Gail's - no masks on staff - how come?

[drewd]

Clearly lots of people have mental health problems (many have health anxiety which is made worse by the sight of people not wearing masks in public places!). But only a minority of people have a problem wearing a mask. Binkylilliput's post that portrays mental health problems and masklessness as almost one and the same thing is frankly ridiculous and an attempt to silence those who have valid concerns about the risks posed by those not wearing masks.

If the staff in Gails or anywhere else cant wear masks for health reasons they should wear a prominent badge that explains that. A guy in my corner shop had no mask on the other day. I asked why. He said he was exempt which was pretty funny as a few days earlier he'd had one hanging from his chin. Similarly, a guy in the Sainsbury's Local on Lordship Lane is almost never wearing his mask but frequently has it hanging round his chin. Today he was talking loudly and constantly to a colleague, spraying his aerosol for everyone to enjoy. I have complained the to the manager about him.

And enough with the "you're a nasty person shaming others for not wearing masks". I don't want to catch Covid and I don't want to give it to anyone else. And I certainly dont want long Covid. I act accordingly. I don't think it cruel or unreasonable to expect other people to do the same.

[binkylilyput]

Some people might need help to understand

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/mask-anxiety-face-coverings-and-mental-health/

Do feel free to not use any shop where you don't feel comfortable

[drewd]

Binky, Thanks for the link. I have checked it out. I don't doubt SOME people have mental health problems that make it difficult for them to wear masks but it is unreasonable to use that explanation to explain most masklessness. I have no problem with a shop worker not wearing a mask if they wear a badge that explains that they cannot wear a mask. No need to say why. But most people do not.

As mentioned, other people have anxiety about Covid and about people who don't wear masks in enclosed public spaces. I DO try to avoid visiting shops where I know there are staff not wearing masks. But sometimes I have to buy food to live and that I cant get delivered.

[NewWave]

drewd Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Clearly lots of people have mental health problems

> (many have health anxiety which is made worse by

> the sight of people not wearing masks in public

> places!). But only a minority of people have a

> problem wearing a mask. Binkylilliput's post that

> portrays mental health problems and masklessness

> as almost one and the same thing is frankly

> ridiculous and an attempt to silence those who

> have valid concerns about the risks posed by those

> not wearing masks.

>

> If the staff in Gails or anywhere else cant wear

> masks for health reasons they should wear a

> prominent badge that explains that. A guy in my

> corner shop had no mask on the other day. I asked

> why. He said he was exempt which was pretty funny

> as a few days earlier he'd had one hanging from

> his chin. Similarly, a guy in the Sainsbury's

> Local on Lordship Lane is almost never wearing his

> mask but frequently has it hanging round his chin.

> Today he was talking loudly and constantly to a

> colleague, spraying his aerosol for everyone to

> enjoy. I have complained the to the manager about

> him.

>

> And enough with the "you're a nasty person shaming

> others for not wearing masks". I don't want to

> catch Covid and I don't want to give it to anyone

> else. And I certainly dont want long Covid. I act

> accordingly. I don't think it cruel or

> unreasonable to expect other people to do the

> same.

Well said!

[fishbiscuits]

I think that some level of shame/stigma around not wearing a mask in enclosed spaces is on balance a good thing. It puts pressure on people to do the right thing. It's not about sanctimony or piousness, it's about stopping the spread of covid, and preventing people from getting very, very ill indeed.

If I was running a shop and a staff member had a medical reason for not wearing a mask (extreme anxiety? Some sort of chronic breathing difficulty?), I'd at least ask them to wear a visor. If even that was too much (not sure why this might be the case), I'd try to move them into a different role temporarily.

[Peckhampam]

The small M&S at ED station always seems to have several members of staff not wearing masks.

[Penguin68]

Numbers of shops, particularly small shops, seem to have installed Perspex/ equivalent screens behind which their servers can be happily mask free. Corner shops have few staff and work long hours, so being able to be mask free behind a screen is probably a good (and probably a safe) thing. Even without contra-indicating health or mental health reasons long sessions of mask wearing can be very difficult.

If you are unhappy about any outlet's Covid-19 safety (from staff or other customers) then don't use it.

[ctovey]

I have also noticed several staff in M&S at ED station don't wear masks and have reported this on line to their Customer Service dept. I was advised that this would be taken up with the manager, but nothing has changed. In particular, the person who regularly serves on the bakery, wears her mask around her neck and the staff on the Help Desk are usually maskless. There also isn't a screen on the Help Desk, which I would have expected to be a standard fixture.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Penguin68 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Numbers of shops, particularly small shops, seem

> to have installed Perspex/ equivalent screens

> behind which their servers can be happily mask

> free.

Gail's is open plan with food and drink prepared, displayed and served in a relatively small space with 5-8 workers at most times.

> Even without contra-indicating health or

> mental health reasons long sessions of mask

> wearing can be very difficult.

It can be a bit tiring wearing beard nets, wearing gloves or washing your hands 30 times a shift, but we've never had a problem asking food production workers to do exactly that in the past.

[Freddo]

Dogkennelhillbilly Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Freddo Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> I don't doubt you were not

> > doing your weekly shop, that is the problem,

> the

> > lockdown rules are easily manipulated.....

>

> It's not against the lockdown rules to buy

> bread.....not really sure what you're on about

> mate.....

You can buy bread at any shop, there is a shop over the road, if you don't approve of the Gail staff not wearing a mask, shop somewhere else where they do, my guess is your visit to Gail's is not essential so stop acting like it is & just admit it,you have a choice to vote with your feet if you don't approve, I don't especially like the girl at the checkout in the shop over over road or the staff in the real Greek and neither will get my money, I certainly won't cry on a forum about it.