Being forced to wear Impractical Uniform

*Simone*

Hi, I'm just looking for a bit of advice on the following....

I work for a well-known company in town, and we recently got new uniforms in. Whatever about the style and colour of them (which most don't like!) there's one issue really angering me.

I sit at a computer desk low-down and interact with customers over a counter, and already as it is it's a bit of a strain to stretch over and look up. But now we are being told that we must now wear baseball caps as part of our new uniform (even though I have NO contact with food handling/prep). The problem with this is simple:
- We obviously need to make eye-contact with customers, and wearing this peaked-cap restricts our eye view level (as we sit low-down and the customers are standing) and therefore we would have to bend our heads back just to see out from under the cap.

I would REALLY appreciate some advice on specific legislation (health & safety etc.) or something that I can bring up to management about why this should not be allowed. So far our complaints have fallen on deaf ears as they just say Head Office said this is now a manditory part of the uniform.

My job is already crappy enough without having the possible pain and inconvenience (not to mention the humilation!) of wearing an unnecessary hat and having to stretch my neck back every time I have to look up at a customer.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

amdublin

I'd suggest you:
Tilt the hat back on your head
Higher your seat up to the highest it goes.

Del2005

Wear it backwards or to one side.

Dandelion6

Have an American friend write a letter to the Times saying they loved their visit to Ireland but were appalled to visit Company X and find that the employee they dealt with couldn't look them in the eye because of the hat they were wearing, and how could any company treat its customers so rudely.

That's the sort of thing "head offices" notice!

impr0v

Dandelion6 wrote: »

Have an American friend write a letter to the Times saying they loved their visit to Ireland but were appalled to visit Company X and find that the employee they dealt with couldn't look them in the eye because of the hat they were wearing, and how could any company treat its customers so rudely.

That's the sort of thing "head offices" notice!

But not something that the Times is going to print.

You would perhaps be better off if you (and some of your colleagues if possible - the more the better) wrote to your HR department, or safety officer if there is one, and complained about the neck pain that the ergonomics of your working position, the madatory baseball cap, and your need to make eye contact with customers was giving you. You might also find that some parts of the following regulations are applicable to your situation and, if so, they would be worth referring to in your letter:

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations, 2007 Part 2, Chapter 5 Display Screen Equipment.

If you write and do not get a response, you could then follow it up with another letter saying that the pain is persisting and getting worse. If you don't get a response to this then you're working for idiots who are leaving themselve wide open to personal injury claims from their staff.

It goes without saying of course that you may be putting your job at risk by writing any letter in the above terms. In this climate, an employer can usually find a number of replacements for an employee and, worse, is very conscious of that fact. If not politically correct to say it but the fact is that no employer likes someone who is assertive in seeking to enforce their rights, especially to the point where they make things difficult to the employer. I would therefore try and make sure that you are reasonable and are seen to be reasonable at all times - make clear that all you want to do is have the freedom to take off the baseball cap when you need to engage with customers.

Also bear in mind that your body and your habits may well adjust after a short while and you may not even notice the baseball cap once you've had time to adjust to it.

old_aussie

Go to the doctor, and report neck pains caused by the strain of bending your head back to see the customer.

Ask for a week off to recover and tell the doctor that it's workers compo and I'm sure the cap will soon be disgarded.

Dandelion6

impr0v wrote: »

But not something that the Times is going to print.

If it's well written they might. They print loads of letters from American tourists about what they liked and didn't like about Ireland.

It's worth a shot anyway

*Simone*

Thank you all for your responses so far.

In response to the suggestion of wearing the cap sideways/backwards, this has already been mentioned and management have clearly stated this is not allowed. (Nor would I want to wear it like that as it is ridiculous!)

For the person who said higher my seat up - our cash drawers were recently replaced and, as they failed to accurately measure the size of these drawers prior to installing them, they were forced to put them much lower down than before, therefore we are forced to sit lower down to access them.

If nothing is done I will most certainly get a doctor's note saying I cannot wear it due to neck pain. Basically my attitude is, if they're going to be pr*cks about this then so will I. They never consult us on anything and basically just have an authoritarian management style where they dictate to us rather than asking for our feedback or opinions (and actually take it on board).

twowheelsonly

In my experience 'Head Office Said So' is a cop-out, usually mentioned by local managers who are too windy to say anything to their superiors.

My tuppence worth;
Write a letter to local management outlining the potential impact of wearing these baseball caps, both from a H & S and negative customer reaction point of view. Ask them to pass a copy on to Head Office or tell them that you will do it yourself if they'd prefer. If possible type and save it on a work computer and email the letter to your management. (It'll be dated then...)
In the event of any further complaints your a** is covered to the hilt. If local management don't or won't pass it on it won't matter to you but will make them look incompetent. Contrary to popular opinion I've always found that Head Office likes to know what's happening on the ground, after all that's where they make their bread and butter.

I'm guessing that it's a Bookies or such like - if that's the case I'm sure that you can round up plenty of customers willing to complain about talking to a hat!!

MagicSean

Report it to the HSA. See what they say.