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Social Distancing Breach At Work.

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Jenarry | 14:30 Sat 20th Jun 2020 | Body & Soul
16 Answers
after opinions please.
we’ve continued working during the whole lockdown period.
3 of our team along with other staff from our workplace who are vulnerable have been working at a smaller branch to keep them safe as there was no members of the public to come into contact with . our 3 members of staff had been given admin roles and answering the phone but obviously weren’t around to help with the main bulk of work so along with other staff being off we’ve all been under LOTS of pressure .
these staff returned to our main branch this monday .
then yesterday one of the 3 staff received some bad news about a long term health condition and became upset and one of the other 3 consoled her and said do you need a hug . and that’s what they did.
other members of staff have been really shocked and upset by this with lots of factors such as them both being considered vulnerable enough to taken away from the rest of the team all this time but ok to break social distancing like this . the actual hug especially as we’ve all had difficult times and have wanted to do this on occasions when someone’s needed it but have stopped ourselves .
someone has mentioned reporting it to HR which i think is a bit much .
i can understand why it happened . the person who had the bad news has needed a lot of support from the other 2 during their time away from us so it’s prob how their relationship has developed but without the social distancing rule being broken i hope .
the news wasn’t good and it’s going to affect her from here onwards but i can see why people are so upset .
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I am not sure what HR can do. One offered a hug and the other accepted. It was not a great idea but I don't see how that put other employees or the public at risk?
If reporting the incident seems too much then maybe a simple announcement reminding everyone of the guidelines in place or a notice put up.

No point in all being upset, it can't be undone.
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I don’t know what to make of it as i can see both sides . we’ve all got family that we can only see from a distance and not hug etc so I think that’s why it’s upset people so much .
I do think reporting them is a bit much though . maybe a word with our manager and a reminder of our current guidelines about keeping a safe distance from each other is the answer . Thankyou .
//we’ve all got family that we can only see from a distance and not hug etc so I think that’s why it’s upset people so much .//

"Social Distancing" (or anti-social distancing as I prefer to call it) is guidance, not a rule and is not included in any legislation. It is advisory. If you and those you want to hug are happy to do so (wherever you happen to be) just go right ahead and do it.

The government has succeeded in constructing a compliant population by confusing them between "rules" and "advice." It constantly makes reference to the "two metre rule"; it says that you can do this or that "subject to the two metre rule". It isn't a rule; it's not illegal to approach somebody closer than that and it's not illegal to give them a hug or a kiss (so long as you both agree, naturally).

It's worse than that. Many people are of the belief that they are not allowed to use public transport unless they are a "key worker" or their journey is "essential". Once again they are wrong. Public transport is for anybody for any purpose. The only legislation specific to it is that you must wear a face covering when either boarding it or travelling on it (but not whilst you're on the station - except for TfL controlled services). The only restrictions on your movements currently are that you must not gather in groups of more than six outdoors and you must not enter another person's house unless you have formed a "link" with their household (and you and they can then have no other "links").

So get out there, give your family a hug if they agree to it, go for a bus ride, go for a train ride. The country needs to break out of the government-induced torpor it has descended into.
NJ, I understand that employers can enact and enforce social distancing rules under the general aegis of health and safety
Jenarry, yes I think that's the way things should go - good luck.
//NJ, I understand that employers can enact and enforce social distancing rules under the general aegis of health and safety//

I wasn't talking about work situations, woofy. Employers and shops, etc. can impose whatever conditions they think fit (though quite how they will impose them effectively and what sanctions they can impose for breaches has yet to be established). I was more commenting on jenarry's concern that she has family she cannot hug. So long as she's happy and they are happy with the idea they can just get on and do it - so long as it isn't in a shop or at work, where the proprietors may be inclined to make take such advice as an instruction.
I don’t want to worry you but hugging etc is going on. All over the place
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I know . I’ve been following guidance at work , home and out and about as best I can but there are people who follow advice to the extreme and some who are not at all.
one member of staff has become very ill from anxiety about washing hands ,spreading infection etc. Another member of staff has come close to this point and from the start has been very concerned about what everyone is doing at work and home .
She’s the one suggesting it be reported to HR .
work has been proactive on advising us to distance from each other which can be difficult in our workplace but we try.
I think this action was so different to the approach we’ve all been taking over the past 12 weeks , it was bound to cause upset .
Totally agree with NJ and Ich - I expect loads of people have been hugging. I've never known a campaign to instil terror and horror in everyone be so successful. The two at work made their decision and it didn't impact on the health of anyone else so what's the big deal.
Oh fgs it was a HUG, what a load of fuss. What the hell is wrong with people?? The doom mongering is still rife I see …
Of course I should have added that all of the information above only applies in England.
Its important to feel safe in the work place and if you were made to feel unafe then by all means report the situation to HR. If someone were to attempt to hug you for example! But if two people decide to break the rules and it doesnt affect you, then just turn away.
Knobbery.
//But if two people decide to break the rules...//

Guidance, not rules.
NJ as i said to you earlier, at work it CAN be a rule

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