To ask if you think we should be social distancing?

[Lovetravellingalways]

I work as cabin crew for a major UK long haul airline.

We don't social distance on the aircraft as we can't do our job properly while social distancing.

Once we get to the destination we usually have a 1-3 night layover. During this layover we (the team of crew that are working together on the flight after the layover) usually go out for breakfast and dinner together and often sit around the same table closer than 2 meters like we would in normal times. A few staff in restaurants have commented saying we shouldn't all be around the table and then when we tell them we work together and can't social distance in work then they still say that we are behaving inappropriately and should social distance and we have had a few other quite rude comments.

Do you think we should be social distancing during the layover's?

There are times we are unmasked around each other on the aircraft as we still have to eat and drink and this is done in the galley.

The problem is we are with different crew on most layovers. For example I could go to New York tomorrow with one set of crew and spend the layover with that same crew and fly back with the same crew. And then 2 days later I could go to Los Angeles with all different crew expect one or 2 people who I might have been working with on the last layover.

Not being rude, but I know I signed up to be a flight attendant but I didn't sign up to be away from my family and stuck in a hotel room and not being able to be with anyone else due to social distancing.

Our airline is only testing crew when they fly certain routes, so on some flights we may be tested before departure and on others we might not be.

Well, it's pretty pointless if you're working all day in such close proximity.
Tell people to mind their own business!

"Not being rude, but I know I signed up to be a flight attendant but I didn't sign up to be away from my family and stuck in a hotel room and not being able to be with anyone else due to social distancing."

Umm - nor did anybody else sign up to this?

The point is if other people see you all hanging around in a big unmasked group then they might start slackening their own behaviour and it becomes difficult to enforce generally

Our company polices states that crew can form a bubble and act like they're in a bubble if they wish.

Looking at the regulations everyone else has to live with I’m not surprised you are being challenged, but no, you are not being unreasonable as it’s illogical. See also children in the same school bubble having play dates.

It's up to the individual place and it's up to you guys to respect that.

It's not a big deal.

We are all having to make work and family life sacrifices at the moment, I don't think yours sounds especially difficult.

During our summer the England cricket team played two different teams in bio secure conditions. They played (worked) as they normally would during normal times but when they weren't playing they socially distanced properly.

Just recently the England cricket team went to South Africa to play. They continued with the same behaviour as in the summer. The South African team didn't. They had BBQs and get togethers etc. Two of the South Africans caught covid from staff in their hotel.

Do you think you should be distancing properly while you're not at work?

I would distance wherever I could as any reduction in risk is worth it in my opinion.

People who see you but don't understand why you are not distancing are bound to be

Regardless of what job you do you need abide by the rules of the area you are in at the time. Keep your risk as low as it can be for your job not ignore the rules completely becuase some of the time you have to.

In England the venue can be fined if customers ignore the rules, maybe its the same where you are having your large group meals.

Not unreasonable, except I’d perhaps be a bit cautious as they are different teams each time.

I’m in a workplace where we can’t social distance and have worked throughout with same people since this started. Being told we can’t eat out together or go in each others houses now seems crazy. This is one rule I’ve ignored simply because we can be in closer proximity at work than out socially outside it. Plus spend more time with them than at home! When we’ve been questioned we’ve just said we’re in same bubble or doing a work meeting.

I wouldn’t do this with people I don’t spend time with regularly already I should add.

Whilst you aren't able to adequately socially distance at work, presumably you are able to at some times socially distance as well as wearing a mask?

I work in the NHS; at times I am close to my other colleagues out of necessity. This doesn't mean that I can socialize with them outside of work.

As others have said about, yes, you must socially distance outside of work as everyone else does.

I don't think it's unreasonable to mix but I wouldn't go out to restaurants and flaunt it as that will make others feel uncomfortable

Yes you are unreasonable to not socially distance as much as possible.

Just because there are times on a flight you can't adequately social distance doesn't give you permission to ignore the rules the rest of the time. If you were in an exclusive long term bubble it would be different but as you work with lots of different people you need to take more care. I'm not saying you can't eat at the same time but ask to be seated separately or only two to a table of 4 and sit as far apart as you can. Wear masks when you can and reduce the risk.

We are all making huge sacrifices here, you are not alone in that.

I can’t social distance from my colleagues either.
But if we were to go to a restaurant (not that we can) we would definitely follow the rules on distancing.
No one signed up for this shit. Be grateful you can socialise with your colleagues at all.

so why arent you social distancing at work?
or wearing PPE?

It's a difficult one and I get where you're coming from.

I think I'd be erring on the side of caution, though. As another poster has pointed out, just because you were close on the flight doesn't mean you have all definitely come into close enough contact with each other to share the virus. Someone could still have Covid, not have passed it onto you on the flight, but manage to pass it on to you at the restaurant.

It's about common sense. Forget what other people are saying as they should mind their own business, but you do need to do everything you can to keep yourselves safe.

I would also distance from colleagues if out at a restaurant. We are all making sacrifices and no one wants to do this but it is just really, really important. I hope it passes soon and things get back to normal for you!

I work all day with fellow health staff in a hospital. Obviously impossible to social distance when operating
Yet none of us would consider sitting next to each other in a pub after work. In fact a fair few of us have ended up staying in hotels to protect family or to keep on working. And this involved eating meals in your room

It’s definitely not what I signed up for either

If you have 1-3 day layovers you must be long haul and therefore likely on a 3-4 class plane. So you won’t be working in close proximity with everyone on the crew and therefore should ensure you social distance at other times.

There’s a lot of illogical rules and situations. For example, primary school children who go to the same class can’t have a playdate outside of school indoors. There are many examples, how are you unique?

All you can do is manage the risk. None of this is perfect or easy, but anything that can be done to reduce the risk should be considered. My DS (12) is confined to his room for 10 days because he was in contact with someone at school why tested positive. It’s pretty horrible for him and us, but we’re doing what we can to keep each other as safe as we can.

It’s about viral load as well isn’t it? So if one of your colleagues is positive and you are in close proximity to them for a short time with your mask on at work you might only get a little bit and then not be too ill. But if you repeatedly sit next to them with masks off during your layover then you could get more or a viral load and be sicker. Potentially taking up hospital space.

Before going into tier 3 I saw my friends in restaurants but we social distanced. You can still have meals with people, talk to them, etc but be 2 m apart.

Also, what happened with showing other people respect and solidarity? Nobody signed up for this! People didn’t sign up for dying or losing jobs either.