Ridiculous inconsistent mask wearing rules in shops....

[Derbygerbil]

So, if I’m a member of the public, I need to wear a mask (if I can). If I’m a member of staff, I don’t, and can move around shouting to other staff members and make limited, if any, attempts to socially distance. At least, that was my experience in Waitrose the other day.

I’m personally not overly concerned about masks in supermarkets as I think the risk is pretty low, but surely either:

a) the risk is negligible enough that masks don’t need to be mandated in shops;

Or

b) the risks are significant enough for masks to be mandated (for those that can) by those moving around the shop floor.

Shop workers aren’t immune from having the virus. In fact, given they work as a team that doesn’t seem to socially distance, their risk of being infected would seem higher than a formerly shielded shopper who’s trying to be ultra careful.

I'm sick to death of people using the fact staff aren't wearing masks as an excuse to not wear one themselves.

Some of my colleagues do 12/14 hour shifts theres no way they could wear one all day.

We have to wear one when venturing out into the customer areas which we do. But at the counter we don't.

I'll tell you the same think I tell my kids. You do what you are meant to do. Other peoples medical exemptions and what other people do is not really your business or your job to police.

Most of you lot can't wear them properly anyway so are in no position to judge.

The sooner everyone just does it , the sooner they will know if its working or not and the sooner we might be free of the damn things.

I agree OP

Big supermarket, staff out on shop floor, no masks, standing close to customers to stock shelf’s/pick shopping

Makes no sense to me at all.
We wear masks all day at work...it’s fine once you get used to it.

Wearing a mask for 10 minutes to shop is very different from wearing one for 10 hours doing hard manual labour.

Working in a supermarket isn’t hard manual labour - that’s ridiculous. I have no issues about staff not wearing one behind a screen,

This isn’t about wearing masks per se, it’s about consistency. Either encounters in shops are risky enough for masks, or they aren’t.

The difference is the shop workers are there all day. Wearing a mask for an 8 hour shift is very different than wearing one to do a weekly shop

Indeed, so an infected worker has far more opportunity to infect others than an infected shopper! Arguably therefore it’s more important that a worker wears one.

Also, a shop can and should take measures to minimise the risk and exposure of its staff (not that they always do so) but elderly and vulnerable shoppers can’t - they have to be on the shop floor.

@Derbygerbil, working in a shop definitely IS manual labour in many shops. There are often time limits for emptying pallets, etc, and you need to have quite high levels of fitness to achieve them. Sitting at a till, not so much, but on the shop floor, you will walk for miles every single day, before you think about the lifting and carrying aspect.

Working in a supermarket isn’t hard manual labour

You still need to lug boxes, push cages of goods etc.

I'm so glad here in Ireland they made masks mandatory everywhere, shops, buses, trains, schools, everywhere, you wear a mask whether you're a customer, staff, pupil. The only place you don't wear one is walking along the street. Of course if you are exempt you don't wear one. It makes it much easier to know the rules, I feel a little safer going in stores, I feel my kids are a little safer wearing one all day in school.

DS1 works at JD Sports. Neither the staff nor customers are made to wear masks.

Working in a shop is bloody hard work. Up and down stairs, moving stock, pallets etc. Doing that in a mask for 10 hours a day for £8.72 is a BIG ask.
Online shopping is the way forward if you're that vulnerable. Even click and collect is safer with minimal interaction.

You really can wear a surgical mask for 12-14 hours. You really can. Ask any doctor or nurse. You can even lift patients, perform an 8 hour surgery while on your feet. You really can stock shelves wearing a surgical mask.

Staff are doing 8 hour shifts, it's a long time to wear a mask.

Customers are in there for anything from 2 minutes to say 30 for a big shop. It is perfectly acceptable to expect customers to wear them and for it to be optional for staff.

Honestly most people's 'valid reasons' for not wearing a mask aren't good enough. Doctor's exemptions only please.

I work in a shop and we do wear masks or face shields. However I fully understand some workers not being able to for long shifts.

It's hard, manual labour. Moving stock, heavy lifting, I don't think customers realise how strenuous it can be.

Whereas customers wearing a mask is very different, it's a short time. As a shop worker I would like to request that people don't not do things like squeeze past us (if we have t seen you, just ask us to move), don't reach around our protective barriers to use staff antibacterial gel and don't take forever to shop when we are queue limiting (I work in an express type store).

*don't do things

I avoid all shops now due to having to wear a mask! It is unpleasant and not conducive to a pleasant shopping experience. I don't blame the staff for not wearing them. I would hate to.

Looks like face coverings are going to be made mandatory for all staff (able to wear one) in pubs, restaurants and shops. Someone from The Time has just announced it.

Boris has decreed that all staff in shops must wear face masks.

Its just something you get used to. I wear one for 8 hours mon-fri. Honestly I don't get the big fuss.

It’s good to see I have the ear of the PM. I expect he read my thread last night (Boris is definitely on MN) and woke Whitty and Valance up to alert them to it. After a few minutes, I imagine they all agreed it made perfect sense, and Boris added it to today’s speech.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54250696

Working in a shop is bloody hard work. Up and down stairs, moving stock, pallets etc.

I wouldn’t necessarily expect staff to wear them in the warehouse area. They’d just put one on on the shop floor. I accept there is some exertion involved in some parts of the job, but if it’s so much that staff get out of breath, that’s an infection hazard in itself - heavy breathing will spread the virus further.

Working in a supermarket isn’t hard manual labour - that’s ridiculous

Nah. Course it isnt. Thats why they medically retired my DH from it.

Its a very physical job Of course staff get out of breath.

Staff in shops to wear face masks? Going to be interesting in our old Tesco store that was built in the 70s. One set of stairs and an escalator (the escalator only goes up)

I admit it is more physical than a desk job, and you’d get fit walking up and down, but it’s not what most people would call “hard manual labour”. If stacking shelves is “hard manual labour”, what’s a navvy digging a canal doing?

There is no real evidence that masks offer any protection. The virus would easily pass through the fabric of the mask.