Check out Operators & Coronavirus?

[lucgeo]

Are you saying that you and another cashier are sharing a double manned checkout...seated back to back 

[Siwel123]

We've dividers, that are solid plastic that can be put between 2 operators if needs must. However they try avoid them at all costs and have the one of every other checkout manned

[JB83]

This has become a major problem in our store at the front. We've highlighted the risk not only to staff but to customers as well, as they will be less than two metres apart. But management are ploughing on regardless. The atmosphere has become very toxic on the front end..

[King1999]

f*** the management it’s about keeping people at a safe distance.......your lives are more important.Yet again a company that struggles to maintain the importance and safety of its people.Pretty sure customers won’t be happy either.What the f*** is up with this company.

[Redshoes]

All calm with us, support has been great. We only have half the tills open and are awaiting screens. There is an element of dictirial at the front end at times but it's calmed down quickly. We advise and not police who buys what. The people at the front door are hand picked and they go for friendly and welcoming. Customers are happy but they also behave. They queue to get into store but then queue again for a till. I was marshalling for till most of yesterday and not a single complaint.

[JB83]

Redshoes that's what it has been like at our store. Queues inside and out have been well managed. Customers have behaved themselves for the most part. Praise on social media has been unanimous for the job that's been done. Unfortunately they are now about to undo all that goodwill by opening every checkout. Colleagues at front end are up in arms, USDAW contacted. But management don't seem to care. Really not looking forward to today 😞

[King1999]

Pretty sure if you informed the police they would be giving stores 2 options obey the social distancing rule or you shut.Its not up to Tesco to break the rules.

[King1999]

Your wasting your time with the department of agreement (usdaw) ........ just because its a bank holiday doesn't change anything.

[JB83]

Trust me I'm not expecting much from USDAW. The Police comment though...

[Hammer10]

Just say to management if you don’t abide by the what the government are saying everyone will walk out then contact the bbc or sky see what reaction you get then also tell them you are emailing your mp.

[lucgeo]

Speak to your instore H&S rep...phone ACAS for guidance. I personally would refuse as an unreasonable request. They have spots at checkouts for customers to stand on, distancing themselves from the operator, and screens in front of them. They have barriers at CSD distancing them from the customer.
For each operator to enter and exit the double manned bank, they are too close in proximity to the other operator. This is an airborne virus, a screen only blocks direct contamination, not what's in the air above or below the screen...hence the 2m ruling for customers to follow...hence the TV adverts to maintain the 2m ruling...so why are the staff being treated with such little regard to their health and mental wellbeing?
Profits before people, that's why 

[Mathias casablancas]

The only reason they would want to open more checkouts is so they can let more customers in the store which is a worry. This is exactly the sort of thing Usdaw should be tackling? They are completely useless! Sometimes I wonder if Tesco bribe them to not cause any problems for them? I follow Usdaw on Twitter and all they seem to do is try and claim credit for decisions the government have made . For example trying to take credit that shop worker being classed as “key workers” regarding school closures.

My best friend is a postman and he showed me some of the things their union are fighting for and they seem a millions times more forceful than Usdaw. If anyone asks Usdaw a question on Twitter they will 100% of the time ignore it. If anybody praises them on Twitter they will reply every single time

[lucgeo]

  my partner is a postie...their union ain't that great, yes they do a lot of shouting, but the Posties were only given masks and hand wipes this week, hand sanitizer last week, and only stopped van sharing two weeks ago! Still no gloves! The customers are giving them to the Posties for gods sake!

They're being dumped on to do extra for people off, they haven't recruited for temps to deal with the increase in online deliveries, a sorting office is threatening a walkout, as the social distancing in their depot is unattainable.

They're talking about condensing depots, having more workers travelling greater distances to work, with no redundancy option. Their CEO lives abroad 

[NightAndDay]

The only reason they would want to open more checkouts is so they can let more customers in the store which is a worry. This is exactly the sort of thing Usdaw should be tackling? They are completely useless! Sometimes I wonder if Tesco bribe them to not cause any problems for them? I follow Usdaw on Twitter and all they seem to do is try and claim credit for decisions the government have made . For example trying to take credit that shop worker being classed as “key workers” regarding school closures.

My best friend is a postman and he showed me some of the things their union are fighting for and they seem a millions times more forceful than Usdaw. If anyone asks Usdaw a question on Twitter they will 100% of the time ignore it. If anybody praises them on Twitter they will reply every single time

The partnership agreement is a major artifact pertaining to the reality that USDAW serves little more than a PR plot device for Tesco to show that they "care" about their employees, the reality of course is that Dave Lewis has his hand right up their backsides, they are puppets, a company of yes men that agrees with every decision Tesco makes, the partnership agreement takes away their powers to strike for goodness sake, they are definitely not fit for purpose.

