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Wearing face masks

Started by General Thorn, 30-10-21, 04:55PM

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General Thorn

I work in a Scottish store where face coverings are still mandatory. We have quite a few people mainly from the south but increasingly from Scotland who come in without any covering at all. Some of us would ask politely if they had a mask or would like one if they didn't. Very few of us, management included, do that now as we just get a mouthful of abuse.
Anyway I have been informed that someone complained to HO about me asking them about a face covering and I now have to have a 'Let's talk.'
I feel so let down now as, despite the masks being mandatory, there is no support from Tesco or management to help keep us safe.

madness

I too am in a Scottish store. I want rid of the masks. We put up with the BS of covid queues abuse and lies from customers when it might actually have made a difference.

Our store manager wanted us to challenge customers not wearing. I flat refuse.    get your jabs and dont come out and about with a cough and that is it get on with life, Also dont be a fat ass and you will likely be fine even if you get covid.


I wear the mask though as its law but the moment it is dropped it will be gone. I will not be inforcing anyone else to do it though.

penguin

It is worth keeping in mind nobody "has" a lets talk, its not a punishment its simply a record of a conversation, far to often these are used as some sort of backdoor punishment and the old 3 lets talks and it goes to a warning myth still does the rounds, and that is not part of the process at all and it never has been.
Do not let anyone tell you there is not a decent job and life beyond Tesco.

General Thorn

The whole point though is it IS mandatory. I, also, welcome the day when we don't have to wear them but until then I really think customers should respect us and obey the rules.

I wish Tesco would be more respectful and recognise that each country, Scotland, England, Wales and NI have their own rules and restrictions on covid and support the stores with whatever rules govern that country.

But until the company itself treats the people who work for it with trust and respect, the customers never will.

BUY TESLA STOCK

Face masks should be worn by all colleagues in all areas at all times. When shopping I avoid aisles where colleagues don't have masks or have them but not covering nose and mouth. I hope Tesco don't just decided one day there is no need for masks the virus has not disappeared. 

Redshoes

It's a difficult situation. We all want the end of COVID and we all want protection from it until then. The however is that we have never been able to police how people behave, we can only rely on goodwill. We have only ever been able to politely offer a mask to someone not wearing one.
I am also in a Scottish store. I agree that more and more people are not complying. We had problems with groups of kids coming in late at night, about 10 of them. They were all buying something like a single choc bar and not a single mask. When offered masks they all said exempt. I emailed the school and said that I understand it was outside school hours and they have no control but could they do something to explain to these children that we get a lot of vulnerable customers who shop in the evenings as the store is quieter and I had a distressed elderly customer who has been in isolation from her family for so long and was now able to start seeing them again and she was afraid we were going to go backwards and she would not only be unable to see her family again but she would be stuck at home alone again. All of this was true and I don't know what the school did but we have less of this issue now. We only have one local high school within the town so the contact with just the one school was easy.

lucgeo

@General Thorn

I suggest you ask for a union rep (if you're a member), or a trusted colleague to accompany you at this " let's talk" meeting. Don't take no for an answer, as you state you're extremely upset and would like support!

You ask for confirmation as to what the store and government policy is regarding the wearing of face masks, as you are of the belief that government policy dictates the wearing of masks, and store policy should not deflect from this!
You are also of the belief that Tesco policy dictates, non conforming customers should be approached and politely request they don a mask...unless a lanyard is clearly visible to identify that customer is exempt!

Now this customer will have either stated that you were impolite in your request, or they were wearing an exempt identification?
You state that is incorrect, and would like any updated current policy on non conformity explained to you??
You also express your deep disappointment of being called in for a meeting regarding this matter, and obvious lack of support by the store, in assisting you in adhering to government/Tesco policy  :-X :-X
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

General Thorn

Thanks for the answers evryone.

Redshoes, our store is very different. Our schoolkids are generally very compliant, it is adults who are the biggest problem. We have vulnerable colleagues working in store and a lot of vulnerable local customers who are very worried to even come in store anymore. Our SM just says that there's nothing he can do about it.

Lucgeo, I have made a note of your suggestions and will definitely be asking those questions. Thank you.

