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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask if you think we should be social distancing?

73 replies

Lovetravellingalways · 15/12/2020 05:59

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?

OP posts:

allthegoodusernameshavegone · 15/12/2020 07:03

You need to respect the guidelines in place for the place you are in. None of theses regulations have been put in place to purposely cause you discomfort, they have been put there to save lives.

Looneytune253 · 15/12/2020 07:08

Surely you can't form a bubble if it's different crew you're flying with every cpl of days. You should also be following the rules of the countries you are staying in and I don't see any reason why you couldn't be trying to sit 2m apart. When you're working you could be wearing your masks and when eating you could all take it in turns to be in the galley.

WeAllHaveWings · 15/12/2020 07:10

You should SD as much is possible at work, then follow the same rules as everyone else outside work.

Skipsurvey · 15/12/2020 07:10

there is no such thing as a work bubble

Inkpaperstars · 15/12/2020 07:17

I can see how when you have close contact with someone at work it might seem pointless to distance outside work, but that only really makes sense if you say that because you are close at work, if a colleague had it you’d all already catch it anyway. We know that isn’t the case, because even within a household transmission often doesn’t take place. So every little bit of contact could raise your risk.

LaceyBetty · 15/12/2020 07:17

I think you should be social distancing outside of work. Lots of us work in close physical contact with others, but don't then socialise with them after. I'm not following how you situation is different. Also, your employer is not the one who gets to say whether you can form a bubble or not.

Moondust001 · 15/12/2020 07:27

@Lovetravellingalways

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.

This virus inconveniences a lot of people who didn't sign up for it.

You don't have to be "stuck in a hotel room" to observe social distancing. Everything isn't about you - what about all the people around you in the places that you are staying? You are being somewhat precious about why your job means that you should get treated better than everyone else. If you don't like the conditions, you can quit. I am sure there are lots of out of work flight crew who would love the opportunity to get back to work, and don't mind a bit of inconvenience for a few months....

GetOffYourHighHorse · 15/12/2020 07:38

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

Every single person could say that. 'Oh I work with them so I'm going to a restaurant with them'. Cabin crew are no more special than anyone else. Work is essential socialising isn’t and it is about reducing risk for others not just yourself.

Take some responsibility op. Get takeaways like everyone else has to.

rookiemere · 15/12/2020 07:39

The restaurant owner could get in trouble for not obeying the rules if you're not distancing. Also if one of you tests positive, they're more likely to have to close if a number of you catch it.

I didn't sign up to wfh in my spare bedroom working 10-12 hour days and never seeing anybody I work with except over a screen, but hey like you I'm lucky to have a job so I try not to complain too much.

GetOffYourHighHorse · 15/12/2020 07:40

'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.'

Jesus. Diddums. You do know there's a pandemic?!

dottiedaisee · 15/12/2020 07:45

Even though you work in close proximity with your colleagues you should still, where at all possible socially distance . If you are in contact with someone with Covid for short periods of time you are less likely to get infected than contact multiple times for longer periods...viral load does appear to play a factor into how sick someone becomes.
Just do what you can to reduce risks to yourself and other people.

GetOffYourHighHorse · 15/12/2020 07:47

'didn't sign up to wfh in my spare bedroom working 10-12 hour days and never seeing anybody I work with except over a screen, but hey like you I'm lucky to have a job so I try not to complain too much.'

Exactly!

I do hope the DM or Piers Morgan picks up on this and runs stories on cabin crew, obviously in close contact with many people, contributing to spreading the virus globally . As long as they get their 3 course meal at their destination though. Lovely.

Lovemusic33 · 15/12/2020 07:48

I think you should be sticking to rules when it comes to eating out, which would mean you can’t eat out with all the cabin crew. Yea, you are in close contact when working together but most the time you are masked (other when eating)?

I’m not masked in my job, I’m in close contact with 3 people but I don’t go and eat out with them after work.

Sirzy · 15/12/2020 07:49

You need to abide by the rules of wherever you are at that time. Just like everyone else

Chloemol · 15/12/2020 07:53

Yes you should social distance outside of the plane regardless. You may have caught the virus, you don’t know, and as others have said it’s about the viral load. You could be sharing it

As regards your comment about 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 don’t be ridiculous, none of us signed up to be SD from our family. You chose to work in a role that means travelling a lot

cherryblossomx3 · 15/12/2020 07:55

yanbu. especially if you're allowed to form a bubble..some people have lost any sense of logic.

Walkaround · 15/12/2020 08:00

Yes, of course yabu. You don’t need to be particularly bright to comprehend the fact that the more time you spend in close proximity to others, the more likely you are to get covid 19. To ask if you are being reasonable is as stupid as asking if it’s possible to eat another mars bar without ingesting extra calories.

NailsNeedDoing · 15/12/2020 08:01

I think you’re fine to carry on as you are. I get that the ideal is that you social distance outside of work, but I’d include the layovers as part of work. You absolutely should not be expected to sit isolated in a hotel room when you have no symptoms and you’re doing your job, that would be ridiculous.

hula008 · 15/12/2020 08:04

@NailsNeedDoing

But you have to socially distance as much as possible within work, it's not a free card to do whatever you like regardless of the rules.

Walkaround · 15/12/2020 08:06

@NailsNeedDoing

Unless you go to somewhere like Hong Kong, mainland China or Singapore, of course, where they may well expect you to remain in your room or cause a diplomatic incident.

rookiemere · 15/12/2020 08:06

@NailsNeedDoing but OP doesn't need to sit in her room , she can meet other crew for dinner provided they are socially distanced and following the coronavirus rules of the layover country.

I'd love to be able to visit other countries and have meals with colleagues. WFH is so dispiriting.

FusionChefGeoff · 15/12/2020 08:06

I am a Covid officer and had this precise question yesterday when the crew broke for the day and were headed back to their hotel.

Working together in co-horts / bubbles for 2 flights plus 3 day layover gives you, say, 100 opportunities to contract the virus.

If you remove all the socialising and stay apart on layovers, you've reduced your risk down to 50 opportunities. (numbers are made up but you get the point).

Also, the illness isn't binary. A high viral load usually equates to worse symptoms / long term effects. So if one of your team were positive and you limited contact only during the flights, you'd pick up '50 virus loads' but if you continued outside of those times, you'd pick up '100 virus loads'. Numbers made up again.

FusionChefGeoff · 15/12/2020 08:09

Oh and we had someone test positive yesterday - twice - so 99% certain.

He had NO symptoms and had arrived from a Tier 1 area so would not have been identified as a risk at all.

How gutted would you be if you managed to avoid Covid for both flights but picked it up in the bar / restaurant

NailsNeedDoing · 15/12/2020 08:13

[quote rookiemere]@NailsNeedDoing but OP doesn't need to sit in her room , she can meet other crew for dinner provided they are socially distanced and following the coronavirus rules of the layover country.

I'd love to be able to visit other countries and have meals with colleagues. WFH is so dispiriting.[/quote]
How can people meet for dinner if they all have to be spaced two meters apart? Restaurants don’t routinely have banquet tables available for every group that needs to eat.

If they’re doing what’s allowed by the airline and not breaking any laws in other countries, I think adults should be allowed to decide that they are having a normal dinner with people they work with an can’t social distance from. Anyone in the group who is uncomfortable with that can presumably order room service.

butterpuffed · 15/12/2020 08:13

so why arent you social distancing at work?

OP explained why in the second sentence of the opening post.

Not sure why people make comments if they've not read what the thread is about

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