles, essential, can't cancel type visits).

however, they wouldn't hear my irritation from me and I'd recognise that what they do in their own time is their own business.

I'm shocked. I can't believe they have any right! / rights!

As long as you're following government guidelines and practicing SD when going out I can't see the problem.
I would just keep calm and carry on.

As advice it makes sense, as a command not so.
I saw on social media the other day a staff member's leaving do for a local business in town. Every member of staff was there, all huddled up in the photos including the group shot. I thought serves your bloody right if the lot of you have to stay at home for 2 weeks and the business loses a shit load of money.

@Iconical

I think I trust the data from Wetherspoons more than the government

32 million visits. 66 positive staff, 40 in isolated cases.

On the bbc news today

That suggests to me that ours are pretty safe places to be.

You picked the WORST example from the leisure industry to cite. I would not trust that man even if the Pope says I should

My employer advises us against eating out at lunchtime and I don't have any issues with that, it is only advisory but I think most of us know it makes sense

Just don't tell them!

It's the complete opposite to what my workplace is telling us... they have closed the cafe we had in the office so that we 'can go out into the local community and support the local businesses by eating out.' (I won't be, I will be bringing in something from home).

@Iconical

I think I trust the data from Wetherspoons more than the government

32 million visits. 66 positive staff, 40 in isolated cases.

On the bbc news today

That suggests to me that ours are pretty safe places to be.

Wetherspoons have absolutely NOT been recording accurately for test and trace. I know of that from direct sources for three separate branches.

Don't believe a word they say.

Caveat - I work in HR in hospitality (large chain restaurant).

We record every single persons details for T&T when they come in - we take their details, we don't rely on them using a QR code or filling in a piece of paper. This also means we know exactly what time they arrived, and also what time they left, as this is all recorded. And even which table they were sat at.

If they refuse to give details we don't allow them in - to protect our other customers and our teams. We even had someone give their name as Mickey Mouse the other day - we refused them entry. If they can't take it seriously, they don't come in.

We have social distancing in place, good in/out systems, meticulous cleaning standards, everyone is temp checked pre-shift, and more. We've not had one member of staff test positive so far (there are some self isolating due to family members displaying symptoms).We've not been contacted by T&T to say anyone who has visited one of our sites has tested positive.

We take all these measures to make our restaurants as safe as possible. We can't of course guarantee no one will get covid, but no one can. This scaremongering about pubs and restaurants is not helping an already fragile industry. Visiting private houses, shops, etc. en masse is likely to be as liable if not more so, if the pics on the news are anything to go by.

They can't tell you what to do. What you can do is take your own precautions - handwashing/sanitising, masks, distancing etc. to make yourself and those around you as safe as possible.

I don’t think they can dictate what you can do. But we all have a certain responsibility to our employer and colleagues to be responsible.

I work in an industry where it is not possible for team members to socially distance from each other. We frequently have to be very close together. We are wearing PPE but even so we are at risk.

This means that if one person in the team tests positive that track and trace could require the whole team to self isolate for 14 days. If that happens the business will have to close for 14 days. And if that happens it will be a financial disaster and those people may not have jobs to come back to.

So no, I can’t force my team not to go to pubs. But I have asked them to be responsible and not take unnecessary risks

*certain responsibility to be sensible!

Going to a pub and being sensible aren’t my tally exclusive.