Eating out - will you want staff to wear face masks?

[daisydalrymple]

I’m just wondering what people’s feelings are towards bar and waiting on staff wearing masks, once pubs and restaurants reopen? Would you prefer they did or didn’t wear a protective face mask?

I work in hospitality, we haven’t reopened yet, but our bosses have told us we will not be wearing face masks, as they want our customers to enjoy the true pub experience they love us for, with great food and drink in a relaxed atmosphere, which they don’t think will be possible if staff are wearing masks.

They’re working on other recommended safety measures to be in place, staff having temp taken on arrival, hand sanitising on arrival and throughout shift, social distancing with tables etc.

Most of my colleagues are relieved they don’t have to wear a mask, whilst a few are extremely concerned that they can’t. Whilst I appreciate the company want things to get back to normal for our customers, it’s obvious things aren’t ‘normal’ as they were pre-lockdown. I’m wondering if they’re right in thinking customers won’t want a mask wearing server, or if people would prefer the reassurance of knowing people carrying drinks and food have their mouth and nose covered??

“ But to be honest if you're going in a pub or restaurant you take that risk at the moment.”

I agree. I don’t really have the option of going to pubs and restaurants much right now as I have a toddler and small baby (neither of whom I am sure will be welcome anywhere now) but when I do I don’t expect it to have the sterility of an operating theatre nor would I want that

Can’t believe people saying they “look offputting” or like you’re “paranoid”.

Have you all just stopped giving a shit?

OP I’m hiding this thread now as it’s annoyed me so much but FYI if your staff aren’t in masks then that sucks and I for one would report your.

Ooh who would you report to?

The restaurants I’m going to are operating behind closed doors. No one will “report” or snitch on anyone. I’m happy to just have a decent restaurant opening again without making their lives even more difficult. Or mine. I don’t think for one second that I’m going to get Covid from attending a decent restaurant. I’m willing to give it a go!

On balance, I would expect masks as there isn’t a way to serve food without getting within 1m of the people you’re serving, and voices might need to be raised in a busy setting to communicate. However the interaction will be brief so the risk would be low.

I think the worry for me is there’s an ever pervading attitude that “it’s all over”... and that’s the best way of ensuring that won’t be “all over“!

A restaurant where serving staff didn’t wear masks would indicate they weren’t taking it seriously and wouldn’t get my business.

And I think you need to do a proper risk assessment, not just ask people what they feel like.

Yes. The issue isn’t whether a particular member of staff is personally concerned about getting the virus, but about their role collectively in continuing to contain it. But some people just can’t get their heads out this individualistic headspace. It seems beyond their ability to conceive of being community minded - I assume they’re closer sociopaths.

Covid isn’t like the risks of smoking or drinking - it’s infectious - yet people still say “I don’t care if I get it”.

Also, individual risk may be low, but scale it up and it becomes a problem if protective measures are ignored - another reason we shouldn’t have an individualistic attitude to this.

Look what’s happenned in the USA where that individualistic attitude has prevailed in some states over the past few weeks.... Young people get infected as they don’t bother to take any precautions as they’re not personally at much risk.... in time it becomes endemic, and would inevitably percolate to the older population if allowed to continue unabated. Even the “pro-business” Trump-loving Republican Governors are having to shut things down again! Why do people think that can’t happen here? Do people really have such short memories they can’t remember what happened in March?

Individualism in the face of this pandemic is disastrous.

Ah yes, sociopaths. The only conclusion.

What do you mean they are operating behind ‘closed doors’ @My0My, are they open already?

Whilst bluemolly has said she’s hiding this thread, I’m still responding to her posts, incase anybody else has misunderstood my OP.

I’m genuinely just interested personally in what people think about this issue. I will be serving food and drinks to customers and I think it’s good to have a heads up on how different people feel about this. This isn’t forming the basis for reopening plans. The management team at HQ are working on them and keeping us updated. I purely wanted to know, if anybody was happy to share, how people feel about places reopening.

The company has obviously undertaken a thorough risk assessment across all sites, and will do so again prior to opening. No establishment will be able to reopen unless all appropriate safety measures, risk assessments and H&S requirements are met.

Ah yes, sociopaths. The only conclusion.

I’m not saying that you’re a sociopath if you don’t think masks should be worn by staff in restaurants.... it’s not a straightforward right/wrong thing, and I’m not in favour of blanket mask wearing in public as they are in some countries. I’m even ok with masks not being required in shops as people tend only to fleetingly pass others (though on balance I would probably have mandated it if I had the power to do so if only to prevent complacency) it’s all about a proper risk assessment.

My issue was with people thinking it’s all about the individual, and what the individual wants, without any apparent conception that our behaviour impacts onto others irrespective of our own personal risk level or appetite..... and in particular those people who can’t even seem to grasp the concept of acting in a way that’s not centred on the individual.

And yes, if someone dismisses that our behaviour should consider the common good, and that this will involve necessary compromise with individual choice - normally to justify why they should do what the hell they please - then that person is showing sociopathic traits.

The problem is sociopaths don’t tend to be able to see it in themselves... a bit like Trump. They have a blind spot - more amoral than immoral.

