Masks are now MANDATORY, GMB union advises ASDA members
At the start of the pandemic we were overwhelmed with calls from members concerned at the lack of PPE/ screens masks etc, no monitoring of social distancing & excessive numbers of customers in stores
We pushed the Company to provide everything you needed to minimize the risks& whilst they were a bit slow off the mark at the beginning, they have done what they needed to do under Government guidelines
We also believed that as guidelines at the time were masks should be worn in shops that should apply to colleagues as well. Asda did not enforce that.
THE SITUATION HAS CHANGED
Masks are now MANDATORY it is no longer guidelines, it is the Law & applies to everyone in retail whether customer or employee
It is now an offence not to wear one punishable by a £200 fine.
Asda are legally obliged to enforce the wearing of them
If you believe you have an underlying medical reason not to wear one the Company have a right to ask for evidence of that because they have a legal duty of care to protect employees
Sadly, we have already lost colleagues to this virus
You can contact your GP to ask for confirmation of your medical condition but they will not give you a letter exempting you from wearing a mask because NHS believes they are a vital part of stopping the spread of the virus
They may say it would be an option to wear a visor
At the beginning we were overwhelmed with colleagues wanting PPE to protect them
Now we are overwhelmed with colleagues not wanting to wear masks
It is not an option, it is the Law , & it is certainly preferable to being ill
Stay safe, Stay well & protect yourself & others
Exemptions are:-
People who cannot put on or remove face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment or disability.
Where putting on wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress
If you have:-
Asthma
COPD
Chronic Bronchitis
Lung cancer
Empysema
Cystic Fibrosis