Anouther "can work do this?" thread :)

[chadders]

HSE having big cutbacks, will only be dealing with the most serious stuff - try local council (of workplace) ask for Environment Health (see if they have a Health & Safety section).

They'll issue improvement notices if required, or worse.

Mind you, they're cutting way back also - and will be reducing the number of inspections - bring on the dodgy food and work practises....

[razer121]

If you dont get paid for breaks and you do the same hours then doesn't that mean you now earn
more money? Being forced to take an hour and a half break when you don't get paid takes the piss
more so maybe look at it that way.

Yes your right, but they do this funky cut of date crap and it is pretty hard to keep track of your hours, basic pay is easy to keep track of (20h a week) but all the over time works on the cut of date, which the manages dont knwo for some bludy reason. Top this off with half hour automatically being deducted from your wage maybe now people can see why i question it all, no update on the handbook my manager known for his/her "lies" i'm taking a guess they just want us to work more and not pay us.

if you can handle less unpaid breaks on your shift, go for it. but make sure you check your hours every week to check they are not deducting hour breaks still.

ask them why they haven't provided steel toe boots as im guessing its part of H&S. and i hope you are not on probation still, you sound like you hate the job

i can happily and have always welcomed it, problem is as said before said manager has said to me before to not worry about my half hour, she would pay me for it. After ALOT of working out on paper (and talking to a assistant manager) i worked out i was still deducted for them.

So yes i would work them, half hour break is nothing in 6 hours really, infact having half hour working 7 hours still makes sense, otherwise i end up reading boring newspapers.

BTW i've worked in this tip for 5 years this april

I'm not moaning i just ent having them take the piss. They do it to much and seem to think that everyone else is below them, i exspect it from managers but not as bad as this. i've raised my concerns with the assistant manager.....who is looking into it

[BobF64]

You could make a request in writing about the steel toe capped boots, that way they cant "forget" any conversations regarding it when you injure yourself and sue them for H&S violations.

[razer121]

You could make a request in writing about the steel toe capped boots, that way they cant "forget" any conversations regarding it when you injure yourself and sue them for H&S violations.

First i need to find out if this is something that i can prove is needed for H&S regs

[razer121]

Not a health and safey issue is it? btw do you like the slip sign i put next to it XD yes it was a joke



And for any who argu that i dont have to go near/use the area,



Yes i do. So consider i've slipped on a tile already banged my arm (didn't hurt that much mind) would you consider this a issue that doesnt need to be resolved?

Opinons please!

""edit""
For the record, this is a small portion of the floor damage, it stretchs about 4 metres up, we believe it is caused by a leak and the snow made it worse, and caused the floor to raise up.

[ajones]

I think that...

1) that's pretty terrible and the loose tiles should at least be removed and the area cleaned up
2) you should be a little more careful regarding the anonymity of pictures posted on the internet

[razer121]

I think that...

1) that's pretty terrible and the loose tiles should at least be removed and the area cleaned up
2) you should be a little more careful regarding the anonymity of pictures posted on the internet

True, but their is alot of people who work out the back (more than 5 anyway) so they would need to prove who it was first. I've also not once mentioned the companys name, someone else did that...but i cannot edit the post

TBH i probs could get anouther job in retail pretty easy, not that i would want to but if i did loose my job for instance...

Onto the tiles, if we pick them up there is still a bad trip hazard and that cause it to get worse, so it's a no win thing going down atm...

[BobF64]

First i need to find out if this is something that i can prove is needed for H&S regs

Not necessarily, you can just raise it as a written query asking if they believe that some form of toe protection is advisable for the environment you work in.

If they say "no" and something happens, theyre probably liable.

If they say "yes" and dont provide suitable gear, theyre liable also.

[Spud1]

You don't have a leg to stand on regarding breaks - what it says in the "handbook" doesn't matter, it's what your contract says that does.

The health and safety issues are much more important, and this is where you can take action, but it's on YOU and your workmates to put pressure on to get it sorted.

Steps I would follow would be:

1) Write a letter to the store manager (forget your line manager - go to the store manager with this), explain your concerns over health + safety, and request steel toe capped boots for you and your workmates. Put a line in asking for full explanations of why not if they get refused.

2) If this doesn't work (it's ignored, or you get a fat no), then ring your local council - either Citizens Advice (to confirm who to talk to in your area), or just go straight to trading standards H+S department and make a formal complaint. They are obliged to investigate, and at the very least tell you if you are in the right or not.

3) You also have the option of going to your area manager - easy to find out, just ring Head office and ask..or better still complain directly there.

Forget trying to argue about breaks, it's pointless..but go get them for H+S. If you have an injury at the moment you'd be looking at a large amount of compensation, IF you have raised the issues and can prove that it's been ignored, that is one reason why getting it in writing is critical.

[razer121]

You don't have a leg to stand on regarding breaks - what it says in the "handbook" doesn't matter, it's what your contract says that does.

The health and safety issues are much more important, and this is where you can take action, but it's on YOU and your workmates to put pressure on to get it sorted.

Steps I would follow would be:

1) Write a letter to the store manager (forget your line manager - go to the store manager with this), explain your concerns over health + safety, and request steel toe capped boots for you and your workmates. Put a line in asking for full explanations of why not if they get refused.

2) If this doesn't work (it's ignored, or you get a fat no), then ring your local council - either Citizens Advice (to confirm who to talk to in your area), or just go straight to trading standards H+S department and make a formal complaint. They are obliged to investigate, and at the very least tell you if you are in the right or not.

3) You also have the option of going to your area manager - easy to find out, just ring Head office and ask..or better still complain directly there.

Forget trying to argue about breaks, it's pointless..but go get them for H+S. If you have an injury at the moment you'd be looking at a large amount of compensation, IF you have raised the issues and can prove that it's been ignored, that is one reason why getting it in writing is critical.

Our store manager left XD we dont currently have one at the moment. Apparantly, my assistant manager has reported it, but was told it is not a major concern and will be fixed once we get the refit (which btw has been promised since i started lol) i spoke with him/her again today and was told it's all down to money and the guys above us not wanting to spend it, i believe this is his/her guess as to why it has not been and wont be sorted out.

Again breaks are not a major concern to me, it was the rights i wanted to know about, i dont think it mentions anything about breaks in the contract, i believe the book is tied in with it and has all that info.

We currently dont know who our district manager is, or who our new manager is going to be, they are in the process of sorting it all out (districts being split up and such)

[SHare]

Sounds like typical retail stuff. I had to buy my own safety boots despite my own companies policy being that all power pallet truck drivers should be provided with safety footwear. The response from my manager when I asked for them was that I 'hardly ever used it' despite the fact I was regularly the only person in the store that could on the weekends. The recent one is having all new staff hired on 4-8 hour short term contracts which isn't good news for the existing staff on full time contracts. The retail industry really needs a total shake up but no government is never going to do it and everyone working in it needs the money too badly to make too much of a fuss.

[Behemoth]

Your still there mate ?

I'd consider looking elsewhere now mate, I can't see you working there for much longer. Surely stacking shelves at Tesco on the night shift is better than this ?

[razer121]

Your still there mate ?

I'd consider looking elsewhere now mate, I can't see you working there for much longer. Surely stacking shelves at Tesco on the night shift is better than this ?

If only it was that easy! i really hate retail so tesco's or anouther retail job is not going to be my next target, i'm just trying to find a decent local job, it's just a tad bit harder for someone who has kids (can't be as flexible as they want me to be)

BTW i spoke with assistant manager about the issue again and he is insistant he cannot do anymore now....