BUY TESLA STOCK

I'm not worried or vulnerable just know the produce workers in my local Tesco don't wear masks over face and nose so go elsewhere for these items. Prefer my local Iceland with less customers, less workers and its well faced up at all times. Can get better items elsewhere too as the dotcom haven't taken all the best dates.

Redshoes

Quote from: lucgeo on 31-10-21, 09:57AM
@General Thorn

I suggest you ask for a union rep (if you're a member), or a trusted colleague to accompany you at this " let's talk" meeting. Don't take no for an answer, as you state you're extremely upset and would like support!

You ask for confirmation as to what the store and government policy is regarding the wearing of face masks, as you are of the belief that government policy dictates the wearing of masks, and store policy should not deflect from this!
You are also of the belief that Tesco policy dictates, non conforming customers should be approached and politely request they don a mask...unless a lanyard is clearly visible to identify that customer is exempt!

Now this customer will have either stated that you were impolite in your request, or they were wearing an exempt identification?
You state that is incorrect, and would like any updated current policy on non conformity explained to you??
You also express your deep disappointment of being called in for a meeting regarding this matter, and obvious lack of support by the store, in assisting you in adhering to government/Tesco policy  :-X :-X

Policy does not dictate that we approach customers and request we ask them to wear masks, you will not find that in writing anywhere. In Scotland it's mandatory for people to wear masks, unless exempt. If exempt, that person does not have to wear a lanyard or to prove they are exempt. Policy dictates that nobody with a hidden reason that they should not wear a mask is made to feel at all uncomfortable about not doing so. As such, we have no power to do anything about it. We can only rely on goodwill and trust. On the whole we can trust most people, we just live in a world where there will always be rule breakers. Some bend rules but some smash them to pieces. A chunk of people expect everyone else to follow rules but think they don't apply to themselves.
You can however offer out masks, the key is polite and friendly. Should be done in such a way that it won't upset someone exempt. I tend to say something like "I have some free masks if you have forgotten yours today" if they say exempt there is nothing you can do.

lucgeo

#10
So it's mandatory, but not Tesco policy  ???

Seems like Tesco are skirting around the issue here...it's not Tesco policy to ask customers to wear a mask, but it is Tesco policy, to dictate to not make a customer feel uncomfortable by having a hidden reason and not wearing one  ??? If it's hidden, how does the colleague know?
You yourself, state that you approach customers without masks, and offer them one? You say "the key is to be polite and friendly". Who decides whether the colleague was " polite and friendly" enough ??? the customer that's who! So when you yourself have approached that customer, used your uttermost friendly and polite approach, for that customer to then complain to HO at you asking them, how do you defend yourself  ???

As always, the customer complains, HO send them a voucher, and the poor colleague gets a reprimand based purely on the customers version of events! As a manager, would you get a " let's talk"? No, because you have a voice amongst the management team, the shop floor colleagues are denied their right to a voice!

As a customer, I have on numerous occasions felt the need to ask a non mask wearing customer to move away from me! Occasionally, a customer has taken offence, and stated they don't need to wear a mask, as they have a hidden disability which they don't need to declare!! I usually tell them, I'm not asking them to declare their illness, I'm asking them to respect my right of space! Just because they are exempt from wearing one, does not mean they are exempt from adhering to the distancing rule, or exempt from spreading Covid, by breathing all over me, as the mask I'm wearing is to protect them not me!!
As a customer, I shouldn't be put in the uncomfortable situation that I need to do this! As a customer, my right to a stress free shopping experience should be as paramount to Tesco, as their policy in not approaching or making a non mask wearing customer feel uncomfortable!!

I'm aware this is not just with Tesco, but I do know of two other store retailers that are not so quick to discipline their colleagues in similar situation's, but take the stance of supporting them instead!
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

forrestgimp

It might be mandatory but its left to the company to try to enforce it, coupled with people being able to claim to be exempt and not having to prove it there seems very little either the company or an individual employee can do.

