Why can't checkers sit down on the job?

[fishwax]

I was in a retail store today, and the checker, who was five months pregnant, was in obvious pain as she leaned on the counter. She said her feet were swollen and always sore by the end of the day. I told her they needed to let her sit down and she said she only wished. I told her she should demand one and she just looked weary. I think tomorrow I'll call either the store or the company to complain about it.

During the Christmas season my wife and I stumbled into a small grocery chain called Aldi, and we both noticed that the checkers were allowed to sit down. Neither of us had ever seen that before. The nearest one is half an hour away, but we try to go there whenever we're near the neighborhood, just to throw some business towards people who are decent to their employees.

I don't know why this pissed me off today. Maybe it's just been a bad week. Does it ever bother anyone else?

[DS1]

1. Done that

The appearance of laziness, actual or not, and managers are programmed to squeeze out every last lick of work from their employees, forgetting the fact that happy employees will work better than ones that are micromanaged. Sure, some people need micromanaging, but that's what McDonalds is for.

[fishwax]

6. Yeah, they miss the forest for the trees

I've had jobs where sitting down was a hard-fought privilege, and our production always improved when it was allowed. But some other people in the warehouse did complain b/c they thought we weren't working hard enough. :eyes:

Also reminds me of my boss at the time, who hated when we sat down on the job, because he was certain that if we did then we would be told we couldn't. So his solution was to never use the "privilege" so that at least it wouldn't be taken from us. :eyes:

[smbolisnch]

2. We have an Aldi here.

I hate that place though...

The checkers in ours are always rude, and they sit, they don't bag, and they make well over 10 dollars an hour. Not a bad job. Most jobs of that type in this area pay 5.15 an hour.

That's terrible about the girl you saw today. You should call, it doesn't sound like she will speak up :(

[fishwax]

3. They don't bag at this one either

in fact, I don't even think they HAVE bags at this store. Their selection also isn't great, as it's a pretty small store. But the people at this one are pleasant :)

(edited for spelling)

[smbolisnch]

4. Well they HAVE bags, but you have to pay for them, .10 each.

My mom goes there and takes her own bag. That place makes me crazy. There are always lines to the back of the store and two checkers, MAX. :crazy:

[fishwax]

9. LOL

I didn't know you could buy the bags :eyes:

Do you have to rent the shopping carts too (you do at this one ... or at least pay some sort of deposit, I've never bothered.)

[smbolisnch]

23. Yes, you put a quarter in the handle and it unlocks.

When you lock it back up, you get your quarter back :D

[AlienGirl]

5. I work in retail, and it bothers me!

At the food co-ops in Olympia, the cashiers sit down, and are no less efficient because of it.

By the end of an eight-hour shift, my feet and ankles are killing me. My supervisor, who's worked in the store for seven years, has failing knees partly due to having to stand for so long.

I believe the requirement to stand is just a thing to make customers feel they have more status and power than the employee.

Tucker

[fishwax]

8. Status and power, I think you've nailed it

that was our theory too. And I know people who would have a negative reactions as customers because the "service person" dared to sit around instead of standing (hopping to attention). I think that's a big part of what pisses me off about it, because it's (a) misguided management and (b) snotty people who like to feel superior.

[flamingyouth]

7. I have no idea

I own a small store and certainly allow the employees to sit if they need to do so. To tell someone that they can't sit while on the job, especially if they are pregnant or have a health condition, is horrible. :(

And I know what it's like to be on your feet all day - I used to work 15-16-hour days at a salmon cannery. It's not fun. :(

[iamjoy]

10. Insensitive Jerks

I was working in a department store, and this woman in another department with whom I was friendly was six months pregnant.

One slow afternoon, she was sitting down in her department. Now she was still watching for customers and the department was neat (no clothes falling off hangers, etc) but one of the female managers came by and chastised her for goofing off.

Like, hello, isn't it better that she sit out near the aisle rather than leaning against the cash register stand? And don't you have a lick of common sense and compassion to think that maybe standing (in heels) for eight hours isn't really good for any woman, but especially one who is expecting?

Maybe these retail establishments think it would make them look bad, like their customers would be put off if the employees were sitting or something. Maybe some Republican customers would...lazy employees, you know...and doesn't she have a husband to take care of her so she doesn't have to work in that condition?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. Judging from my temp jobs during the Reagan administration

not letting workers sit down is a means of enforcing the caste system.

Most of the factory jobs I worked at did not let you sit down on the job, even if there was no reason to be standing. They also didn't allow talking on the job, even though the work required maybe 0.0005% of your conscious mind.

At one job, the only pregnant worker was allowed to sit down, but it was on a high stool, and it can't have been very comfortable.

There was a supervisor whose job it was to walk around and hassle you.

If low-ranking workers were allowed to sit down on the job, they might start thinking they were human beings, and we can't have that.

I like the idea of your complaining. Even nasty store managers worry about bad publicity.

[Melynn]

16. Keeping them in their place

I too have noticed that at lower wage jobs there are a number of petty rules to keep the peons from getting uppity. Also some in management like to play head games with the employees just to keep them off balance.

[KitchenWitch]

12. She may be able to work with her doctor

and her manager to get permission to sit on a stool during her shift. Standing still for 8 hours a day while pregnant can't be good for her...if her ankles are swelling she may be flirting with pre-eclampsia!

[AlienGirl]

13. Unfortunately, odds are against her

Even if she has a doctor who is willing to ask her manager to allow her to sit, the manager will almost certainly refuse on the grounds that if she gets a stool *everyone* will want one. :eyes: And if she makes an issue of it, they'll just fire her for inefficiency or lateness or taking too many bathroom breaks, and hire someone else. And if she decides to sue? Good luck finding a lawyer you can afford on a retail salary.

