Employer forces us to wear face visor after July 19th and its affecting my health

briskbeats

I'm asthmatic and been struggling with wearing a face visor at work and a mask outside work for a good month now. Have noticed on my days off, that my asthma is a lot better than when I'm at work. Plus this affects my sleep, my performance etc.

Now my employer (supermarket) has told us that masks and visors will still need to be worn by us. 

Really annoyed with this decision as it will make my health even worse - both physically and mentally. I am so desperate to look for other employment, but I am so confused to where to look, what jobs are suitable for me, how to explain to work why I need an afternoon off to attend an interview etc.

Can understand why my employer insists this but need to understand that there are employees that are exempt and be better off without a mask or visor.

Zinger549

Surely if your exempt then you don't need to wear one.

[Deleted User]

"but I am so confused to where to look, what jobs are suitable for me, how to explain to work why I need an afternoon off to attend an interview etc."

You keep asking this which is confusing to me - all jobs are most likely found online with some high street places just putting signs in the window.
Interviews are held to ensure you think you might like and be a suit for the job so you just have to get out there I'm afraid if wanting a new job.
If you work in a shop, there is a high chance you may work shifts or patterns so schedule an interview around this or on your day's off or request holiday/annual leave or ask to swap days if you shop work 9-5.
There is no need to tell present Employer you are going to an interview, rarely anything good will come of it, unless they are genuinely the sort who might like to help you prepare to get another job or you are trying for promotion.

If you are worried about anything getting back, then look for ad's which state we will handle your application in the strictest confidence or apply to companies who are larger or more professional in their wording.

If you are unsure of which career path, then try and take a careers matching quiz?
https://www.truity.com/test/career-personality-profiler-test

For the face visor issue, perhaps get guidance from a medical professional so you've something official to show the Employer.

sevenhills

I believe it's the psychological effects, I believe that we can all wear masks and visors, after seeing an ambulance crew putting a mask on an elderly patient.

I don't like wearing a mask, but I do it 99% of the time. Given the choice, I won't wear one, I am guessing most won't in supermarkets, maybe they will on public transport.

But if you are asthmatic, you should take all precautions and no doubt that is what your employer thinks, they will be following the health and safety guidance.

maisie_cat

sevenhills said:

I believe it's the psychological effects, I believe that we can all wear masks and visors, after seeing an ambulance crew putting a mask on an elderly patient.

I don't like wearing a mask, but I do it 99% of the time. Given the choice, I won't wear one, I am guessing most won't in supermarkets, maybe they will on public transport.

But if you are asthmatic, you should take all precautions and no doubt that is what your employer thinks, they will be following the health and safety guidance.

I think this is right, nobody actually likes wearing a mask, I find I get hot, anxious and breathless wearing one, and I have no health conditions. 

Tokmon

briskbeats said:

I'm asthmatic and been struggling with wearing a face visor at work and a mask outside work for a good month now. Have noticed on my days off, that my asthma is a lot better than when I'm at work. Plus this affects my sleep, my performance etc.

Now my employer (supermarket) has told us that masks and visors will still need to be worn by us. 

Really annoyed with this decision as it will make my health even worse - both physically and mentally. I am so desperate to look for other employment, but I am so confused to where to look, what jobs are suitable for me, how to explain to work why I need an afternoon off to attend an interview etc.

Can understand why my employer insists this but need to understand that there are employees that are exempt and be better off without a mask or visor.

You don't have to be concerned about masks effecting you physical health because masks have no physical effect on people. 

There is far more oxygen inhaled in each breath than needed and even with a medical mask on you still have an excess of oxygen so there is no physical reason why a mask would effect you even with asthma. With a visor there is no reduction in oxygen at all so definitely no physical effects their either.

But that doesn't mean the mental effects are to be ignored because they can be serious and manifest themselves in physical problems.

TBagpuss

Fellow asthmatic here - as others have said, wearing a mask (and still less a visor) won't affect your physical health. However , the TYPE of mask could - I found, early on, and have since had quite a number of other people with asthma say the same thing) that I can't wear the disposable surgical style masks - certainly the ones my workplace provides - there is something in/on them which triggers my asthma. However, I can, and do, wear other types of mask. (I mostly use triple layer cotton with a medical grade paper filter insert)
If you are wearing the disposable surgical ones you may find that switching to another type helps.

