Calling people who work in shops "colleagues"

[earlydoors42]

I've noticed supermarkets and places like Argos referring to the people who work in their shops as "colleagues", not as if they are talking about their own colleagues, but as if that is the word for them for all of us.

So they will say things like "if you need help, find a colleague and ask them" - none of my colleagues are usually there as I usually only see them at my place of work.

Why and when did they decide to change the use of a word in the English language that the rest of us were already using for something else?

AIBU to think this isn't the way to use that word?

This has been the case for ages - it was when I worked at Sainsburys at 15 and I’m nearly 31.

I want to say that they changed it from “member of staff” because customer feedback showed they didn’t like that, but it was 16 years ago so I could be off the mark!

It is awkward but I think it’s been used for long enough that it’s understandable now.

Asda started this years ago.

I agree it's irritating but I guess we do all know what is meant by it.

YANBU Also when did we have to start calling drinks fucking beverages?

Be sure to tell this to the next shop worker you speak to, rather than come on here and tell us.

Honestly... after everything shop workers have been through this pandemic

@DynamoKev

YANBU Also when did we have to start calling drinks fucking beverages?

When you're buying them or being bought them on a booty call date?

Or did I get confused by the (lack of) grammar here?

@DynamoKev

YANBU Also when did we have to start calling drinks fucking beverages?

It's middle English, so at some point between about 1100AD and 1500AD. Approximately

I read it as "ask a colleague" as in a colleague of the person making the statement, not my colleague. You are creating an issue that doesn't exist. 🙄

Beats Disney's 'cast members'.

Can't say this would bother me in the slightest.

YANBU, but it's an actual job title now. "Store colleague".

Eh, never even noticed.
Such a trivial thing to get your knickers in a twist about.

It's supposed to be about all being in it together as a team, not overly hierarchical or something. I'd argue a company does that via culture and how it treats its staff, not by rebranding using slightly inaccurate words, but there you are. To me a Sainsbury's employee is not a colleague, not to me. They are only a colleague to someone who also works for Sainsbury's.

Well it's pretty obvious what it means and like others say it's been used for ages.
Can't say I've ever given it any thought but maybe that's because I work in a supermarket so they are my colleagues.

I think its professional. Shop workers suffer with lack of respect from the public as it is.

We are all equal at Sainsburys comrade, but some are more equal than others of course.

So they will say things like "if you need help, find a colleague and ask them" - none of my colleagues are usually there as I usually only see them at my place of work.

But you are in THEIR place of work so in this context it means you need to find one of THEIR colleagues, not yours.

Context is everything.

This is absolutely fine and they are probably saying 'please ask one of my colleagues' but you are probably changing that to the much ruder sounding 'find a colleague and ask them'.

Well the dictionary definition off colleague is “a person whom works works in a business” so it’s very accurate to call a supermarket worker a colleague because they work in that business. Just because it’s not YOUR colleague doesn’t mean that it’s not the person working there’s colleague. This is very pretentious that only people who work in offices can be called colleagues and supermarket workers must be referred to as less then. Maybe you can call them heros of the pandemic who fed the nation whilst you were probably on furlough pondering about this 😂

You should write to the store manager to tell him/her that if they don’t immediately desist you will take your custom back in time to when they used to say “member of staff”.

What annoys me is during the run-up to Christmas and there are signs everywhere in shops above the Christmas present tat aisles which read:

GIFTING

Ugh.

I completely get what you mean. It isn’t a good or accurate use of the language, but it’s trying to make their employees feel part of a nicer team, I suppose.

@DishingOutDone

I think its professional. Shop workers suffer with lack of respect from the public as it is.

Hmm. I'd like to think that. But it's actually a way of conferring higher status on a workforce without paying them more or increasing their rights. It's grandiose. I bet some very well paid management consultancy came up with this idea.

I agree Cowbells. It’s trying to make their employees sound like they’re more valued without actually doing anything (usually anyway).

Colleague really means co worker or associate rather than employee. It’s usually used with a personal pronoun such as my/her etc. The store probably think it sounds friendlier - as though the manager/person who wrote the sign is part of a big friendly team.

@Henryhoover12

Well the dictionary definition off colleague is “a person whom works works in a business” so it’s very accurate to call a supermarket worker a colleague because they work in that business. Just because it’s not YOUR colleague doesn’t mean that it’s not the person working there’s colleague. This is very pretentious that only people who work in offices can be called colleagues and supermarket workers must be referred to as less then. Maybe you can call them heros of the pandemic who fed the nation whilst you were probably on furlough pondering about this 😂

I very much doubt that's the dictionary definition

Yes, it is annoying when they use the word as if it is MY colleague, which it clearly is not.

What would be better? Surely member of staff would be equally confusing as to whether they meant a member of their staff or a member of your staff. Ditto employee. Person working in shop? Shop worker? But how do we know what shop they are referring to. It's a real puzzle.