To refuse to work tomorrow?

[QuestionableMouse]

It's been hell today. No heating. No hot water. Door playing up because of the wind so at times we've had snow and sleet blowing in. It's fucking freezing. I'm also really feeling the cold due to anemia so once I get cold it takes me an age to get warm again.

I'm meant to be on a ten hour shift tomorrow but I'm honestly thinking about ringing in sick because it's so damn cold. I did a temp and it was 12c on the dining area. Manager refuses to close and it'll be the same tomorrow.

Wibu to refuse to work?

@Storminamu

12 degrees isn't that cold, and you'll be moving around, which makes a difference. I work from home at a computer and don't usually put heating on until it goes below 10 degrees. I don't have your medical condition though. Layers make a big difference. And thick socks in decent shoes.

12 degrees might not be that cold to you, but we all feel cold differently. My DD has Reynauds syndrome, and would not be able to cope in 12 degrees.

And 12 degrees is below the legal minimum. I have gone home from the offfice before when the temperature dropped too low.

Why can’t you wear thermals under your uniform? They wouldn’t be visible

@Graphista

No hot water in a business serving food?! For the sake of the customers as well as staff report this to health and safety! Wtf is this manager thinking?!

Outrageous behaviour putting so many people at risk!

For yourself as you're not apparently already in a union I would urge you to join one ASAP

But more importantly report his arse! To H&s to regional manager as many people as possible

We had a hand wash station thing that heats the water for staff hand washing, but the customer loos only have cold water.

They also got a hot water urn thingy for hot water for cleaning.

1 not sure I believe this

2 not sure this is legal as there's still a massive issue with spreading of germs in a food environment. There are strict regulations on the type of hot water provided and how it works etc as stagnating hot water is also unacceptable in a place serving food

Stop dithering and report this manager/branch

This, especially about reporting to McDonalds if your manager refuses to do anything about it.

I don’t think it’s an acceptable situation at all. I’m perplexed though as to the claim you can’t layer up under your uniform? You could wear long tights/compression exercise gear and thermals both on the bottom and top. I have one kid with no body fat who feels the cold and you should see what they wear to work (office job). You wouldn’t know it to look at them, they are like a living onion.

but the customer loos only have cold water.

I assume you’re not in the U.K., because this is a breach of U.K. legislation.

Don't phone in sick. Just tell the manager the working conditions are unreasonable and you aren't prepared to return until things are sorted. As others have said, check the temperature and get your colleagues and union involved.

IIRC, unionised McDonald's employees have held some successful strikes recently. Is anybody in your branch already a member of the union- it's the Bakers Union, I think...?

[quote StaryEyes1978]@QuestionableMouse you keep saying you have to wear the uniform but thermal base layers wouldn't be visible under the uniform. [/quote]
Maybe she hasn't got any. I haven't. And it's not like you can nip out on a Sunday night fir some thermals. Even if the OP can afford a set.

@THisbackwithavengeance

It's people pulling sickies that means that people who are genuinely sick get treated like shit and disbelieved.

Plus it means that you leave your colleagues in the shit.

It's always the same people who are always "sick". Ringing up 5 mins before they are due to start with a pitiful bleating voice and fake cough.

Pathetic.

This sums up what I was going to put!

Either suck it up, or address it like an adult, OP. Pulling a sickie is a really shitty thing to do, which impacts on your colleagues (not usually your terrible manager.)
I’d write, formally, to the store manager, and HR, with the relevant legislation highlighted. Take records of the temperature - and put on what you can under your uniform. I know you say you can’t wear anything visible, but I’m sure there are some layers you can wear.
Good luck

Current McDonald’s manager here. The temporary hot water is a thing as we’ve had to use it before. It gives you hot water for all staffs hands and to be able to wash equipment, although, customer toilets would not be available until the main water is fixed and this is never usually a long time at all. You are definitely able to wear layers under your uniform as no one would be able to see them. At our store we are all given McDonald’s jackets and can wear these when we are in cold areas such as giving out food on the DT window. Another thing that is usually helpful is to switch the staff around regularly so people are not exposed to coldness for very long periods at at the minute time, Is this something that could be spoken about at your work? I’m guessing you are working front counter as personally it is very warm in the kitchen even on the coldest of days.

Sounds like a Waitrose I used to work at. No heating one winter and all cashiers absolutely froze. Very poor show from the house of John Lewis.

@DonaPatrizia

It’s not acceptable to fake a sickie. Not only is it childish and deceitful, plus puts you in the wrong, it wouldn’t actually solve the problem - are you going to throw a sickie every time it’s cold? Your employer needs to ensure an acceptable temperature. There is no legal minimum temperature but employers have a duty for it to be ‘reasonable’ and the guidance on this is 16C. You say the manager won’t close the business but she should look at putting out extra heaters, etc. You and your colleagues should speak to your manager about heating, fixing the door etc. Then if she refuses you need to escalate it. You don’t say what the business is but mention a dining room- customers won’t want to freeze surely! Good luck.

She's said what the business is... It's a McDonald's.

Can you wear thermal leggings and a thermal vest under the uniform? That would help.
Our McDs has the door closed unless someone is actually holding it (or the weather is warm) - I know it supposedly helps covid ventilate away but having the door open in this weather is crazy!

Buy thermals! You can wear them under your uniform, no one can see them.

I own thermals but the top is a roll neck so that would be very visible under a uniform…

Layers is the way to go. Thermals under trousers and thermal top under long sleeved top. The thing is we may be in for a freezing winter. Will you pull a sickie everyday it is cold?

My fingers and toes turn blue, yellow, white white, red and purple all at once , they are both numb and painful - no amount of layers will change that.
It feels like torture to me.
I never complain when it's super hot, but lots do - I don't get it, but I never tell people to "just get over it".
"Suck it up" seems like super insensitive advice and a little bit trolling.

@BlueBritish

Current McDonald’s manager here. The temporary hot water is a thing as we’ve had to use it before. It gives you hot water for all staffs hands and to be able to wash equipment, although, customer toilets would not be available until the main water is fixed and this is never usually a long time at all. You are definitely able to wear layers under your uniform as no one would be able to see them. At our store we are all given McDonald’s jackets and can wear these when we are in cold areas such as giving out food on the DT window. Another thing that is usually helpful is to switch the staff around regularly so people are not exposed to coldness for very long periods at at the minute time, Is this something that could be spoken about at your work? I’m guessing you are working front counter as personally it is very warm in the kitchen even on the coldest of days.

I'm a customer experience leader so I'm out on the dining area. I'm also the only one who's in at the moment with Covid so there's no one to cover me.

The wind was blowing directly at the doors and stopping them from closing and due to how the dining area is laid out, it was impossible to get away from it!

It would have been fine but the heating was off too which meant it was freezing!

I did go in though.

Go in but pull H&s and duty of care. Your employer has a duty of care to make sure your H&S is protected. You are entitled to be kept warm and cool at your work - warm in winter, cool in summer. You need to feel safe, so that means you will not get infected at work because your work conditions are such that you are cold all the time and so susceptible.
Have a look at the HSE website so you know what to quote. It is all there... And your franchise manager needs to know how he can/can't treat his employees.

It's not a franchised store.

The law doesn't only apply to franchises.