Pandemics & Tesco's policy

[Welshie]

A huge problem in our store is 3-4people to a trolley and I don't mean young kids like parents and teenage kids , absolutely no need

[Redshoes]

went in to work on the tills at Tesco yesterday to be told that all cashiers must now wear a mask all the time, despite being behind the plastic screen.

I asked "where has this come from?" - was told "the manager"

So is this Tesco policy or Govt policy or our manager?

How are you supposed to engage with customers wearing a mask all day?

Behind a screen.

With another screen behind your back (blocking the cashier sitting behind you) .

I can't believe you were only told this yesterday we have been wearing them for ages. Only time we can remove is if sat at table in canteen, when you get up from break you have to put back on again. We have worn masks behind screens, in the warehouse, in the bakery (bake off) everywhere. Many were wearing anyway but we were briefed ages ago so a few that didn't do so now. I am in a Scottish store but I thought it was the same for everyone.

[VladPutin]

No, they said they have lots of produce already IN the country but past Xmas with the freight ban with France! after Xmas might see problems, reason those and all shops have plenty of produce now, is that produce came in before the ban.

Produce, by it's very nature, has a short code. You can't stockpile it. Panic buying combined with delays at the ports will inevitably lead to shortages. We're starting to see it already in my store.

[gomezz]

If you can't stockpile fresh produce in a warehouse what makes a customer think they can stockpile it at home?   

[dotnochance]

Stupidity

[notsofunny]

If you can't stockpile fresh produce in a warehouse what makes a customer think they can stockpile it at home?   

Looking at how much produce Tesco send in to stores makes me wonder how even Tesco think we should be stock pilling it in a store warehouse , so its not just customers thinking that way ,

Reminds me of a few years ago going into a Store and the Manager had told the CAs to put all the potatoes in the chiller to keep them fresh 

 

[VladPutin]

If you can't stockpile fresh produce in a warehouse what makes a customer think they can stockpile it at home?   

I'm sorry, did you just ask a question that is predicated on customers acting in a logical and sensible manner?!

[grim up north]

Some fresh produce have reasonably long shelf lives dont they?

[VladPutin]

The majority of Produce lines have codes of around a week, max.

[gomezz]

Reminds me of a few years ago going into a Store and the Manager had told the CAs to put all the potatoes in the chiller to keep them fresh 

Keeping potatoes in a cool dark place is the best way to store them isn't it?  Whether that counts a keeping them fresh is another question.  But if the chiller isn't in the dark then not sure what effect that has.

[Mrbline]

Who do we contact regarding breaches

[notsofunny]

Reminds me of a few years ago going into a Store and the Manager had told the CAs to put all the potatoes in the chiller to keep them fresh 

Keeping potatoes in a cool dark place is the best way to store them isn't it?  Whether that counts a keeping them fresh is another question.  But if the chiller isn't in the dark then not sure what effect that has.

Potatoes should never be put in the cold once they have been harvested , they tend to turn black if you do so , so store them in a cool dark humid place which is best , but never in a chiller ,, But then what would most managers know

[newguy20]

A huge problem in our store is 3-4people to a trolley and I don't mean young kids like parents and teenage kids , absolutely no need

This has been an issue here especially when there's been more severe phases of lockdown with very little else open. You would see a whole family come out, as you say, parents with teenagers etc old enough to be left alone at home, almost as a family outing. They'd leave an hour or so later with about five things in the basket none of which essentials.

We stopped enforcing it as the amount of abuse just went through the roof.

(Yes I know some may have circumstances that mean they can't leave their children or whatnot, but that doesn't apply to every single one of them...)

[Nomad]

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/tesco-workers-told-switch-track-4862329

Despite the guidance, a person working at the Redruth Tesco store, who preferred to remain anonymous, said it was "cheeky as hell", as a colleague who might receive a positive test is still likely to be a fairly close contact, as they work inside the same store.