Not sure what you expect to happen, if you want to ask someone then ask if they say no for any reason there is nothing you can do about it so just move on with your life.

lackofinterest


Ninen

I'd imagine that the complaint says that you've been rude rather than you've asked someone to wear a mask. The Let's Talk will them be to get your side of the story and a record that it has been looked into rather than it being a form of punishment. You can take a rep with you but they will have to be available at the time as it's an informal meeting

gomezz

I once had a Lets Talk because a customer complained I had been breathing heavily!   8-)

(pre-Covid but on a bad asthma day)
"The progress of the kart is more important than its direction"

person7

#15
I almost had one because a customer complained that I was "very unhelpful" because there was no stock of a nappy she wanted ( 1 ) I don't work in that department but offered to check in the back and ( 2 ) I can't make stock appear out of thin air!
luckily same day someone else actually wrote to the store saying how I went "the extra mile" despite doing 4 jobs at once,  so they decided to dismiss the complaint marking it as "an exception", whatever that means.

1982dave

#16
It's kind of pointless with it the security company in the stores is worse than useless, working in a store in Wales and we have uni campus within 10 minutes from us you have plenty of them coming into our store you question them and the reply is 'oh I'm English I do not have to wear them'  but announcements over tannoy saying it's a legal requirement are said constantly it's falling on deaf ears it's crazy .. even with confirmed Covid in the halls they were still coming into store the security on site for them one night trying deliver food to someone said they are extremely selfish thankfully he advised the delivery wasn't to be taken into halls and he phoned the girl to get it.

lucgeo

"Oh I'm English I don't have to wear them"!!

So would they drive on the left hand side abroad, because they're English??

You're in wales matey, follow the country's rules  :-X
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

Shoestring

Masks at this time are not mandatory, there is no law that backs the claim. Corporation is not government and compliance to corporation is communism and the support of. Stop giving corporation your power  >:D

BUY TESLA STOCK

Masks should be worn at all times in all areas. I will not shop in a store full of workers/customers not wearing masks. If you are happy with sales dipping as customers boycott the store then carry on with any excuse not to wear a mask. No mask no job is the way it's going.

Shoestring

Maybe you enjoy breathing in your own carbon dioxide, I don't. It does nothing to prevent a virus who's molecules are thousands of times micro that of a mask, it's a gagging tool. Going to wear it for the rest of your life are you. Just because you are gullible doesn't mean I have to obey your fear!

General Thorn

Quote from: Shoestring on 13-11-21, 06:48PM
Masks at this time are not mandatory, there is no law that backs the claim. Corporation is not government and compliance to corporation is communism and the support of. Stop giving corporation your power  >:D
In Scotland they ARE mandatory in shops. I know Tesco have said we are not now to ask anyone about masks (came down in our T5 this week) so basically it's a free for all, do whatever you want to do.  :-X :-X

NightAndDay

Yeah, what the person above me says, also the pfizer vaccine causes autism, now pass back the crack.






(I'm joking, the poster above is clearly a loony bin.)

Shoestring

Quote from: General Thorn on 13-11-21, 07:27PM
Quote from: Shoestring on 13-11-21, 06:48PM
Masks at this time are not mandatory, there is no law that backs the claim. Corporation is not government and compliance to corporation is communism and the support of. Stop giving corporation your power  >:D
In Scotland they ARE mandatory in shops. I know Tesco have said we are not now to ask anyone about masks (came down in our T5 this week) so basically it's a free for all, do whatever you want to do.  :-X :-X

Because they are not a law implementing corporation, they have no right in law to force you to cause self harm with no backing law. We are not children for gods sake, we can make our own minds up how we conduct ourselves within the right of our own understanding.
And if anyone forces you otherwise, join "The Peoples Union of Britain" who will swiftly sort it!

lucgeo

You make your own mind up, by all means, but don't inflict your belief's on others! I believe that by my wearing a mask, helps protect others, that's my bit for keeping vulnerable people safe...MY BELIEF!

You believe it's ok to go breathe all over everything and everyone, during a pandemic, as it is your right not to be treated like a child and told to wear a mask! Did you wear school uniform, or refuse? Do you work for Tesco, and adhere to wearing the uniform, because you're told to!!

Perhaps if you had lost loved ones to Covid, and couldn't even sit to hold their hand as they passed, in the grand scheme of things, is the non wearing a mask really of such great importance to you  :-X
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

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