My DD is a currently furloughed bar worker. She has been asked by her boss if she would prefer a mask or a visor when they reopen so they are clearly planning some type of face covering for staff. I think they are right to ensure the safety of both their staff and their clients in this way. I think DD would refuse to return if they told her she wasn't to wear a face covering.

There is an article in the Times today saying that if people don’t follow the guidelines once pubs etc are open then it is possible that schools wont be able to be open fully in September. I think I would prefer that waiting staff have to wear masks than children not going back to school.

I thought about this a week or so back... and thought of I was PM I’d have emphasised this to help stop people from disregarding the new rules.

If people think that their behaviour might contribute to their children not going back in September that would concentrate the mind of many.... Not everyone - there will always be some who don’t give a crap - but enough maybe.

I don't think the people crowding into pubs are necessarily going to be those with school aged children.

I know, the economy, etc but there are still large parts of the economy closed down, clubs and restaurants being priorities makes no sense to me.

I'd prefer not.

I think they can be pretty unhygienic.

Absolutely no need for temperature checks, they are completely useless and misleadingly reassuring.

It’s a bit like disinfecting the streets... I agree they’re probably counterproductive and misleadingly reassuring. I can’t imagine many people - even the “don’t give a crap” type - who’d go to a Pub/restaurant with a raging fever at the moment!

I don't think the people crowding into pubs are necessarily going to be those with school aged children

Well exactly. I won’t be in pubs or restaurants because I have school aged (and younger) children who at the moment are with me constantly.

I don't think the people crowding into pubs are necessarily going to be those with school aged children.

Yes, it won’t stop people behaving “badly”, but you’d expect it to have some effect on many people without children. Some people are all “me, me, me”, but most people have some kind of social conscience, even if it’s not perfect or not tinged with a degree of selfishness.

I think masks should be made compulsory in indoor spaces, yes they are horrible to wear but have we forgot we still have a pandemic going on. The fact staff aren't protected and im not from them would make me not want to enter tbh. Still 100 deaths some days and nows the time we let our guard down, shocking truly!

Derbygerbil, I hope you understand that the point of my post wasn’t driven by an individual desire to prevent myself from getting the virus. I’m not sure who your points are aimed at, but I’ve tried to make it clear that I’m just wondering what people feel about this issue. This isn’t informing any opening plans.

Proper risk assessments have been taken by HQ, and will continue to be done. There is currently no mandate to wear a face mask, but I’ll be honest, I was surprised to receive an email saying staff didn’t need to wear one. I was also surprised when so many colleagues were very happy not to have to wear one, and so thought I’d see what others thought.

If I answer my own question, I have 3 dcs, so as a family, we won’t be eating out anywhere until I feel the virus is a lot more under control than it is. If we were to eat out, I’d be happier to see staff wearing some form of protective face cover, however, the risk again is whether they’re used properly / changed often enough. I feel pubs and restaurants will be extremely clean places, as we will be having to sanitise areas regularly.

As a family, we won’t be eating out anytime soon though, because even with social distancing, I don’t know what risks other customers take and whether they’ve followed the safety guidance appropriately.

I say that as somebody who has stuck to the guidance as closely as I have been able. We’ve been out once a day for a walk. I’ve been to the supermarket and local shop weekly, but at the beginning more frequently as I was sticking to local shop and with the mass buying there wasn’t enough stock to feed us for a week.
I’ve been to one socially distanced funeral and have taken youngest dc to 3 hospital appointments.
We’ve only this week seen my mum in the garden for the first time.

I really didn’t want to cause offence to anybody with this post. I genuinely just wondered personally what people thought.

@daisydairymple

Sorry, my post wasn’t aimed at you at all. Your OP was perfectly reasonable.

Ok Derby, thanks. I do appreciate it’s a very emotive topic though.

I'm pretty shocked by some of the responses on this thread. Was it only 3 months ago that some poor woman was ripped to pieces when she asked about children moving between houses of separated parents, because her dc were with their dad when we went into lockdown, and was told repeatedly not to be so selfish and of course they should stay there and she shouldn't see them for months? Now people shouldn't wear masks because it makes them look paranoid?! The government have been wrong about many things, but how right they were when they said we would tire of lockdown...

I don't agree with the approach that staff should wear masks if they want to, but not if they don't. Unless medical grade, the mask is going to do much more to protect other people from the wearer than it is to protect the wearer from others. Yes they are hot and uncomfortable - so are many other forms of PPE. Yes they change the way people look so it could all look a bit "off-putting". But we are in the middle of a global pandemic! Things are not normal and nor should they be! I would like to see everyone who is able to wearing masks in enclosed public spaces, as has been mandated in other countries. If we all made this sacrifice we could make these spaces safer for ourselves but also for others who are unable to wear masks.

I will be in a room with 30 people for six hours a day, closer than 2m, (closer than 1m for a lot of the time to be effective in doing my job) no requirement for any of them to wear a mask and I’ve been specifically guided not to wear a mask or other ppe, just to wash my hands more frequently. I couldn’t care less what bar staff do after that. It’s interesting how many people think it’s important that bar staff should be wearing masks though, when they may spend a minute or two at less than 2m away from them.