Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Breech of COVID regulations

61 replies

KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 02:29

Ok, so this may be a bit of a no brainer, but I have high functioning anxiety and I can’t actually tell whether I am the unreasonable one here. Basically, I work for a non essential business that runs both high street stores and concession stands in supermarkets. Since the latest lockdown measures came into place, all high street stores have since closed, but the supermarket locations have remained open. However, as we are non essential and have absolutely nothing to do with the supermarket in a “click and collect” capacity. We were provided all necessary POS to elude to this, and we were issued guidelines for how we should operate. I wasn’t making the kind of money they wanted, so my area team berated me for not understanding what click and collect meant. I was under the impression it meant that you place an order online and come in store to collect. But obviously I was very much mistaken, as what I SHOULD have been doing was maintain the illusion that we were closed to the public but offer them all of our usual services. Anyway, about a month or so ago my store manager caught COVID. At the time I expressed my frustration to her about us remaining open and the pressure we were being put under to perform, and she agreed wholeheartedly. In her absence, trying to run things legitimately, I faced a lot of backlash from my superiors, and was constantly made to feel like I was wrong for complying with lockdown rules. In pure frustration I decided to report my company to various entities dealing in trading standards. Nothing came of this. The store manager returned to work and soon realised what our superiors had been saying - that following the rules wasn’t making us any money. So she started providing services that weren’t included in our click and collect guidelines. I raised issue with this and she seemed to be under the impression that it wasn’t so much about the law or keeping people safe as it was we were able to do whatever we “felt comfortable” doing. I’ll add that she didn’t directly pressure me into following her belief, but this made it difficult for me when customers would turn up expecting certain services and I was having to turn them away and they couldn’t understand why because my other colleague had eagerly helped them. It was difficult but I let it slide, until this week. This entire time we have had a barrier across our shop to give the impression that we are closed to the public, but my store manager has started sneaking customers in for some services and allowing customers to remove their masks. These services are absolutely not under the click and collect guidelines. She hid the fact that she was doing this from me, but another colleague pointed it out to me and there was evidence through her figures that she had been doing these additional services. I confronted her and her only defence was “I’m sick of not having anything to do and not making any money”. I get that, it’s incredibly demoralising and we are making virtually nothing but that is on our area team and our company as a whole for refusing to close us. Again, frustrated, I decided to file several other reports. This time, something happened. I received a call at work today from Trading Standards and they wanted to speak to the Store Manager. I didn’t glean a lot of information from the conversation but it’s obviously in response to my complaint. I let my manager know that they wanted to speak to her and she started freaking out and told our area manager, who is now going to deal with it tomorrow. I feel immense anxiety and guilt, I feel just plain awful - physically sick with stress over this. And it doesn’t help that my store manager is getting aggravated and suspicious that it was me that tipped off Trading Standards. I was so sure that I was doing the right thing before but now that it’s come down to it I’m wondering whether I should have kept my mouth shut? Am I wrong for reporting my company? Should I have just kept quiet?

OP posts:
Blockedoff · 05/03/2021 06:26

Very difficult to say without knowing the services, if she's cutting hair and doing facials, then no it's not on.

But need to know what it is.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 05/03/2021 06:34

What are the additional services? It's a bit hard to say on such limited information.

KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 08:03

We run a photography studio. So additional services would include passport photos and photo shoots.

OP posts:
MajesticWhine · 05/03/2021 08:15

What was your hope when reporting? Did you hope to get shut down and furloughed? I think it is inevitable that after filing various complaints, eventually something was going to happen as a consequence. So yes you were being reasonable to file the reports without thinking it through.

KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 08:20

I didn’t “hope” for anything, other than getting someone to inspect the services we were providing and verify whether we were breaking the law..? And I didn’t say I didn’t think anything would happen, I explained at the very start that I have high functioning anxiety, and as much as I feel I am right to have done what I did, my anxiety is making me doubt myself. And your last sentence doesn’t make any sense, but I’m assuming you’re saying I was UNreasonable. And I DID think it through.

OP posts:
MajesticWhine · 05/03/2021 08:32

Yes I did mean unreasonable. Typo.
But it's all fine then if you think you did the right thing. You don't need to feel guilty. This is more of an anxiety problem than a 'what you did' problem. Tell your anxious mind thanks but no thanks. And try to focus on something else. This will all play out and it will quickly pass.

Cisonostatibellagiorni · 05/03/2021 08:40

I don't think you were unreasonable at all. Companies need to be held to account. Many will push the boundaries but as an employee you have the right to work in a safe environment. The government has declared that providing non essential services and not wearing PPE (employees and customers) is NOT a safe environment. So a complaint is very much on the cards from that.

However, I do think you've perhaps been slightly naive on the repercussions. The outcome is likely to be that it makes your position in the company difficult. How difficult depends on how 'decent' the company is. You can't be fired for making the complaint but we all know companies have ways of making employee's lives difficult enough that they leave, or come up with other reasons to move them on. So I would definitely watch your back and start looking up alternative employment options.

So no, I don't think you did anything wrong but I think you need to be prepared for what might happen now.

Shelovesamystery · 05/03/2021 08:49

I don't understand what outcome you were expecting? If you report workplace covid breaches then the people involved will be investigated and probably get into a lot of trouble. If you can't handle that happening then you shouldn't have reported. I'm not saying you were in the wrong for doing so, I'm just confused as to what you expected to happen.

My workplace have breached pretty much every covid regulation and, whilst I didn't agree with a lot of things, I didn't report anyone because
A- I wouldn't want to get anyone into trouble. These people are my colleagues and I care about them. Also if we get closed down then we are all out of a job.
And B- I wouldn't want my boss to know that it was me who reported. No amount of "safe working environment" is worth the shit storm that would bring me.

