working in shop and cold is this legal

bigroad

Hello to all .A friend of mine works in a small high street shop.The problem is they have an Open Door policy.With the cold winter days/evenings the shop is very cold and also the payment station is right at the front of the shop where the door is open.So my friend asked if she could wear more cloths to combat the cold and she was told uniform only.There is heating in the roof but no blower heating at the open door.Basically the heating system is not good enough. Has anybody come accross this problem before or what are the legalities of this situation.

Procrastastudy

16c is the guideline and mentioned in legislation as the minimum for office work.

bigroad

Thanks for the reply .16c sounds right as far as i know.If not they should provide a jacket to keep warm .

RacoonQueen

What is the uniform? Can they wear a long sleeved top and/or tshirt or vest under their uniform? You can also still get long johns/thermal trousers or wear tights under your trousers. Most shop workers have the same issue to be fair, security guards in shops/gyms/car parks etc have to stand at the door in the freezing cold, not sure you'd have any success with raising the issue.

I do remember it being 16C when I was in school. Someone used to bring a thermometer in to check 'cos we were entitled to go home if it was colder than that. :pac:

Procrastastudy

bigroad wrote: »

Thanks for the reply .16c sounds right as far as i know.If not they should provide a jacket to keep warm .

No they should ensure the temperature goes above 16C.

I highly recommend long johns - and not working in retail. That open door policy is (and I'm not joking) because when people are shopping they can be too stupid to open it. Its amazing the patterns people fall into when shopping - I don't understand the psychology of it but have seem the patterns when pointed out. For example if you have a high-street shop people almost always look or turn left on coming in the door. Watch it sometime its around 70%.

Recon

Any jobs I've had we're I had to work outside or where it was cold provided the extra clothing for it, hats, jackets, water proofs etc. I'm pretty sure there's even a legal requirement for them to do so.

saiint

wear a termal top underneath it
and terminal trousers
their cheap , will keep you warm , and not put you on your bosses bad side with bringing up laws about it

RainyDay

Contact www.hsa.ie for specific advice. There is one reference on their website to "For sedentary office work, a minimum temperature of 17.5°C after the first hour’s work". I'm not sure if working in a shop would be considered 'sedentary', but I'm sure they'll be able to explain. You often see Tesco or M&S staff in warm fleeces, recognising that they go into stores or car parks as part of their work.

I don't like saiint's advice to keep your mouth shut, but you should indeed be careful about how you approach it. If you're a union member, get them involved. If you're not a union member, consider joining one. Sound out a few colleagues before you decide to bring it up.

bigroad

Thanks for the advice dudes.I think if the working conditions are cold then the proper clothes should be provided.