Don't feel safe working at the tills in the evening

od244051

I work for a small shop. Sometimes, the staff member who is on the tills has to operate the door by leaving the till area, (next to the door) which has also has tobacco, lottery scratch cards. The doors are auto which operate from internal side only. This is to keep the numbers controlled and if the area by the door is crowded, staff wait for the area to reduce in numbers before letting customers in. During the day, there's someone by the door - an employee by the door for 99% of the time.  

Now my and colleagues' concerns are when its gets dark. They get impatient customers that tap on the window to the door and worried that someone will go into the till area and help themselves to tobacco and scratchcards. Colleagues cannot serve and open the door at the same time. When staff leave the area to let the customers into the shop, they secure the tills with a password. Combination of lighting outside and internal lighting reflecting onto windows of door makes it difficult to see who is queuing outside when its dark.

If the tobacco etc was taken whilst colleagues are outside the till area, I don't think my employer should discipline any of us as its the employer's fault for not employing more staff during the evening or set up the door so its either two way after a certain time - shop is never busy after a certain time anyway and well below COVID capacity or have some device to operate the door remotely. 

We have raised these concerns at management and get dismissed. What are we supposed to do to keep colleagues safe and customers good customer service? This model isn't doing either.

Comms69

Why is it inherently unsafe to go ad open the door? Because at the minute it just seems to be a feeling. eg have there been multiple previous incidents?

Soot2006

Comms69 said:

Why is it inherently unsafe to go ad open the door? Because at the minute it just seems to be a feeling. eg have there been multiple previous incidents?

I can understand that if the OP has to leave the till area unsupervised to do so.  The concern seems to be about theft and fear of management more than personal security despite the thread title referring to safety.

Is there CCTV pointing at the till?

od244051

Soot2006 said:

Comms69 said:

Why is it inherently unsafe to go ad open the door? Because at the minute it just seems to be a feeling. eg have there been multiple previous incidents?

I can understand that if the OP has to leave the till area unsupervised to do so.  The concern seems to be about theft and fear of management more than personal security despite the thread title referring to safety.

Is there CCTV pointing at the till?

Yes there are about five cameras around the area concerned. Some are above the tills so doesn’t pick up thefts from the tobacco display.

Comms69

Soot2006 said:

Comms69 said:

Why is it inherently unsafe to go ad open the door? Because at the minute it just seems to be a feeling. eg have there been multiple previous incidents?

I can understand that if the OP has to leave the till area unsupervised to do so.  The concern seems to be about theft and fear of management more than personal security despite the thread title referring to safety.

Is there CCTV pointing at the till?

Well theft is a risk anywhere, which is why im asking if there have been instances of this happening? If not, then the concern would appear to be more subjective.

Dox

od244051 said:

Soot2006 said:

Comms69 said:

Why is it inherently unsafe to go ad open the door? Because at the minute it just seems to be a feeling. eg have there been multiple previous incidents?

I can understand that if the OP has to leave the till area unsupervised to do so.  The concern seems to be about theft and fear of management more than personal security despite the thread title referring to safety.

Is there CCTV pointing at the till?

Yes there are about five cameras around the area concerned. Some are above the tills so doesn’t pick up thefts from the tobacco display.

Get a camera in place which does cover the tobacco display.

p00hsticks

od244051 said:

Yes there are about five cameras around the area concerned. Some are above the tills so doesn’t pick up thefts from the tobacco display.

I thought it was no longer permitted for tobacco to be on open display ?

https://www.acs.org.uk/tobacco-display-ban-faqs

kazwookie

Get your boss to move the camera round so it does face the tobacco or install another camera.

At the end of the day if there is a theft, it is NOT the staff's fault if they are following procedure correctly.

od244051

p00hsticks said:

od244051 said:

Yes there are about five cameras around the area concerned. Some are above the tills so doesn’t pick up thefts from the tobacco display.

I thought it was no longer permitted for tobacco to be on open display ?

https://www.acs.org.uk/tobacco-display-ban-faqs

What I meant is the doors which hide the tobacco 

Takmon

od244051 said:

I work for a small shop. Sometimes, the staff member who is on the tills has to operate the door by leaving the till area, (next to the door) which has also has tobacco, lottery scratch cards. The doors are auto which operate from internal side only. This is to keep the numbers controlled and if the area by the door is crowded, staff wait for the area to reduce in numbers before letting customers in. During the day, there's someone by the door - an employee by the door for 99% of the time.  

Now my and colleagues' concerns are when its gets dark. They get impatient customers that tap on the window to the door and worried that someone will go into the till area and help themselves to tobacco and scratchcards. Colleagues cannot serve and open the door at the same time. When staff leave the area to let the customers into the shop, they secure the tills with a password. Combination of lighting outside and internal lighting reflecting onto windows of door makes it difficult to see who is queuing outside when its dark.

If the tobacco etc was taken whilst colleagues are outside the till area, I don't think my employer should discipline any of us as its the employer's fault for not employing more staff during the evening or set up the door so its either two way after a certain time - shop is never busy after a certain time anyway and well below COVID capacity or have some device to operate the door remotely. 

We have raised these concerns at management and get dismissed. What are we supposed to do to keep colleagues safe and customers good customer service? This model isn't doing either.

I bet things get stolen regularly from the shop and the staff don't get disciplined so it should be no different if things get stolen from behind the till area while your by the door as instructed by your employer. 
Even if your behind the till and someone comes and take tobacco then you should be expected to stop them physically anyway because that's not your job and put's you at risk.

Savvy_Sue

od244051 said:

We have raised these concerns at management and get dismissed. What are we supposed to do to keep colleagues safe and customers good customer service? This model isn't doing either.

You need to present a united front. Are you all in a union? Now (before the evenings get dark) is the time to join. Get advice and support from the union.