Staff at Sainsbury’s will not challenge customers who enter its Scottish stores without a face covering.
The Scottish Government ruled earlier this month that the public must wear a covering when they enter a shop in Scotland in a bid to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Failure to follow the rules could potentially lead to a £60 fine from Police Scotland, while some shops have vowed to turn people away if they do not have a face covering.
Despite the changes in the law, Sainsbury’s say that its staff will not enforce the rules in its branches.
The supermarket giant was asked a question about face coverings on Twitter ahead of the similar rule change set to take effect in England later this week.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s replied: “We won’t be challenging customers without a mass when they enter or when they are in store since they may have a reason not to wear a mask.”
It has been confirmed that this policy has been passed on to staff at its stores in Scotland.
The Scottish Government guidance on face coverings states that it is a criminal offence if the law on them is broken.
However, shop workers and retailers are not required to enforce this law - instead staff are urged to talk to customers not wearing a face covering and explain the law.
Shop workers are also asked not to stop customers from entering the store or from being served as the Scottish Government claims that it is the individual’s responsibility to wear one.
David Lonsdale, who is a director at the Scottish Retail Consortium, told the Daily Record : “Retailers have supported the government in encouraging the public to wear face coverings, informing customers of their legal duty.
“However, it is the responsibility of customers to wear face coverings in shops and the enforcement of this in store does not fall on retail workers but is instead a matter for the appropriate authorities.”
The Scottish Government has also provided a list of people who are exempt from the rules on face coverings.
This includes children under five and people with certain health conditions.
Aldi has highlighted that face coverings are mandatory for all customers shopping in Scottish stores.
Lidl has also suggested on social media that rules on face coverings will be enforced.
A spokesperson for Tesco told the Daily Record: “In line with guidance from the Scottish Government, customers in Scotland will need to wear a face covering when visiting our stores.”
A spokesperson for Aldi said: "Colleagues will be encouraged to prompt customers to comply with Government guidelines and we have also placed additional signage in store.
"We ask that shoppers respect the safety of our colleagues as well as other customers."