A valid point I think.

[NightAndDay]

Why would you disable the app if the phone is in the locker, it is you who is moving about potentially exposing yourself to covid, not the phone, if anything a more sensible policy would be for the track and trace app to be enabled with phones on employees at all times, this policy reeks of Tesco trying to prevent people self isolating and to stay in work.

[Morris999]

It came from government guidance that if your phone is not on you, then turn the app off.
You are only to have the app turned on when your phone is on you.

Eg. Your on checkouts all day, sat behind a protective screen on your own.
You leave the app turned on with your phone in your locker.
A bakery colleague at the other end of the store that you have no contact with whatsoever also leaves their phone in locker with app turned on.
They then test positive, you would then be told to isolate even though you haven’t been in contact with them.

[NightAndDay]

But surely it would make more sense during this time for your phone to be on you at all times? It being in the locker disabled means it won't account for all the customers and staff members that you pass by going about your day to day activities, false negatives would be worse than false positives. And let's face it, you're more likely to come into contact with the virus if you interact with customers or stand near them than at any point outside of work hours.

[Redshoes]

It came from government guidance that if your phone is not on you, then turn the app off.
You are only to have the app turned on when your phone is on you.

Eg. Your on checkouts all day, sat behind a protective screen on your own.
You leave the app turned on with your phone in your locker.
A bakery colleague at the other end of the store that you have no contact with whatsoever also leaves their phone in locker with app turned on.
They then test positive, you would then be told to isolate even though you haven’t been in contact with them.

Well said.

The NHS is in need of support. We don't need thousands of track & trace isolation and tests being done that are not needed. I get that people are worried and they want to be cautious. We just need to follow the guideline and this is acting with caution. There is a spike due to Christmas mixing. The test results are taking a bit longer and people in my area are having to travel further to get a test or to take the postal option.
The app is important but we need to do all the rest. My iPhone is too old to support the app so I don't have the app. When I could go in a cafe I gave my correct details. I did not mix with family at Christmas as I have a family me,bet that is critically vulnerable. I shop alone, I don't take six family members with me that block the aisles all the way round the store and then block checkouts at the end. I know some need support but do we need whole families in the store, surly one other person should be enough. I wear a mask, I wore a visor all during first lockdown and we had a brief last night and self service colleagues are going to have to wear masks and visors as soon as new packs of visors arrive in stores.
Summing up, we need more than the app and we need to do our bit to protect the app to allow it to work as it should. This in turn supports and protects the NHS as the info is more accurate.

[Nomad]

Redshoes thank you for that uninteresting peek into your private arrangements and the age of your phone.

However, the sensible answer is that staff that have the app have their phones on them while at work.

The company might not want you to know, but with all the serious health implications for yourself and your family why would you not want to know if someone you work alongside has had a positive result. 

[NightAndDay]

Thank you Nomad, common sense wins the day.

[alf]

Am I missing something but tesco are literally repeating the guidelines from the NHS in regards to lockers.

And I'm sure we'd all agree tesco/managers or whoever, are not medically trained and therefore shouldn't be deviating from that NHS produced advice.

[NightAndDay]

I think the bigger question would be would you not want your phone on you with the app active when you're around people that might be positive? The NHS guidelines likely didn't intend for the scenario at Tesco, where they expect you to carry out your duties, part of which, inevitably is being in close proximity to those that might be positive without your phone and app active.

I'd imagine the NHS advice considered other scenarios in mind, to most people, the prospect of not having your phone on you during a period of time where you're the most likely to be infected isn't a sensible proposition.

Maybe the 44 infected with covid in the store in Scotland mentioned in an article about a week ago was due to people putting their phones in the locker with the app disabled.

[alf]

Then carry your phone?

Problem solved.

[NightAndDay]

You'd hope people would be doing that.

[alf]

Again perhaps I'm still missing something, if the issue is people not carrying their phones, how does that relate to the article posted.