Should people with heavy colds be working on check-outs?!
Question: When I went to the supermarket tonight, I was amazed to find a young girl on the check-out who obviously had a a nasty cold - her nose was as red as anything and she was either blowing her nose or sneezing the whole time I was waiting in the queue. I felt really sorry for her, but what about the customers? She must have shared her germs with hundreds! (I used another check-out!) handling money and food items. Should she be working under these circumstances?
Answers: When I went to the supermarket tonight, I was amazed to find a young girl on the check-out who obviously had a a nasty cold - her nose was as red as anything and she was either blowing her nose or sneezing the whole time I was waiting in the queue. I felt really sorry for her, but what about the customers? She must have shared her germs with hundreds! (I used another check-out!) handling money and food items. Should she be working under these circumstances?
no but the fact is if she doesnt she wont be able to afford the bed she will need to lie in or the roof to shelter her to get well. If her wage were higher she may be able to compensate herself to take time off, also when she does come to want another day, sick days are seen as a failure and could affect her chances of getting another job.
Unless you marry into a rich family who will support you, money is what rules you life, not health or anyone elses for that matter.
No I dont think she was right to still be at work, but fact is I doubt she is enjoying it either and I'll bet she is working cos she feels she has to, not out of choice.
Bet her hands were covered in snot
No way - thats how germs spread. Obviously she doesnt get paid if she goes sick xxx
They probably can't afford to take time off..
The employer should put her on a sick leave ,Otherwise it will damage his business as well
no cross contamination
i definitely don't think so because it's not sanitary at all to customers (giving them colds and other bugs)...my mom used to work at a cash register and she was fired for coming in rlly sick..she hated the boss anyway but i don't think that anyone should go to work sick, it's just better for you to stay at home and keep shoppers happy. it's just not fair for customers to switch out of line in fear of catching a bug....
They shouldn't, no, but at this time of the year the shops make them all go in. I had a girl the other week who sneezed in her hand and then picked up my apples - as if there was nothing wrong with it! I felt sick! Last year, I caught the flu Christmas eve and was in bed over Christmas and New Year - that was probably from some flu-ridden checkout person too! But what are we to do?
Totally gross isn't it! While I feel sorry for anyone poorly, I really don't want them handling my groceries while they are holding a used tissue!!
I complained in Asda because the lad at the checkout was constantly wiping his nose on the back of his hand - he was really offended when I gave him a tissue and a wet wipe and told him to wash his hands before he touched my shopping!!
Still these poor kids don't get paid if they take time off - I think customers should take this up with shop owners and managers on their behalf - complain, say you don't want to be served by sick people and they should give them paid sick leave!
your right,but at the same time,if she stays at home she most likely wont get paid sick leave,I have seen this also in hospitals,with nurse's and care workers,tending to elderly and very sick people with very low resistance if any
It`s snot nice!
But remember a lot of Employers don`t pay sick leave or don`t pay it to people who havn`t worked there for a long time and some discipline staff for being off sick. So i`m sure the poor girl would rather have been at home in bed.
In an ideal world, she shouldnt, but do you have any idea how tough supermarkets are on their employees with regards to sickness?
I work in a supermarket, luckily Im in the pharmacy and away from all the checkouts, but I used to work the checkouts years ago, the supermarket I work for has a three-strike policy, three times sick in a year and you get sacked.
And company policy doesnt distinguish betwen someone who has three bouts of sickness for tummy bugs, or three bouts of sickness due to chemotherapy treatment.
If you have cancer, you are expected to book chemotherapy days off as holiday. So they assume a person is abe to know how long they are going to be feeling ill for. Its ridiculous.
I personally know of one person at the supermarket I work, who has been sacked due to too much time off, when they were undergoing chemo.
So bearing this in mind, Im sure you can understand why staff dragg themselves into work when they shouldnt be there.
Its very unhygenic, the member of staff probably would have preferred to call in sick, but as an employee you get too scared to take the time off, as you are under constant threat of have disciplinary action taken against you.
Lets face it - if we all stayed off work when we had a cold or something then the UK economy would loose millions a year.
,I know what you mean but the girl probably can't afford to take time off shop workers are usually on minimum wages as it is, for a thankless job! The poor girl probably got it from a customer in the first place. There are certain jobs, like my own (chef) where I would be unable to work if I was coughing and sneezing, had diarrhoea, skin infections, etc. Imagine the state of the shops at this time of year if all shop workers called in sick for a cold.....as if the queues are not bad enough!!! Oh, and the money she is handling has been God knows where else before it reached her........Hope she feels better soon :-)
Loziella is correct in everything about sickness and supermarkets.Too much sickness and you get disciplined.If your absence goes above 3%,sick or not,they discipline you which could lead to dismissal.The supermarket I am talking about is one of the big ones
no she should not have worked her boss should have sent her home to recuperate
In an ideal world, probably not. However sometimes needs must, and after all 10% of the population has a viral illness at any one time anyway!
No way, thats the quickest way to pass on germs.