Waiting staff in masks

[hopefulhalf]

Went out to help out last night, it was lovely excellent service and really good value. We sat outside to minimise risk BUT none of the resturant staff wore face coverings ! Was really surprised to be honest, I understand that diners can't wear them, but why not the staff ? We were in Greece recently and all waiting staff and all shop staff wore face coverings. It seems such a simple thing- why is it not happening here ?

Because they don't have to.

They don't have to so it varies from setting to setting.

Personally I am only going to places where the staff wear masks. I also only eat at outside tables. I prefer to be cautious rather than feeling uncomfortable and not enjoying my meal.

There's quite a difference in how seriously and efficiently places are dealing with the current situation.

I've found the ones wearing face masks are also asking people to use sanitiser at the door, are cleaning surfaces well and often, are keeping good track and trace records and IMO are also most likely to have good hygiene standards when actually preparing food.

We had a short break in UK holiday park a couple weeks ago. Every staff member in restaurant either had a mask or visor (and even if they not in a restaurant) and so so spacious. Come home and looked to eat out to help out, no masks and tables much closer together so haven’t been.

No requirement for the staff in restaurants and shops to wear masks. So far I've only eaten outside but have shopped in stores.

Because they are grim to wear for hours on end ?

Let your feet do the talking...I wouldn't eat at a place where the staff don't wear masks.

Everywhere we’ve been staff have worn visors.

But visors are useless at everything except being a splatter guard. Those people will still be breathing and depositing droplets towards you and over your food.

I guess because where you are it's not the rule.
It is where I am, but I'm not UK.

I am aware there is no requirement, I am asking why not I suppose. FP3 for 12 hour shift ? yes grim cotton face covering to serve ? Not so much.

@Cato31

But visors are useless at everything except being a splatter guard. Those people will still be breathing and depositing droplets towards you and over your food.

Do you have an evidence base? The Lancet published research around PPE for SARS which showed eye protection was very effective at reducing transmission and afforded considerable protection for the wearer. I prefer a splatter guard to non in outdoors settings.

I would actively choose a place where staff were in masks

I am de-shielded (so can go out and about, but am of course still exceptionally vulnerable) and if somewhere cannot deal with the safety requirements that I need I shall take my business to somewhere which can

Presumably under DDA (my underlying condition qualifies) I could require it as a reasonable adjustment. But I’m just going to vote with my wallet

My dd has just gone back to work in a restaurant and I spent the weekend making her washable facemasks so she has enough to have a clean one every shift. Everyone else wears just visors but we're not happy with that so she wears a mask too.

I've no idea why others don't, it makes no sense to me at all.

I would prefer it if they did wear masks. After all if God forbid a staff member was infected, they would be in contact with load of customers.

I do agree with all your comments about voting with our feet taking custom elsewhere etc. We were in a medium size town and interestingly none of the staff (Zizzi, Nandos and several independants) were masked, it surpirsed me. By then we had starving children ( teenagers) who felt I was being quite fussy enough insisting on eating outside, so just went along with it.

@CherryPavlova

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/18/face-visors-may-protect-wearer-but-not-other-people-against-covid-19

Visors may protect the wearer's eyes, but they won't protect the customer.

Because in England the staff don’t have to wear masks. I haven’t even to any restaurant or pub and won’t be doing so because I don’t believe it is safe. The government are offering financial incentives to people to eat out but without legislating proper safety measures.

But remember, France where EVERYONE is wearing masks and you arent allowed into a shop or restaurant until you’ve the hand sanitiser is dangerous!

It’s about the economy NOT people’s health / safety.

I’ve eaten in a few places and haven’t seen anywhere they’re not wearing masks so it’s surprising to hear it’s so widespread in other areas. I do sympathise with the staff though, just because wearing an FFP3 mask for 12 hours is very unpleasant doesn’t mean that wearing a cloth mask in a hot restaurant for a long shift isn’t also unpleasant. If it’s been left up to them I can understand why some might be deciding not to.

@CherryPavlova

Everywhere we’ve been staff have worn visors.

Visors alone are next to useless. In Scotland they've been banned for use alone and can only be worn with a mask underneath.

Anything you exhale/sneeze/cough is 'jetted' around the sides and from underneath (which is why gov.uk guidelines say that close fitting cloth face coverings should be worn). They only protect the wearer from large droplets/spatter and do little to protect anyone else.

Depends if they’re going to use them properly.

I went to a pub for a meal recently and the waiters were wearing masks. They clearly found them uncomfortable so were frequently touching them and moving them around... then touching our plates, cutlery etc.

Personally I would rather no masks but otherwise strict hygiene and frequent hand washing. It’s pointless wearing a mask only to touch it every 3 minutes!

@hopefulhalf the reason they aren’t required to by law is the same reason people working in supermarkets don’t have to, yet customers do, we choose to go to restaurants and shops, the workers largely don’t have a choice to whether they work or not, so customers should wear masks to protect the workers who can’t make the choice to stay home. We have been to many places to eat or drink out, some are wearing masks, some aren’t, and some give you the option if you would like a server to wear a mask while serving you.

......and there is a problem with protecting staff why?

@CherryPavlova

......and there is a problem with protecting staff why?

Visors don't protect staff, either - only from spatter/large droplets, so completely ineffective against tiny virus droplets.

The research might suggest otherwise, ElizabethWoodviIIe

jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2765525

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15459624.2013.877591