Companies keeping mask requirement

[olivethegreat]

I wondered if it was worth keeping a list of which cos are keeping masks? So that we can use/avoid depending on preference?

Eg, Ryanair are keeping them as mandatory

@SonnetForSpring - I suppose it's like me avoiding Brexit supporting companies.

@TheVampiresWife - I keep reading that masks have disappeared in shops. I live in a City on the SE coast and visited a city in the NW at the weekend. Fairly uniform mask compliance in both places.

Pharmacy here. We've not been given any guidance from head office yet. However we have just ordered in several more boxes of masks as we are planning on continuing wearing them for both the safety of our staff and our customers, many of whom are vulnerable.

Looks like the exempt won't be able to ditch their lanyards anytime soon. I didn't mind wearing one when masks were mandatory (although I know some people felt very self conscious about broadcasting that they had a health condition had been private until that point). But it seems a bit crap that when there's no legal mandate to wear masks, in some shops at least we're still going to have to wear a lanyard. Even though exemptions won't technically exist because you can't be exempt from a law which itself doesn't exist!

My GP has sent a message that masks will still be required. Seems sensible to me

[quote luckylavender]@TheVampiresWife - I keep reading that masks have disappeared in shops. I live in a City on the SE coast and visited a city in the NW at the weekend. Fairly uniform mask compliance in both places. [/quote]
I agree - compliance is pretty good everywhere I've been, too. I'm often the only person in a shop without a mask. My point was more that shops haven't been challenging/enforcing mask wearing - I've never been challenged, even on the occasions I've forgotten to put my lanyard on (it's happened precisely twice!). The law states people can't be challenged - particularly if they are wearing a lanyard/say they're exempt, which as we all know (to everyone's detriment) has been abused by a small minority.

@TheVampiresWife - apologies.

@hayley037

I did wonder what companies will do when it comes to office workers, I can see plenty of companies insisting their staff wear them when walking about the office but what happens if employees refuse? Surely they won't have a leg to stand on disciplinary wise and if it escalates will tribunals take the employee or employers side.

I think if companies enforce them then you'll have to wear them. I'm NHS office and fully expect to have to continue to wear them even when sitting. I really wish we didn't though.

Retail didn't want to police mask wearing so they're hardly going to enforce it now.

How about adding in a list of restaurants, pubs, cinemas, gyms, pools etc.
If you're going to boycott a shop because they're not going to enforce/keep masks for it's employees, then I guess you're not going to visit any other establishment where it's not enforced either?

@Neron

How about adding in a list of restaurants, pubs, cinemas, gyms, pools etc. If you're going to boycott a shop because they're not going to enforce/keep masks for it's employees, then I guess you're not going to visit any other establishment where it's not enforced either?

If you're bothered about wearing a mask when few others are, it's unlikely to be worth the perceived risk to go to non essential places with lots of people.

I work in the NHS and we have just advised all patients and visitors that they must wear blue disposable masks and will not be allowed entry with their own cloth ones. Of course we supply them on entry.
Interested in those saying they’ll stop wearing them , you’ll not be getting into my out patient clinic then

How do you get ‘exemption’ anyway?
Haven’t bothered before but might give it a go now. If enough people do perhaps the nonsense will stop completely, leaving those who are do desperate to keep wearing them to carry on as long as they like.

That's what I thought ForestDad but from chats with people via my job, a lot of them are hypocritical. They'll complain about mask removal, but will go in to crowded places if it's something they really want to do or it suits them.

What happened to making the best decision for yourself. If someone doesn't want to go a particular place, then don't go. No need to make a list. Just do you. Haven't businesses, particularly small ones, been through enough without someone getting salty and trying to shame them and induce boycotting from others.

you’ll not be getting into my out patient clinic then
How's that going to work then? Physically stopping people from walking in?

I work in a small independent shop. For now we are keeping our screens and distanced set up. We will automatically put on a mask if a customer comes in wearing one to put them at ease. Otherwise our bosses have said we have the choice.

@ineedaholidaynow

Wonder if they will keep all the Perspex screens in shops.

I expect they will. They have spent a lot of money on all that sort of stuff, so won't want to chuck it in case its needed again in the future. And leaving them on the tills is much easier than finding somewhere to keep them - especially for smaller shops or those with limited storage.

I don't mind the perspex screens, they don't make any difference to anyone in a logistical sense so why not keep them? They probably make the staff feel safer from customers with covid or other illnesses, or customers who are intimidating or smelly.

@TeddingtonTrashbag

How do you get ‘exemption’ anyway? Haven’t bothered before but might give it a go now. If enough people do perhaps the nonsense will stop completely, leaving those who are do desperate to keep wearing them to carry on as long as they like.

You don't have to do anything. Some people are exempt due to health reasons, others are not. But you can lie and say you're exempt- nobody will ask for proof (its illegal to ask)

work in the NHS and we have just advised all patients and visitors that they must wear blue disposable masks and will not be allowed entry with their own cloth ones. Of course we supply them on entry

The Trust I work for has been doing this since last year, as soon as you enter the hospital, you have to sanitise your hands and put on a mask, staff, patients and visitors alike.

Another pharmacy here. They asked us to wear masks before the government did, on top of which distancing behind closed doors, sanitizer everywhere and 60 secs washing hands each time! Said they weren't prepared to be in the position that we would sue them for not keeping us safe. We have also told us we could refuse to serve a customer without a mask if they wouldn't distance. No guidance yet, but I can't see masks going for her. Screens will stay.

I’ll be avoiding anywhere that requires masks.

@Chillychangchoo what would happen if you have to visit a hospital and need to wear a mask

I love this... maskholes will avoid places where people are wearing masks... ideal

If you can’t manage basic pro-social behaviour please take my mask as an indication to stay the fuck away from me... winning as far as I’m concerned

To those very few people who genuinely can’t wear a mask, my heart goes out to you. What a stressful time, having to watch selfish bellends use your difficulty to further their personal gripe with being asked to keep their germs to themselves

@giggly

I work in the NHS and we have just advised all patients and visitors that they must wear blue disposable masks and will not be allowed entry with their own cloth ones. Of course we supply them on entry. Interested in those saying they’ll stop wearing them , you’ll not be getting into my out patient clinic then

I'd like to see how that works when I go to see my neurologist about my trigeminal neuralgia.

The NHS can't refuse to treat mask exempt people.