AIBU to want my workplace to be safer?

[BootyBay]

NC for this in case my employer is on here.

I work for a relatively small company with about 100 full-time staff and around 50 part-time staff on site. We are a customer-facing company and apart from a few back-office staff are dealing with a few hundred clients face to face every day.

In times of Covid, I am not feeling that enough thought has been put into making our workplace safer.

1. No PPE has been provided; we were all given a window of about 5 days to get our own face coverings made to company specification (a certain colour, two layers min) so many of us who had already got some face coverings needed to find the specific ones with very little notice.

1. The only "protection" we have is a bit of tape on the floor, which, in many cases, is less than 2m away from where our customers sit facing us. The company have said it's the best they can do because there is only so much physical room available.

1. Even though we can wear face masks if we wish (and do so in communal areas like the staff canteen), this is strongly discouraged when we actually deal with our customers. Our employer argues that it hinders effective communication and better sales are made if customers can see our faces because non-verbal communication is so much clearer and more persuasive.

1. There is no upper limit on the amount of customers indoors; we can each deal with anything from 5 to 35 people in the waiting area - and waits are long; they last, on average, an hour, but can sometimes be up to two hours. That means each customer-facing member of staff is in a room with many clients, very few of whom wear masks indoors as they don't have to (it is specifically stated that they can remove masks once they have passed through the entrance).

1. Our customers often don't socially distance at all. While there are physical restrictions that make 2m social distancing impossible indoors, many brush past each other in order to look at items, often sharing their use without a second thought given to cleaning items first before passing them on. I have witnessed a number of customers tapping others on shoulders or backs to get their attention and sometimes they huddle over the same items to get a closer look. Our employer say they can't afford more items to be put on the shop floor during sales hours.

1. Staff move offices regularly. We have nowhere to keep our personal items, so have to take them and our sales equipment with us when facing customers. We often end up in 3-5 different offices over the course of the day to deal with customers.

1. Naturally, customers are getting annoyed. We are having to deal with verbal abuse regularly and on occasion items have been thrown and fights broken out, which we had to intervene with as security is sparse and can take up to 20mins to cross site to get to us. We only have 1 member of security staff on duty to cover all of our offices.

AIBU to say that these conditions are not safe? What can my employer do? Should we continue working in those conditions?

Are you in the UK? If yes, I believe HSE would be interested as your company is breaking the law.

Meant regarding PPE.

I thought masks had to be worn in all indoor places (except schools) so I'd definitely look into anonymously reporting them to HSE.

I bet you aren't the only one who is concerned so I doubt it could be traced back to you.

Yes, we are in the UK.

Shouldn't be allowed, should it?

What kind of sales is it for fights to break out?

You’re a teacher, right?!

I forgot to mention: we have also dealt with 2 clients blatantly telling us a member of their household was covid positive at the time they came to us and while the customers were asked to leave, many staff who dealt with them were "far enough away" to carry on working.

We were also told we had to give up one of our lunch breaks a week to help out in dealing with customers, especially in this weather as they can't be made to wait outside.

Are you actually a teacher and trying to change things to make it seem you are not?

It is just getting tiresome if it is another one.

@Saltycinnamon

You’re a teacher, right?!

This is the only scenario that makes sense.

I’m betting teacher too. I can’t fathom what sort of sales role you’d be in with two hour waits. There’s be no customers.....

I work in the same industry. Yours sounds nicer than mine. We aren't allowed to wear masks and always have as many people waiting as will fit.

I am in a heavily unionised job. Our unions sorted the problems out back in March. Are you in a union? The GMB is for those not covered by others, or USDAW may take you if it's retail. If enough of you join, it tells the employer your strength of feeling and you have greater collective bargaining power.

In the short term though, you need to take this up with your employer. Call a meeting with them, and get as many staff as possible to attend.

Consider:

Why aree there o queuing systems? Barriers? Signage?

Why is there not a member of staff (or employ a security guard) at the door limiting numbers? Do they have a mask, gloves, visor, maybe even a plastic apron?

Ventilation?

Lockers for use at different locations? Antibacterial wipes to clean them before and after each use?

Hand sanitiser available for customer and staff use?

The not wearing face masks with customers is unsafe, I wear a face mask with my customers. They wear one too (illegal in my industry not to). Stuff sales, your safety is important.

Maybe either an advance or on the spot appointment system is needed. So, book an appointment online, or turn up and be issued a ticket with a time.

Nobody deserves to be abused at work. All of the problems you list has led to the verbal violence. Your employer is being very negligent in their duty of care.

Solidarity, and I hope you can get this resolved.

Yes, schools should be made safer.
As has been said on 367,858 threads.

(I'm a teacher)

Never give up your meal breaks. Your mental health is important.

Do you have one of those covid signs at the entrance?

If you’re a teacher then why bother changing the description of the workplace as you’re own individual school can’t be outed and just sounds like all the other schools described before you. All 367,858 of them as pp states!!

What is it that you want people to say? Of course schools should be safer, but there is a limit to what can be done when you are dealing with children.

Would you like schools to close indefinitely?? Until when? Teachers are very keen to repeatedly point out how hard done by they are but don’t seem to be particularly forthcoming with constructive solutions.

It’s a tough situation for lots of people. Be grateful you still have a job.

If I were you I would keep wearing my mask at all time. You just say it is strongly discouraged. But clearly many things that are strongly discouraged are still happening so take on one that makes you feel safer. Only fair

Yeah this has to be a school. What kind of response are you looking for OP? Do you think people don't want schools to be safe? Why the deception?

So this a teacher pretending that they aren't?

I dont get it, everyone's been posting about conditions in schools every single day for months, why would it add anything to describe it in this way

Good try attempting to get posters to say that this is unacceptable to then conclude 'so why are you supporting teachers working'!

Tiresome and agree with @Lolalovesmarmite - also remote learning is not an answer for primary.

There are so many threads on schools and Covid. Most sensible people think schools should be made safer as a priority, including having funds from government to cover the costs of extra cleaning, plastic shields, masks and visors etc. There’s always going to be a vocal number of teacher bashers, NHS bashers, anti vaxxers, benefit haters and all the rest.

If you don’t like being a teacher give up your job and find another one.
Oops forgot there are no other jobs because the economy is knackered. It’s worrying living on benefits too.