To believe that retail bosses should be more understanding of shop closures when it's down to a H&S issue?

[SorcererGaheris]

Firstly, I will say I understand that naturally, it is desired for shops to be open when they are supposed to be, and for shops to be open for as long as is feasible.

I volunteer for an Oxfam bookshop and our shop waste (NOT dustbin rubbish, waste here refers to stock (books) that have been culled or stock which was just in too poor condition to put out for sale in the first place) is picked up by a waste collection company. They are supposed to come once a week.

However, there is an ongoing issue in which the collection company fails to show up for several weeks on end, which means that the amount of uncollected stuff accumulates. When it gets really out of hand, usually after three or four weeks of no-shows, the Sunday volunteer team (of which I am one) refuses to go in at the insistence of our Sunday shift leader, as she feels it is unsafe.

The shop managers are paid employees, but Sunday is the one day that they both have off, so if us volunteers aren't in, it means the shop is closed for that day.

We've been closed for a number of Sundays this year because of this issue, and our manager is starting to be told off about it. Those higher up have complained about the number of Sundays the shop has been closed. But there's not really anything the manager can do about it - it's not her fault that the waste collection company so often goes so many weeks without turning up. She reports it every week and has reports the reason why the shop has been closed because of this problem, so they are aware that it's due to volunteer feeling that the workspace is unsafe.

Takings for the shop are down on what they were several years ago, and I understand that those in charge want to maximise the amount of time the shop is trading. But I feel they should be more tolerant of closures that happen due to practical issues like what I've outlined. It's not like us Sunday staff refuse to go in after a week of no collection; it's usually about four weeks in a row before we make the call that it's getting out of hand.

To give an example, here was some of the uncollected waste stock piling up at the bottom of the stairs.

Are both managers full-time? If so, it seems odd that they are both allowed the same day off.

@SeptemberIRemember

No, the manager is full-time but the deputy is part-time.

Why haven't the managers changed waste collection company or is there only 1 option?

@Hoardasurass

It's not the managers' call, the decision would have to come from above. As far as I know, there's only one company that the entire organisation is using, and they are (relatively) new - we started using them last November, as our previous waste collection company would also go weeks on end without turning up.

From what I've heard, ours isn't the only shop that is experiencing this problem.

One of the managers should work on a Sunday, regardless of the waste collection issues.

@Blingismything

Even if one of them did work Sunday, the shop cannot open without two people. So when uncollected stock accumulates to the point that the volunteers refuse to go in, the shop would still have to close.

Oxfam’s big bosses earn a fortune, they should pay for staff on a Sunday.

If you need two people to have the shop open and one of the paid staff is part time then are there volunteers who agree to go in during the week or is it just Sunday that volunteers won’t work if there is waste piled up?

@MoreThanJustANumber

Yes, it's just us Sunday volunteers that temporarily stop going in on Sundays until the waste is collected. We do so at the instigation of the Sunday shift leader. I also volunteer on a Thursday and continue to do that regardless.

Not sure I would want to be posting about this on a public forum. It would be different if you had some general point to make about Oxfam's treatment of its volunteers and staff. But this just seems like some specific issues being faced by a particular branch, which it might be better to raise internally.

If that stock has been there all week what is the difference of opening on Saturday or opening on Monday but closing on a Sunday?

If there no where else to store the stock. Nothing should be stored on the stairs, I'm assuming they are a fire exit so this would be against any fire risk assessment.

@BlueMum16

I'm not sure I understand your question - are you asking why the shop closes on a Sunday and is open the rest of the week? If so, it's because when several weeks have gone by with no waste collection, it is just us Sunday staff who don't go in. The managers (and other volunteers) are there the rest of the week.

I think the poster is trying to understand why it's considered unsafe on sunday, but yet it isn't considered unsafe on the other days of the week!

Also, just trying to be practical here, but couldn't the volunteers just take some of the accumulated waste to the local tip when they see the pile getting too big, and then come back and open for the afternoon? I know they're volunteering their time and very grateful they do, so i understand it's an additional ask... but it seems like a practical suggestion that would mean the problem is alleviated, even if just one bag of stuff was taken away each shift.

@Smidge001

Well, obviously I don't know what every other individual volunteer personally thinks, but it probably is considered unsafe on the other days of the week, at least by some of the staff - but the others are willing to put up with it/work around it.

@Smidge001

It wouldn't be possible for some of us volunteers (there are no tips within walking distance and not everyone drives.) As for those who do drive, they probably wouldn't be willing to take on the role, and it's not their responsibility, so I'm sure the managers wouldn't feel comfortable asking them to do such a thing.

The volunteer is absolutely correct in what they are doing - if it's unsafe with trip hazards and partially impeded staircases on a fire routes, everyone should have the right and the managerial support to stop operations.

An organisation who puts safety of workers first doesn't start musing about why Mondays workers are okay with it and Sundays aren't - they address the problem which is their waste company not fulfilling it's contract.

If the fire officer pops by, you're in trouble. Environmental health it's a letter of improvement.
The area manager is clearly demonstrating they value profit over safety and it's not a good look.

@SixtyTwoPercent

To be fair, I don't think it's the area manager who is complaining about the shop closures - not sure who it is, just that it's people 'above' and I think the manager feels under pressure because of it.

Yanbu but I think you have questionable judgement for naming the organisation and posting photos

This thread is a good reminder to people though to not donate absolute junk to charity shops as it just costs them money to get rid of it

I think it's on the manager to find an alternative place to keep the books so it isn't a H&S risk and the shop doesn't have to close, I can understand why the big bosses aren't happy with a shop closure.

@1willgetthere

As far as I know, that's not part of the manager's responsibility. The shop has limited space and when there's such a backlog of uncollected waste, you can't really find alternative places in the shop to store it.

Round here the shops just stop collecting donations for a bit if they run out of storage space. Is that not an option?

@moresoup

We have temporarily stopped taking donations in the past. I think it's something that management is reluctant to do, but if it gets really chaotic, they'll make that call.

I mean, I wouldn’t let that stop me from working… 🤷🏽