Friend working in shop - heating broken and it was freezing

Legacy_user

My friend works in a medium sized shop. For 3 days, the heating broke down and it was freezing in the shop!

She works on the customer service desk, which is situated opposite the automatic doors. Customers and staff walk in/out through these doors. She was forced to wear a hat with the shop's name on it and fingerless gloves. She told off for wearing a scarf - even though it was the uniform colours and wore it under the uniform fleece.

She and all of the colleagues were and looked so cold that customers said to them they looked like death warmed up!

The shop has some fridges for cold drinks, yoghurts etc.

I know the law stands that the minimum temp should be 14c. Why wasn't the shop closed? If it was forced to close due to the freezing temps, do the colleagues get full pay?

JACKHANDYMAN

Many work outside in wind,rain,snow and below freezing! If the shop heating has broken down, Surely they can understand that and not blame the employer or demand more money!

Takeaway_Addict

there is no law that states it has to be 14 degrees....I wonder how anyone working outside in winter would manage it if it were.

Also, 3 days isn't that long if they are getting it sorted and if they did close, can they afford to close?

Tiddlywinks

Ask for secondary heaters in the meantime perhaps?

Ask for fleeces and gloves. Regular hot drinks etc.

There are people that work outside in kiosks etc. I regularly sit outdoors for 3 hours to watch rugby... in January, that is cold. It hasn't killed me yet.

AP007

ScarletMarble wrote: »

My friend works in a medium sized shop. For 3 days, the heating broke down and it was freezing in the shop!

She works on the customer service desk, which is situated opposite the automatic doors. Customers and staff walk in/out through these doors. She was forced to wear a hat with the shop's name on it and fingerless gloves. She told off for wearing a scarf - even though it was the uniform colours and wore it under the uniform fleece.

She and all of the colleagues were and looked so cold that customers said to them they looked like death warmed up!

The shop has some fridges for cold drinks, yoghurts etc.

I know the law stands that the minimum temp should be 14c. Why wasn't the shop closed? If it was forced to close due to the freezing temps, do the colleagues get full pay?

Maybe the customers should lodge a complaint

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

mynameisclare

JACKHANDYMAN wrote: »

Many work outside in wind,rain,snow and below freezing!

Probably not sitting still at a desk though.

GothicStirling

mynameisclare wrote: »

Probably not sitting still at a desk though.

Last time I looked staff don't sit at Customer Service desks, they are standing up serving customers. I work in sales for English Heritage and we have to stand outside in all weathers (supplied with fleece, waterproof and hat/gloves.) One of my worst days was when it was blowing a gale and raining (it wasn't until at later on that someone said, 'you know, the girl who was here last year used to come inside the shop on a days like this.'

ValHaller

We have become a nation of wimps

ScarletMarble wrote: »

She told off for wearing a scarf - even though it was the uniform colours and wore it under the uniform fleece.

Nobody should stand for being told off for that by management who have failed to keep the heating running.

dandelionclock30

For those who work outdoors or in freezing temperatures, the employer has to provide suitable clothing.
For OPs friend, its not freezing at the present time.
If its just for a few days then she would be best off going to somewhere like Go Outdoors and getting some cheap thermals/or thermal bottoms and a fleece. She could always ask the employers if they would be willing to pay or make a contribution towards the cost.
I picked up a pack of thermals from there for about £10.00 so its not expensive and is better than being cold all day.

dickydonkin

ScarletMarble wrote: »

My friend works in a medium sized shop. For 3 days, the heating broke down and it was freezing in the shop!

She works on the customer service desk, which is situated opposite the automatic doors. Customers and staff walk in/out through these doors. She was forced to wear a hat with the shop's name on it and fingerless gloves. She told off for wearing a scarf - even though it was the uniform colours and wore it under the uniform fleece.

She and all of the colleagues were and looked so cold that customers said to them they looked like death warmed up!

The shop has some fridges for cold drinks, yoghurts etc.

I know the law stands that the minimum temp should be 14c. Why wasn't the shop closed? If it was forced to close due to the freezing temps, do the colleagues get full pay?

Has your 'friend' never seen outdoor shops-also known as markets?

I would suggest that she has a look at thse who work on market stalls and see that her lot is not that bad and perhaps observe how these stallholders manage to keep warm.

I'm the first one to be critical of employers who place their staff at risk of injury, but come on, tell her to have a word with her boss and get him to supply some fleeces and wrap up.

ValHaller

dickydonkin wrote: »

Has your 'friend' never seen outdoor shops-also known as markets?

I would suggest that she has a look at thse who work on market stalls and see that her lot is not that bad and perhaps observe how these stallholders manage to keep warm.

I'm the first one to be critical of employers who place their staff at risk of injury, but come on, tell her to have a word with her boss and get him to supply some fleeces and wrap up.

Presumably the bosses of those working on market stalls at this time of year are not so crass as to tell their employees off for wearing a scarf?