AIBU to complain about nobody wearing masks in office

[Lima1]

I work in an office with about 25 people, I am the only one who wears a mask around the office. Some of us have our own office including me and when I am in on my own I take off the mask but if someone enters I put it on and I also wear it around the communal areas.

Staff are in the canteen (small room) all not wearing masks nor social distancing. The corridors are tight so we have to walk right past each other.
A client came into the office this morning for a meeting and used our toilets. No one has cleaned them since she used them. The door handles, equipment is not being cleaned despite cleaning products being left beside them. I complained about this already and an email went around reminding people to do it but nothing changed.

My husband is temperature checked each morning, masks are mandatory in his place of work and doors, equipment is being regularly cleaned. He thinks our set up is mad.
I dont feel safe, AIBU to raise the matter again?

Are you able to work from home if you are in an office based job?
My job is office based and i deal with sensitive information on patients but i have been working from home since march with extra provisions to ensure patient data is kept secure.
We have recently returned to the office as its becoming necessary to get our job done efficiently (and of course cases had gone so much lower until these last few weeks) but there are loads of measures put in place, anti bac wipes/sanitiser on desks to clean before and after use, one way systems in and out of the doors and limits on people allowed in kitchen/bathroom, desks are spaced out and we work on a rota so there are only 6-7 people in each day.

What you describe isn't on, if you dont feel safe i would ask to work from home if things can't be improved within the office?

You are not being unreasonable to raise the matter but mask wearing in offices has not yet been made mandatory. Your work should ensure that social distancing is taking place though - have you seen their COVID-19 policy?

Absolutely complain. It either has to be safe or you all work from home if they can't make it safe.

Our local hospital has just carried out an investigation into an outbreak amongst 8 staff in its radiography dept. The cases are thought to have spread in non medical areas (no patients affected ) such as staff rooms as PPE is worn in clinical areas. Your workplace is lax.

Our policy just deals with what to do if you are unwell nothing about procedures in the office.

Last week a staff member was tested as she had a cough and shortness of breath. She got a negative test and returned to work the following day still feeling unwell and not wearing a mask!

I worked from home from March to start of Sept but it was a fight to get that and I was nearly fired for pushing for it. I can do my job from home, most of us can but we are not being allowed. My boss is like Trump- doesn't believe in the virus.

We are allowing clients to come into the office for meetings, they are not being temp checked or asked any questions about feeling unwell, close contact with confirmed case, etc. I think it is too lax. I seem to be the only bothered though so wasnt sure if I was overreacting.

There is no mandatory rule to wear a mask in an office even visitors to an office. Cleaning should be stepped up with people taking responsibility and a full risk assessment done including making sure space between desks or if not adequate space screens used.

@RuggerHug

Absolutely complain. It either has to be safe or you all work from home if they can't make it safe.

What does "safe" mean?

If there is no law saying you have to wear masks in offices then of course you can't stamp your feet and demand they impose that on people.

But there is no law to wear a mask in offices.

YANBU to complain about the lack of social distancing in the canteen and corridors but you could easily avoid the canteen as you are lucky enough to have your own office. For that reason too, YABU to expect the ones unlucky enough to have their own private spaces to sit in to have to wear masks all day long. Also YABU to expect someone else to clean the toilet area every time a visitor has been using it. Do staff clean after themselves every time?
You can talk to your management about the canteen but remember that other staff are not in your lucky position.
Ideally, work from home and let someone who can't have your office.

It isn't mandatory so you have no basis for complaint, and your boss will justifiably be able to dismiss one on that basis. I would instead frame it as sharing concerns and asking how they intend to ensure the safety of employees.

Is there a law that people have too? If not what is there to complain about? They are not following your rules?

You are over reacting. There is no real evidence that masks make any difference - any virus would just pass through them the same as oxygen does.

@seayork2020

Is there a law that people have too? If not what is there to complain about? They are not following your rules?

The OP doesn't feel "safe", whatever that means. And she wants lots of people to jump through hoops and perform hygiene theatre to make her feel less anxious.

Its not about masks being mandatory but about employers carrying out a risk assessment of the workplace which they are legally obliged to do. The guidelines are that where social distancing isn't possible, masks should be worn, this would obviously form part of the risk assessment. I dont think it is a big imposition to ask staff to use masks while using the communal areas - corridors, bathrooms, printers and canteen.

I have to leave my office to move files, use the printer and bathroom and pass by people in the corridors while doing this.

I clean the bathroom after I use it, I am sure others don't though. I clean the printers and door handles also.

@redbushtea you are joking right? Of course there is evidence to show that masks make a difference. That is a moot argument as the evidence is so solid. Sure why do medical professionals wear mask at all if they make no difference?

... when I am in on my own I take off the mask but if someone enters I put it on and I also wear it around the communal areas....

I'm pretty agnostic on the whole mask thing, but I thought taking masks on and off repeatedly actually just heightened the risk of infection (lots of extra face touching which wouldn't happen otherwise)? Based on that understanding, I'd feel more comfortable in a mask-free workplace than a workplace where people were pulling them up & down regularly, and generally not wearing the things properly (which is going to be the reality, lets face it).

Your employer has a legal duty to have done a Covid risk assessments. And a legal duty to ensure that the measures in there are carried out.

You can ask to see the assessment and see if they actually have one??

There is lots of evidence that suggests masks work to reduce overall viral load in the air which is particularly important if you're in one space for an extended length of time. They don't eliminate it but they do reduce it. As does good ventilation.

Agree there is no legal requirement to wear a mask but it's clear from what op is saying that the overall approach to minimising the risk is not safe and so I'd be pushing for a much clearer process / assessment.

Oh sorry x post with you OP!

Yeah it doesn't really make sense to sit in your office with no mask, filling the air and covering all the surfaces with covid if you have it, then someone comes in and you pop on a mask. Bit late isn't it? Why don't you wear one the whole day if you are that concerned?

The masks don't protect you anyway just other people. You are being unreasonable to suggest that someone with a negative result shouldn't be in work.
You say you don't want masks to be mandatory so what do you want? A one way system in the corridor? If that's practical then suggest it to your employer rather than just complaining. If others aren't bothered by the canteen then it's up to them. You don't have to use it if you don't want to.

It's not mandatory. I wouldn't want to work in a mask all day either. We didn't distance at work but we were all low risk and took the decision jointly to what measures to take, if someone requested masks during times there was no distancing we would have complied. I'm now redundant due to no clients (arts) so be grateful you have work!

Medical professionals wear medical grade PPE. It makes a difference. Your bog standard disposable or Amazon-bought mask isn't medical grade. And is probably not making much of a difference.

Of course masks protect the wearer as well as others, I am honestly shocked as some people's opinions that masks are useless.

Ratherberiding, medical professionals wear surgical masks the same as are being sold in shops. The only difference in the PPE is when they are dealing with confirmed or suspected covid cases.

Rosabel, the guidelines are that of you have a negative test and are still symptomatic then you should be restricting your movements so IANBU when I dont want her in working coughing and not wearing a mask, I am definitely not.

YABU - it is not mandatory to wear a mask in offices. If you want to wear one, wear one, but don't police others on something that has not been added as a guideline. We have enough rules to follow without jobsworths adding to these

Why bother asking if you are being unreasonable when you don't listen to what people say. You can go to work with a cough otherwise no one would be in all winter.
It has been said time and again masks protect others but I guess if you don't believe that it's up to you.