Advise on wearing coats outside at work?

Unsurestudent

Hi all,
I work at a childcare club in X. We take the children outside for part of the afternoon eve if it’s very cold- and will be required to throughout the winter. The idea is good- they need to blow off steam after school.
However, I have been informed we (the staff) are not allowed to wear coats outdoors. My manager has been letting me despite the rules but if our senior manager comes in she could refuse.
We wear a polo top and a thin fleece. We have recently been permitted to wear a long sleeve top underneath but this definitely does not keep me warm at 4:30pm in the afternoon in November!
Is this allowed?

RichardD1970

What's the reasoning for not being allowed to wear coats?

Savvy_Sue

RichardD1970 wrote: »

What's the reasoning for not being allowed to wear coats?

This!

Are the children allowed to wear coats?

It's not as if the staff can rush around to keep warm - yes you can join in but you've got to have eyes everywhere!

however, I'd try not to make this your sole issue - ALL of you should be raising this, and it sounds as if you've got your manager on your side already.

Also how were you informed? Is it written down anywhere? How do other staff feel about it?

What if it's raining or snowing? I know Forest Schools for example go out in all weathers, but they're dressed for it!

Nicechap_2

Your union would be best place to ask about this.

But you could ask to see their H&S assessment for outdoor activities during cold or wet weather.

Then point them towards hse.gov.uk/temperature/law.htm

Pennywise

I can understand them not allowing "normal" coats which would hide your uniform, so it wouldn't be clear anymore that you were staff. (Assuming you wear logo'd polo shirts etc) and therefore increase the risk of an unauthorised outsider in the grounds.

But it's then the responsibility of your employer to provide you with either logo'd coats or dayglo/flurorescent coats to distinguish you as staff.

trailingspouse

For your own health and wellbeing you need to be wearing the appropriate clothing. That's your responsibility, and something you can and should do in defiance of any ridiculous edicts from on high.
If you get cold and damp you are more likely to fall ill - and I'm sure they don't want you to do that!!

Redvee

If the company is expecting you to work in cold temperatures outdoors then they should provide adequate clothing for you to do so, a thin fleece and polo shirt isn't suitable clothing for the current temperatures.

elsien

Pennywise wrote: »

I can understand them not allowing "normal" coats which would hide your uniform, so it wouldn't be clear anymore that you were staff. (Assuming you wear logo'd polo shirts etc) and therefore increase the risk of an unauthorised outsider in the grounds.

But it's then the responsibility of your employer to provide you with either logo'd coats or dayglo/flurorescent coats to distinguish you as staff.

Not an issue if they're in the nursery playground.
Parent used to own a nursery and staff used to wear their own coats to take the children into town. When they're walking in a crocodile it's not hard to tell who is staff.
Your employer is not being reasonable.

dawyldthing

If they provide a logo jacket and t shirt I’d ask next time they bring it up when are the logo coats being delivered, as there’s no way on this planet I would be outside in a fleece in this weather!

tacpot12

No, it's not allowed.

Wear you own coats when you need to. If the senior manager wants to make an issue of it, e.g. say it is misconduct, your defence is that your employer is required to ensure your welfare at work and you also are required to ensure your welfare, so you wore you coat in the absence of any suitable protective clothing being provided by your employer.

Your employer tries to dismiss you for this misconduct, your dismissal will automatically be unfair, this applies regardless of how long you have worked for the employer.

You could send a letter to your employer saying that you understand that they will not provide overcoats due to cost, but when it is too cold outside you will wear your own coat and that you understand that you are required to do so to comply with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, and that the employer cannot order you not to wear you coats without breaching this same Act. (Allowing staff to wear their own coats when the employer required them to work outside would be seen as a reasonable adjustment to the employers policies.)

You could offer to the employer to help them find something like a high-vis vest that you could wear over your coat to help identify you as staff if this is the issue. They cost less than a fiver each, even when printed with your logo.

Les79

I'm having some serious deja vu right now!


Have you posted this previously under a different alias in the past month or so?