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??

The government have been wrong about many things, but how right they were when they said we would tire of lockdown...

Of course people will tire of lockdown, not just here but the world over. Contact with others is human nature. I don’t think there is any country where the majority of citizens would be willing to stay in their homes indefinitely.
That’s a different issue to the one of face masks though.

If you are that bothered then dont visit these places.

I would rather staff did not wear face coverings of any sort for a variety of reasons. I think face coverings outside of clinical settings are likely to be an increased risk in spreading illness tbh as the vast majority of people do not use them how they are used clinically. E.g. enough washing/disposing/changing of them, washing hands before putting on and taking off, touching them, touching other things, touching them again. It's a farce and totally pointless and possibly even dangerous if this means people are actually spreading germs around MORE through touching the mask more than they would their own face. PP also said they'd like them to be mandatory in shops so people don't get complacent. Ime it's the opposite - people become complacent as they think this face covering suddenly makes them invincible even though they're not following good hygiene in respect of the covering.

Also I really can't see how anyone who works in a kitchen could wear a face covering, imagine the heat in the kitchens! I bet even if your servers are wearing one, your chefs aren't, and they're the ones actually handling your food!

Regardless I can't imagine I will be eating out for a very long time tbh though. We have a 2 yr old and we don't eat out much anyway as most people with 2yr olds don't, but we occasionally have a lunch out in a family friendly cafe or something. But as PP said absolutely nowhere seems to welcome children anymore really. My 2 year old can't just sit down for a whole hour or two and in half empty places would often have a wander round or we would eat at cafes with toys and stuff to entertain her. That atmosphere just won't exist now so it wouldn't be enjoyable. Tbf it will probably be nicer for people without young children, I'd imagine you will not be disturbed by any noise from little ones when you go out anymore!

I don't agree with the approach that staff should wear masks if they want to, but not if they don't.

I agree... it’s completely the wrong approach. Either the risk assessment indicates they are necessary or they aren’t.

For instance, if a dentist or a hospital doctor said “meh, I’m not fussed about Covid - probably no worse than a bit of flu for me, so I won’t bother with the mask”, the vast majority would find that unacceptable.

The principle is no different with serving staff even if the risk is lower... It’s fair enough to argue that the risk doesn’t warrant it, but it shouldn’t be a “it’s up to you - your choice” is thing, any more than it is for a dentist.

@MeadowHay

I get your point about complacency, and agree it would probably be unreasonable for cooks etc to wear them.... but I think you’re missing the point about how masks are primarily of benefit. It was the argument used back in March before they knew much about the virus... The WHO and almost every health authority has in the world believe they do have a net benefit, even the U.K. health authorities concur, otherwise the Government wouldn’t require them on public transport.

The points you raise relate to how a mask protects the wearer... but the reason masks are now being promoted in other places (almost everywhere in fact) is that they protect others from the wearer by preventing spread of many of the droplets containing the virus in the breath.

I couldn't care less either way.

I'd prefer staff to be wearing masks To be honest I wish we had to wear them inside shops public transport etc as is the situation in France. They help reduce transmission - it seems bonkers that we're "opening up" with 150 a day dying still, but no requirement to wear a mask...

I would definitely prefer to have staff wearing masks.

I think it's madness opening the pubs anyway and think masks should be mandatory inside busy places.

I would prefer staff to be wearing masks. I think they should be compulsory in lots of places.

To be honest I wish we had to wear them inside shops public transport

You do have to wear them on public transport.

Being the person who would be made to wear one I don't think it's necessary. We get hot enough running around trying run food and drinks, masks will just make it worse. We will have to be changing them constantly to keep them in any way effective. Most of us won't be within a metre of a customer for any prolonged time period anyway. For an average sized table it takes about a minute to put food/drinks down, unless we are coughing all over you and the fold I can't see how we will be spreading a virus we most likely don't have.

If people are pubs and restaurants a threat to their safety it's probably best they avoid them completely.

Not all risk assessments necessarily need to be (or actually are in practice) so black and white to state that all staff must wear or none need at all. Risk can vary.

Equally, if they are not required for the risk assessment but a member of staff feels safer and happier wearing one then they should have the option to in my mind.

Personally I think it will be horrible for restaurant staff to have to wear one and to be of any use they'd need to change a lot during their shift. But if they want to I won't care.

For those who think it should be mandatory, if it's not it's quite simple really. Just don't go.

I’d prefer them not to be wearing masks, but wouldn’t object if they were.

I find it hard to hear what people are saying or to read people when they are worn. Plus it all adds to the sense of things being far from normal (even though obviously I know that they’re not).

I want staff to wear masks

And personally also want customers to

I would not eat inside somewhere unless staff were wearing masks/visors and I would expect there to be some kind of barrier between tables. Not practical everywhere o know so I probably won’t be eating out for some time.

Some might think it's a bit excessive, and our pub company's twitter has been absolutely slated for it, but I would feel so much more comfortable working with a little bit more of that protection.

If I was a manager I’d be happy with that. The last thing I’d want are punters who think taking precautions against infecting customers with Covid are a load of bollocks and will likely flout all social distancing rules when on the premises.... giving the place a bad reputation and risking it being shut down.

This sums us and a lot of our friends opinions up

^^ This is (sort of) my position too. DH and I love eating out, we research places we want to go to and spend a lot of money in places that we hope to be ‘special’.
While measures such as mask wearing and social distancing are in place we won’t be going. Not due to the risk of Covid, but because it just won’t be the experience we look for. And with the additional risk of being contacted to say we have to self isolate as someone sitting nearby tested positive... I’d rather wait.

For those who think it should be mandatory, if it's not it's quite simple really. Just don't go.

Thinking its reasonable for serving staff to wear masks is about keeping a lid community infection as much as we can while we open up. I appreciate the individual risk to me is very low, and I wouldn’t be particularly concerned from a personal perspective.... but this isn’t about me and my personal health.

I can not afford to isolate for 14days because of being near someone who tests positive so I will be avoiding such places. Staff should have the choice whether they wear a mask or not to be honest it’s safer if they do

I'd be surprised if staff could get through a full shift in a hot environment without fiddling with a cloth mask and possibly forgetting to wash their hands immediately after fiddling with it. I wouldn't want to go to a pub or restaurant where they are wearing a cloth mask. A visor is fine.

As for being ordered to isolate, assuming the social distancing guidelines are properly adhered to there should not be a need to isolate even if another punter does test positive. Is it not the case that you isolate if you have been within 2m of someone infected for more than 15 mins?

A few restaurants where I am after opening at limited capacity had to shut down again as a staff member tested positive. So yes I would expect servers to wear mask and customers if they are away from their assigned table, eg going to the bar/toilet/checking out

I would rather they didn't, but I would rather they individually did what made them most comfortable.
I would rather they had something in place for full pay to stay home if they felt under the weather and were able to wash their hands frequently.

I wouldn't eat out at or buy a takeaway from an establishment where staff weren't wearing masks.

As for being ordered to isolate, assuming the social distancing guidelines are properly adhered to there should not be a need to isolate even if another punter does test positive. Is it not the case that you isolate if you have been within 2m of someone infected for more than 15 mins?

I don’t think a punter being infected is where the problem lies... it’s a member of waiting staff. You should be distanced and protected from other groups... You won’t be from a waiter/waitress though as they shout over the hubbub to communicate your order and reach over to serve your and collect your food. Yes, the time will be short and the risk admittedly isn’t huge... but they’ll be significantly less than a metre away for short periods, so if they were infectious (from
droplets in their breath) they’d be a risk - it’s not like being 2m away.