In Bush's america, with this economy, you have only those rights you can afford to fight for.

Tucker

[KitchenWitch]

14. It could be handled as a temporary disability

and workplaces do have to comply with such things...or pay huge. She would likely have to discontinue using the stool after she delivered her baby, but during the rest of her pregnancy, it would be in hers and her baby's best interest to be on a stool.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Or fishwax could complain to the store manager and

say that if the situation was not remedied, s/he would tell all his/her friends that the store was endangering the health of a pregnant woman--because as another poster mentioned, swollen feet could be a sign of trouble.

[fishwax]

17. The one concern I have about complaining

is the thought that, while they might claim to take my complaint seriously, she might suffer some repercussions as a result, in the form of being hassled by management. It isn't a store I go to often (I wouldn't tell them that when I complained), so I really don't have a sense of how their management is, other than this incident. And I've never worked in retail, but I've certainly had my share of jerks for bosses who would take such a complaint out on the employee.

That's why I was thinking I might call a regional office instead. I'm not sure which would be preferrable.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. As long as you make it clear that it was you, and not the employee,

who is complaining, that should save the employee from repercussions.

Boss types hate it when you go over their heads, so mentioning your concerns to the store manager first might be the best first step.

[Deja Q]

18. A recurring theme in our society is the rabid acquisition of wealth.

Ironic given that our currency is about to fail, but oh well.

It's about money only. Not people. Money. It's always been like that and it's about to get worse.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

19. I bet the woman never asked to have a stool.

I think the woman is assuming her employers won't bend the rules for her without even asking first. And how is anyone supposed to know she wants a stool if she doesn't ask for one? I worked as a cashier at the supermarket before. I knew some of the older ladies sometimes used a stool if they were having problems with their legs. It didn't happen all the time, but I've seen them use stools before.

I worked as a cashier at Blockbuster when I was pregnant. I never needed a stool. Sometimes I would have a little back pain, but it wasn't anything I couldn't deal with. Employers aren't going to assume that the woman needs help just because she is pregnant, because not all pregnant women have the same problems.

Don't jump to the conclusion that it's the mean management. I have noticed that a lot of people just don't speak up for themselves in these situations, and I really have no idea why. I guess it must be their personality.

[fishwax]

20. She was in obvious pain

I'm not just assuming that she it's mean management, and what you've said certainly crossed my mind. I don't know whether she asked for a stool or not, but it was obvious that she needed a stool, and one of her managers should have noticed, if they have anywhere near decent powers of observation. And I have worked in places where sitting down was discouraged or outright prohibited, so it's not like it doesn't happen.

She said she wished they would let her sit, but she didn't say whether or not she'd expressly asked. I have no idea if they have a store policy about it or not, which was one of the things I would ask if I were to call and complain.

But it does kind of get under my skin that people have to ask for basic amenities like that anyway. I think it's common decency to not make people stand up for eight hours a day unless the job somehow requires it.

[Flaxbee]

21. I was recently in Finland (oh my god I love Helsinki)

and all the cashiers at the grocery stores had comfy looking seats, and they were no less efficient or friendly because of it. Probably more so. They also got to take breaks and go pee when they needed to. What a concept!

Looked to me like at each station in other stores like dept. stores or specialty stores there were chairs provided so you could take a break -- I love social democracies. Makes such a huge difference when people come first, not money.

[Floogeldy]

24. As a practical matter

I think it would be difficult for most checkers to do their job with a chair in their work space. ALDI is unique, in that they don't bag in an attempt to save the consumer money (so they claim).

Most checkers are maneuvering shopping carts, scanning products, bagging, swiping credit cards, getting cigarettes. A chair would just be in the way.

[Touchdown]

25. They sit down all the time...in Germany

and considering that Aldi is a German retail company, it would make sense.

They have a different look at retail, and a general way people relate to each other, that we do here. They expect service but pay for it. If they want cheap prices, then they pay cheap prices, and don't get the ass-kissing service. Americans want their cake and eat it too. Europeans see that products are available, and if you want it, buy it. Why should we have to butter you up to open your wallet? You will eventually run out of tothpaste and need some. Toothpaste doesn't really warrant a customer "being delighted with excellent service".

Old story... An American was in London and walked by a Bentley dealer. He stood around looking at the cars for 30 minutes. He could see the salesman in the office, but he wouldn't come out to greet him. The American finally left. He got pissed over night and went back to the dealer the next morning. The salesman walked up to him as he called him, and he complained about the salesman not caring. The salesman asked..."If you wanted the car, why didn't you buy it?" ...The American replied..."Because you didn't sell it to me!"

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

26. It does bother me, and makes no sense to me what so ever that

people have to work standing up for hours at a time.

[Rabrrrrrr]

27. I would have despised a chair when I was a checker at a grocery store

Granted, I wasn't pregnant, and a pregnant woman should - if needed - be allowed a seat.

But I'm damned glad I didn't have yet one more obstacle in my way - a chair - when I was a checker, either at the grocery store or at the drug store.

It would not only be in the way, I couldn't have done my job - checkers (at least where we were) needed to be able to move around, help bag groceries, lift stuff out of the carts, and, you know, help customers.

Though I'm sure there is a way to design a store so that it can be done - from reading other posts, sounds like they got it figured out in Germany and elsewhere.

At my grocery store, though, I would have protested to have the chair removed.

Standing up is good for us; it's good to move around, walk around, etc. Sitting is for rest time.

And please, before anyone flames, please read the beginning of my note - of course a pregnant woman in pain, or any other person who has a hard time standing up, should either get a chair, or at least more requent breaks.