Temp at work - is this unfair?

Middy

My friend, not familiar with computers works for a shop and the boiler has broken down so everywhere is freezing! It has been like this for a week now.

The store manager has told them that they are only allowed to wear a vest (and duh! a bra for the females) under their uniform - nowt else! One colleague was caught wearing a t-shirt, which was a similar colour to the store's uniform and my friend said she couldn't see the t-shirt. The colleague in question was told to go home and remove the offending article. The shirts the colleagues wear are high neck, so cannot see what they are wearing underneath. My friend isn't part of the union or none of her colleagues are.

To top it all, the vending machine that provides hot drinks has been out of action for 3 days now - not allowed to use a kettle due to health n safety and their lockers aren't big enough to stand a thermos flask in either.

So my friend and her colleague have been going to the cafe down the street and forking out a fortune - compared to the price of the vending machine drinks.

I work for a supermarket and today, the store's 3 out of the 4 boilers bust on Thursday and we are allowed to wear stuff under our uniform - I wore a t-shirt and leggings under my uniform today and was still cold. Then we were given free hot drinks as well. The only place in the store which is warm is the ladies' locker room - cannot comment on the mens' locker room.

Emmzi

it isn't fair and it may be illegal if temp below 16 degrees

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

there is no right to hot drinks however, just drinking water

anamenottaken

Middy wrote: »

The store manager has told them that they are only allowed to wear a vest (and duh! a bra for the females) under their uniform - nowt else! One colleague was caught wearing a t-shirt, which was a similar colour to the store's uniform and my friend said she couldn't see the t-shirt. The colleague in question was told to go home and remove the offending article. The shirts the colleagues wear are high neck, so cannot see what they are wearing underneath. My friend isn't part of the union or none of her colleagues are.
.

[You have a response from Emmzi regarding temperature and drinks.]

How was she "caught" if it couldn't be seen?
Was it worn in place of whatever the top should be?
Why did she have to go home to remove the tee-shirt? Why couldn't she remove it while at work?

Middy

Many shops do random searches on colleagues to see if they have only got what they need on the shop floor and don't have anything on them that shouldn't be on them. Examples at my store of things that we aren't allowed on person when working the shop floor is money and mobile phones.

My friend got caught as the manager wanted to inspect belts (as they have been used to hide money) and lifted up her clothing and - the manager saw her under t-shirt.

scooby088

Personally speaking i would've told the manager to get lost but that is just me. I think it rather petty sending someone home to change their undershirt as it was a futile task anyway. If i was sent home home i would've wanted paying for the time away too.

anamenottaken

Middy wrote: »

Many shops do random searches on colleagues to see if they have only got what they need on the shop floor and don't have anything on them that shouldn't be on them. Examples at my store of things that we aren't allowed on person when working the shop floor is money and mobile phones.

My friend got caught as the manager wanted to inspect belts (as they have been used to hide money) and lifted up her clothing and - the manager saw her under t-shirt.

And why was it that she had to go home rather than simply remove the tee-shirt while on the premises? Was it the way she reacted to being asked to remove it?

maninthestreet

If the manager lifted up her clothng without asking her permission first, he is guilty of a sexual assault.

scooby088

maninthestreet wrote: »

If the manager lifted up her clothng without asking her permission first, he is guilty of a sexual assault.

I thought the same even if the manager was female, when i worked at Index they searched us after every shift but in the company of two security guards.

Sambucus_Nigra

How long has your friend been there?

Are they in a union at their place of work?

Did the manager actually lift up her top or did she for the manager to see?

As long as clothing is not visible under the company clothing - what the heck has it got to do with the company???

Does she work in the Victorian era?

I take it nobody has bought any fan heaters to warm the place up? Or have they got them in the manager's office just not on the shop floor?

Have any customers complained about the lack of heat?

What's the actual temperature on the shop floor?

[I love the 'not allowed to sue a kettle due to health and safety' line.......people all over the world use kettles without any fuss and bother']

And on a final note; is there a H&S rep or committee at work and if not, why not? The person responsible for H&S should be onto this and making suggestions to get it sorted as even workers on the side of a road have to have access to facilities that her shop aren't providing.