It's worth bearing in mind that it is also much more likely that the difference you notice is due to factors other than wearing a mask. For instance, air conditioning, air fresheners, perfume and cologne, pollen from flowers etc can all have a huge impact on asthma. Something quite small, such as (for instance) if your workplace has changed the settings on air conditioning to comply with safety recommendations,  or made other changes to ventilation, those things could significantly impact your asthma.

And of course if there is increased cleaning, especially if there is more use of sprays, that's more likely to be having an effect on your breathing that the mask wearing (wearing a mask may even help y filtering out some of the product! 

And of course of you dislike wearing a mask that has an impact too - being tense or stressed will affect your breathing . 

In terms of looking for other work,  think about what things you enjoy and are good at, what you do in your current job that you like and could use in a different role, what the things are that you dislike, to help narrow down what type of work you feel might suit you.

If you get an interview, most employers will try to work with you to arrange a mutually convenient time - so aim to arrange it for your day off, or  for after you finish work or before you start (depending on what shifts you work) or if that isn't possible, book a day or half day off work. You don't have to tell your current employer why you want the time off, and if they ask, then "A personal appointment" is a good reason.

briskbeats

TBagpuss said:

Fellow asthmatic here - as others have said, wearing a mask (and still less a visor) won't affect your physical health. However , the TYPE of mask could - I found, early on, and have since had quite a number of other people with asthma say the same thing) that I can't wear the disposable surgical style masks - certainly the ones my workplace provides - there is something in/on them which triggers my asthma. However, I can, and do, wear other types of mask. (I mostly use triple layer cotton with a medical grade paper filter insert)
If you are wearing the disposable surgical ones you may find that switching to another type helps.

It's worth bearing in mind that it is also much more likely that the difference you notice is due to factors other than wearing a mask. For instance, air conditioning, air fresheners, perfume and cologne, pollen from flowers etc can all have a huge impact on asthma. Something quite small, such as (for instance) if your workplace has changed the settings on air conditioning to comply with safety recommendations,  or made other changes to ventilation, those things could significantly impact your asthma.

And of course if there is increased cleaning, especially if there is more use of sprays, that's more likely to be having an effect on your breathing that the mask wearing (wearing a mask may even help y filtering out some of the product! 

And of course of you dislike wearing a mask that has an impact too - being tense or stressed will affect your breathing . 

In terms of looking for other work,  think about what things you enjoy and are good at, what you do in your current job that you like and could use in a different role, what the things are that you dislike, to help narrow down what type of work you feel might suit you.

If you get an interview, most employers will try to work with you to arrange a mutually convenient time - so aim to arrange it for your day off, or  for after you finish work or before you start (depending on what shifts you work) or if that isn't possible, book a day or half day off work. You don't have to tell your current employer why you want the time off, and if they ask, then "A personal appointment" is a good reason.

I have tried different masks. Like you I find the disposable masks the worst.

Other factors that make my asthma worse are customers that stink of cannabis (99% of them don’t wear masks), the hand sanitizer work provided for both us and customers smells awful - I use my own. Some customers put about six pumps of the stuff and makes me heave 

TELLIT01

I was talking to somebody recently who has breathing problems.  He can't wear a mask but gets on fine with a visor.  I think the OP is suffering a psychological problem which they are going to have to deal with.  A visor has no direct effect on the ability to breathe.

briskbeats

TELLIT01 said:

I was talking to somebody recently who has breathing problems.  He can't wear a mask but gets on fine with a visor.  I think the OP is suffering a psychological problem which they are going to have to deal with.  A visor has no direct effect on the ability to breathe.

I can wear a visor but since the higher temperatures, humidity and pollen levels, I am struggling. Also similar problem when its freezing cold and windy

Even visited a shop for 5 mins the other day and left as with mask on it made me sweat buckets

Brie

TELLIT01 said:

I was talking to somebody recently who has breathing problems.  He can't wear a mask but gets on fine with a visor.  I think the OP is suffering a psychological problem which they are going to have to deal with.  A visor has no direct effect on the ability to breathe.

Visors can have an effect on the ability to breathe.  you don't get the same clear air flow over your face and you do get condensation building up.  It's quite possible that there's also psychological issue but that is separate to the effect of wearing the  visor itself. 

fyi - they also make it difficult to see things and I end up having to lift mine to read anything when I'm shopping.