It's not right but it is, unfortunately, the reality.

KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 08:50

Thank you to the last two comments for being supportive. Perhaps I have been a little naive. However, the company I work for is not a good one. I mean, we work 9 hour days and are only paid for 8. And I have thought about moving on to a new job for a while, I just didn’t anticipate it being so soon. The company I work for will absolutely do there best to push me out, as I’ve seen them do it with ease to so many others across the company. Quite honestly, they gaslight us a lot, and that combined with my anxiety is what is getting me to question my actions. At the end of the day, no business is above the law, and I know they should face the consequences.

OP posts:
KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 08:56

Shelovesamystery : For the most part I am a lone worker, so aside from my store manager, I have no colleagues. So I have no allegiances to anyone in my company. It is just the area teams and they don’t care about us. They only care about money. So I have absolutely no issue with reporting them. I guess my overwhelming need to do the right thing, surpassed any thoughts of what might happen to me. It’s not always easy to do the right thing but you should do it anyway, no? At the end of they day they’re a bad company and they deserve what they get. I will just have to ride that shit storm.

OP posts:
WilsonMilson · 05/03/2021 09:06

Firstly, that was tediousto read without paragraphs.

Secondly - what exactly do you hope to achieve except doing yourself out of a job? I think you were being unreasonable - clearly your workplace is struggling financially, you’re not actually closed so your company still has outgoings on wages and overheads and so needs to make money like any other private enterprise. You’re inside a supermarket anyway and so I don’t really see the issue. I think you’re a troublemaker and if your anxiety meant you were uncomfortable doing the job you are paid to do, the decent thing would have been to quit your job and not create a nightmare for everyone else. You’ll be lucky to have a job after this.

Newtoittoo · 05/03/2021 09:06

You seem to have general gripes with the company - the hours etc.

Sounds like it’s time for you to move on to somewhere you feel happier anyway.

‘They should face the consequences’ - so you are happy with reporting them then - which is fine.
Whether that is because of your general gripes or the Covid breaches is immaterial now. You now need to move forward - either in this job or another - probably another.

KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 09:11

WilsonMilson : Sorry for the tedium. Perhaps you should have stopped when you felt your eyelids getting heavy.
I am not a trouble maker. My company is owned my a millionaire. He has hundreds of stores across the company. He is not “struggling” to make money. WE are struggling to make money and being made to feel bad for not feeling comfortable with breaking the law.

OP posts:
KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 09:14

Also, I just want to reiterate, we are a click and collect service. We could have just done that. Like every other click and collect service is expected to do. There was no need for them to break any laws. Granted we are making very little money, but even with my manager offering additional services, we are barely making £100 a day. That is not even enough to cover our wages. And no, I’m not desperate for them to furlough us, as it’s a bit late in the day now, but it is bizarre to me that they have insisted on keeping us open this long.

OP posts:
UrAWizHarry · 05/03/2021 09:17

@WilsonMilson

Firstly, that was tediousto read without paragraphs.

Secondly - what exactly do you hope to achieve except doing yourself out of a job? I think you were being unreasonable - clearly your workplace is struggling financially, you’re not actually closed so your company still has outgoings on wages and overheads and so needs to make money like any other private enterprise. You’re inside a supermarket anyway and so I don’t really see the issue. I think you’re a troublemaker and if your anxiety meant you were uncomfortable doing the job you are paid to do, the decent thing would have been to quit your job and not create a nightmare for everyone else. You’ll be lucky to have a job after this.

You don't see an issue in her bosses breaking the law?

Really?

You did the right thing, OP.

KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 09:19

Thank you.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 05/03/2021 09:24

There was a non essential shop locally that was fined because whilst they were inside putting together a click and collect order someone from Trading Standards walked in and asked to buy something off the shelf. The assistant didn't do what she should have which was tell the "customer" to send a text or email ordering the item.

What your place is doing is illegal and it's not fair on all the other businesses who are complying with the law. Anyone could have reported them.

MichelleScarn · 05/03/2021 09:25

I mean, we work 9 hour days and are only paid for 8.

Is one of those an hours lunch? Not fair if not, but usual if so to not be paid for lunch break.

Chunkyetfunky90 · 05/03/2021 09:28

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 09:34

Conefromaway : That’s exactly what happened in one of our stores recently (wondering if the store near you is one of ours). Thank you for the support. It’s true, anyone could have reported them.

OP posts:
KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 09:35

MichelleScarn : Sorry, should have clarified. We’re told to have a working lunch.

OP posts:
KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 09:36

Chunkyetfunky90 : Thank you.

OP posts:
UrAWizHarry · 05/03/2021 09:49

If you are working during your lunch you should be getting paid. In fact, if you are on min wage chances are your company is breaking the law again, as working through your lunch will put you below min wage.

KittyKatya · 05/03/2021 09:52

UrAWizHarry : I have worked for the company for 4 years and I have been on minimum wage up until the end of last year. They will say we are “encouraged” to take a working lunch, but if we leave the store and a customer turns up, we get a phone call for our area team telling us we HAVE to go back to the store.

OP posts:
Newtoittoo · 05/03/2021 10:06

job.
They’ve tried to keep you all on full wage, which will clearly be eating in to their reserves if you’re not making enough to cover wages - so furlough for them would seem to be a much better option.

Yep, your manager shouldn’t officially be doing the ‘extras’, but by going on about all the things you dislike about the company generally, your reporting is beginning to just sound spiteful.

You need to find a different job where you are happy and feel they treat you well.