Staff at pizza chain Domino’s have claimed they dread going to work and are in fear for their families because social distancing is proving ‘impossible’ due to their small working areas.
They claim staff are having to work shoulder to shoulder with up to eight people operating within a foot of each other.
Domino's, in response, has said clear processes are in place to ensure distance is maintained between staff working in store, one of a range of measures to deal with the threat of coronavirus.
The Covid-19 outbreak has seen the Government order all non-essential businesses to cease trading, but allows companies offering food deliveries and takeaways to continue, providing they are adhering to social distancing rules - keeping people 2 metres apart.
But staff in the Llanelli store have claimed that, due to the small space available there, this is not possible and that no adjustments have been made to keep staff safe. They claim they have instead been told to ‘try and actively avoid other members of staff.’
A number of workers for the company, who all wished to remain anonymous, said they were worried that the close quarters working had allowed the store to become a hotbed for potentially spreading the infection.
“I feel like I’m having to choose between keeping my family safe from the virus and keeping them safe by putting food on the table and paying the bills. I have members of my family who are in vulnerable groups and I am worried that I am putting them in danger,” said one worker.
“I am stressed out about the whole situation and dread going into work everyday,” they added.
“All it would take would be for someone with the virus to go in and touch a load of the items and the whole workforce and their families would be infected,” said another worker.
Workers also claimed that the conditions had caused a number of staff members, including managers, to leave the company due to the fear of catching the virus.
“I’ve been so close to leaving because family comes first but that’s easier said than done because we still have rent, gas, electricity and food to pay for, some of us don’t have the option to just quit,” added one worker.
Staff also claimed that they had been told by senior managers in the company that they would not be offered the furlough pay from the government for those who could no longer work due to the virus, should they wish to self-isolate.
What is social distancing?
The Government’s website says that ‘the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a temporary scheme open to all UK employers for at least three months. Employers can use a portal to claim for 80% of furloughed employees’ (employees on a leave of absence) usual monthly wage costs.’
“I think they don’t want to give us the option because they want to keep us on and don’t want to try and hire other people,” said one worker.
Since the closure of other takeaway businesses and fast food chains such as McDonald’s and KFC, workers said demand had increased hugely.
“Our hours and workload have definitely increased, I’m exhausted after a shift and feel like I’m being worked like a donkey, I am mentally drained.”
These concerns have been echoed throughout other parts of the UK, with many workers at other Domino's branches also raising issues about their workspaces.
Speaking with the Liverpool Echo, another employee who wished to remain nameless claimed: "The floor space in the West Derby shop is not enough to foster safe distancing. Even if we all remain still, it is not enough.
"So, you can imagine what it is like at 8pm on a Saturday evening, which is our rush hour and in recent times, we are very busy throughout the week.
"Factor in six to ten staff at any one time all rushing to pick up phones, handle ovens, man production lines and access fridges for stock. Social distancing is impossible.”
Another employee told the Oxford Mail that they felt the store they worked at was too small to guarantee a two metre gap at all times and that they were not an essential business.
“They should be closed until further notice,” added the worker.
But members of the workforce in Llanelli said they had been told they were front-line essential workers and compared them to staff from the NHS.
“We are a luxury item, delivering pizza is not essential, we shouldn’t be working and risking the safety of our families to deliver pizza,” said one of the company’s employees.
Assembly Member for Llanelli, Lee Waters, has also raised concerns about Domino's.
He said: “My concern is that the government are handing out the biggest package for businesses so they can adhere to these rules and so their employees can be kept safe and have the option for furlough but I am worried that instead some companies are seeing it as a commercial opportunity instead of safeguarding their employees and the community.”
A spokesperson for Domino’s said: "Our priority is the safety of our colleagues and customers. We are working closely with our store teams and have implemented clear processes following government guidelines to ensure distance is maintained between colleagues working together in store.
"We have moved to Contact Free Delivery only and have stopped our collection service. We’ve also increased sanitisation, handwashing and have stopped handling cash. We appreciate that some team members may personally feel it is no longer appropriate for them to come into work and we are fully understanding of those individuals.
"We will continue to review all our operational processes to make further improvements wherever possible and ensure we are following government guidance."