[checkoutmonkey]

my store is coming to a breaking point when it comes to front end. Managers more worried about the perception of having queues than about keeping people safe - insisting on having a full bank open at all times thus endangering cashiers and customers because it is impossible to maintain a separation of 2 meters when you have back to back cashiers and people packing their trollies stood back to back as well. The screens installed are pathetic and a few have already been knocked off by trollies etc.

No attention is being paid to how many people being allowed into the store either. A team support was reprimanded by a lead manager for telling security to stop letting customers in because the shop floor was rammed - she was told "we don't want to make everyone queue outside for ages it doesn't look good".

I've heard some stories of stores implementing the rules brilliantly, so I think I'm just unlucky with my store, but head office need to do more to ensure management teams are following the guidance because it isn't happening everywhere yet

[NightAndDay]

I would get whoever was reprimanded to grievance immediately to the effect of being unduly disciplined for following government guidelines and company policy, if this reprimand was accurately documented, the people partner would likely look at said managers TRC to see if they completed the relevent COVID training, if they have, then they could well be put on an SYP plan surrounding compliance.

[King1999]

Just wondering why Tesco is openly it would seem breaking the laws on social distancing,crowd gathering are they really that arrogant.......if what’s going on is true they are endangering life now.I would say if you have queues outside that’s a good thing.You have the law backing you all to refuse company/store requests don’t put your lives at risk please.

[NightAndDay]

Tesco can buy the law, they are untouchable, if they went bust, HMRC would lose too much money, as important as law and order is, it can only work on top of money.

[Mathias casablancas]

Seems risky from a PR point of view though. If someone dies and their family go to the newspapers how can Tesco explain it? The Government guidelines clearly say 2m.

We have seen a few London bus drivers die and their family have gone to the newspapers complaining about the unsafe conditions so Im sure the same would happen with Tesco if tragedy stuck, but the difference is the bus companies can say they have followed the guidelines. I cant imagine anybody thinking those crappy barriers offer 1% of protection

[Englandace]

Thanks for getting in touch.



Tesco have introduced barriers to be used between checkouts at peak times.



The use of the barriers has been approved as a temporary measure when all checkouts, operating with every other one open, are at full capacity and causing a build-up of queues in store.



They should only be used temporarily to open the necessary amount of checkouts to deal with a peak in trade. They shouldn’t be in place at all times.



The screens have been introduced because of concerns about large queues forming, which places a risk to social distancing in other areas of the store where there is no possibility of placing a physical barrier to protect staff or customers.



I acknowledge that the barriers do make it quite tight in the checkout area, however they should only be in place for short periods of time during peak trade. The spacing provided would fall within H&S requirements. Staff will be aware of the barrier being in place and should take extra care when entering/exiting the checkout area. Staff should also not enter/exit at the same time as each other, and if there is a customer present, the staff member should ask them to step back as they enter/exit, the same as they would if the barrier were not in place.



If there are any staff for whom the barriers would create a particular difficulty or hazard, I would expect this to be reviewed on a local basis and a sensible decision taken. There should be enough room for checkout chairs, and those that have difficulty standing should be provided with a chair.



The use of the barriers should not increase or change in any way the number of people that are allowed in the store at any one point.



Your store should still be following all of the social distancing measures that have been put in place in recent weeks, and the fact that we are coming into Easter weekend does not change any of the measures that are in place.



I would recommend that you seek the support of the Usdaw Reps in your store in raising concerns about the change in approach in your store, which from what you have described is not in line with Tesco policy.





Regards,



Pauline Foulkes

National Officer

USDAW

[Englandace]

The above is a email reply that I sent in the week. Same thing happened in our store let double number customers in very crowded lots staff refused go on a till and eventually thet day barriers got took down and back to every other till open.

[Nomad]

The use of the barriers has been approved as a temporary measure when all checkouts, operating with every other one open, are at full capacity and causing a build-up of queues in store.

The use of the barriers should not increase or change in any way the number of people that are allowed in the store at any one point.

If one in one out is observed at all times with a reasonable set number in store why would more tills need to be open at any particular time.

[alf]

Thats my view, the barriers are a inadequate solution to a problem that should not exist.

By admitting they should only be used temporarily, they are admiting their inadequacy.

Basically "we temporarily want to expose you to unnecessary risk".

[King1999]

Tesco won’t be buying any law if staff start dying,they will just look for scape goats can’t really see who other than Lewis and his arse lickers.

[checkoutmonkey]

The use of the barriers has been approved as a temporary measure when all checkouts, operating with every other one open, are at full capacity and causing a build-up of queues in store.

The use of the barriers should not increase or change in any way the number of people that are allowed in the store at any one point.

If one in one out is observed at all times with a reasonable set number in store why would more tills need to be open at any particular time.

exactly the point I've been trying to make. If queues are building to the point that more checkouts are needed, then there are too many people in the store. But quite franklyI am scared to raise this with management because they all have some kind of god complex and thus think that they are above the rules