Staff Alone until 9pm

mannimostly

Hi, does anyone know if a company can make you work late alone over christmas? I work in retail and, as it's the christmas period we are required to open late. We requested that there are at least 2 members of staff present until closing (9pm) as we are on the street and not in a shopping centre. They have refused the request and said we are only allowed one person from 5.30 till 9pm, but if one of us is attacked or robbed they will reconsider!! Do we have to go along with this?

Pete111

They can't make you. You can always quit.

I sort of know where you are coming from if it is a really rough area (is it?) but I'm pretty sure working accompanied by another in case of attack is not yet an employee right.

...though no doubt some H&S womble will be along to point me towards EU directive 33680/3456 version 76....

MrC_Beds

I don't work in Health & Safety, but their advice seems perfectly sensible to me!

http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/workalone.htm

floss2

Ask them for a copy of their Lone Worker policy.....

Pete111

*Sigh...

How do nations such as France manange to function without a Health and Safety Executive...It's a miracle!

I guess the company argument would be they cannot make changes/incur cost all the time for 'potential' events outside their control. A fear of being attacked by someone outside doesn't mean it is likely to happen. OP where is the shop - Mogadishu?

I guess technically operating outside means you are at more risk from being hit by a large hailstone but I can bet they haven't erected a 'hailstone shield' just in case....

dmg24

Pete111 wrote: »

*Sigh...

How do nations such as France manange to function without a Health and Safety Executive...It's a miracle!

I guess the company argument would be they cannot make changes/incur cost all the time for 'potential' events outside their control. A fear of being attacked by someone outside doesn't mean it is likely to happen. OP where is the shop - Mogadishu?

I guess technically operating outside means you are at more risk from being hit by a large hailstone but I can bet they haven't erected a 'hailstone shield' just in case....

France do not function, they strike! Possibly the worst example you could give!

Pete111

dmg24 wrote: »

France do not function, they strike! Possibly the worst example you could give!

over Health and Safety issues? Unlikely....

Agree though, France are not a shining beacon of efficiency...however they still appear to be less in the Merde than our own 'Uniquely placed' isle currently!!

MrC_Beds

Pete111 wrote: »

over Health and Safety issues? Unlikely....

Agree though, France are not a shining beacon of efficiency...however they still appear to be less in the Merde than our own 'Uniquely placed' isle currently!!

I'm sure France must have some sort of framework to ensure safe working conditions!

As far as I can see, the HSE information is just common sense guidance, which the employer can take or leave e.g. the need to have more than one person working with high voltage electrical plant etc.

If they don't at least consider the safety of their staff and something untowards happens, then they deserve to face sanctions.

Getting something sorted only if a member of staff gets attacked is farcical.

cavework

Pete111 wrote: »

*Sigh...

How do nations such as France manange to function without a Health and Safety Executive...It's a miracle!

I guess the company argument would be they cannot make changes/incur cost all the time for 'potential' events outside their control. A fear of being attacked by someone outside doesn't mean it is likely to happen. OP where is the shop - Mogadishu?

I guess technically operating outside means you are at more risk from being hit by a large hailstone but I can bet they haven't erected a 'hailstone shield' just in case....

The employers are asking the OP to work alone in the shop for 3.5 hours in the busy Xmas period.. during the evening which I assume involves cashing up?
If the employers are so convinced that the shop should stay open for these hours due to the volume of customers they expect, then surely it is more than reasonable for them also to comprehend the the risks they are exposing this employee to by insisting he/she works alone?

surreysaver

Are there any other times that you work alone? If there aren't, then has a risk assessment been carried out? Has there been any additional training done? If there are no other occassions when you work alone, then just refuse to work under grounds of Health & Safety, which is a legal right. If there are other occassions when you work alone, then surely it is actually safer when it is busy and there are more people around?

as0ta

floss2 wrote: »

Ask them for a copy of their Lone Worker policy.....

Do you ever recall reading up on lone working during your H&S training? Your store should have a risk assessment in place.

It's out of order if they will only take employee concerns into consideration after an incident. I wonder if they have been stupid enough to put that in writing :rolleyes: