Nobody at my work wears masks?

I just started an office job. It’s an office job attached to a warehouse. So there’s guys in the warehouse and not a single one of them wears a mask, nobody in the office wears one, there is coughing around me all day. They took me on a tour in the warehouse ( I had mine on but I guess I’m just protecting everyone else ) and they took me in a small room and a guy right next to me was hacking like I’ve bever heard ( without a mask of course) The girl training me is sniffling and keeps saying her throat is irritated and drinking a lot and has coughed a few times. My anxiety is just through the roof. I don’t really get into the arguments of masks because I know some people have strong feelings against them I don’t want to argue with people, my doctor told me he isn’t sure if they really work and they may just be a false sense of security. I don’t know, I do feel more comfortable with a mask on and I feel like there has to be some proof they work. I am just having a hard time being around so many people sounding sick without their masks on. A guy came around and took our temps an hour into our shifts and didn’t have his on and was coughing as he scanned my forehead!! The girl training me said they usually don’t even bother taking people’s temperatures the way they should. It’s really difficult for me to just brush it off. I am 20 years old and Im terrified to get it because I’m a bit overweight. Anyone else going through anything similar?

I can totally understand where you are coming from, especially since I live in one of the busiest cities in the world and a pandemic hotspot. It's horrifying and shocking seeing people being so wilfully ignorant of reality and others in a time where something as simple as a mask could save their and other's lives. Each time I go out there are maybe 3 out of 20 people that wear masks (that's being generous) and even family friends that are anti-maskers, who love to debase science, but reap its benefits. Of course masks work and every medical organisation world wide recognises how effective they are at restricting the spread of airborne diseases, heck there were people that were against seatbelts when they were mandated and look how they have saved lives. All you need to do is look at the top countries of lowest infection and death rates (e.g. New Zealand) etc. to back up that claim as they all have been promoting science based medical advice and some even going to extreme lengths to punish those that don't follow them. You deserve a round of applause for your restraint, as I would argue through hell and high-water with any anti-maskers, even though I should try to be tolerant even against people that are actively trying to promote disinformation and misinformation. Deepest apologies for the long rant and I hope everything works out for you as you sound like you've got a good head on your shoulders.

Thank you!! It is so hard.. people are coughing all day and clearly stuffed up and blowing their nose. And I know that allergies are still around as is the common cold, but the possibility of covid just scares me so bad. My house has my newborn niece there so we need to protect her as well. The entire time I am at work I just feel like I am panicking internally. I am trying so hard to calm myself down, but since I’m training right now I am right next to 10 + people without masks, many sound sick.

It's definitely a difficult time for a lot of people. Just keep your chin up and listen to medical experts rather when it comes to precautions that could help you out.

Unfortunately today was even worse at my work. The girl who is training me is on her computer all day and I am in a chair directly behind her in her small cubicle space. She was all stuffed up today and coughing and kept clearing her throat again. Someone came arojnd to take temps ( no mask on of course ) and when she had hers done she asked what hers was and when the guy told her 98 something she said “I’m usually 97.. I wonder if I really am getting sick.” That of course freaked me out. Then the other girl in the office came in and said she felt like she was dying, then all around me all day people were sneezing and hacking without masks, one guy was coughing so hard it sounded like he was puking.

I ended up going in my little office space in tears trying to calm myself down. One of the managers came up to me today (and yesteday) and coughed directly in my face. When I say directly I mean DIRECTLY. His hand stayed at his sides and he just coughed looking directly at me.

At the end of the day the girl training me cleared her throat again and said “ugh my throat is killing me.” At this point I was pissed and it took everything I had not to just leave. But at this point being arojnd her 8 hours a day and her not wearing a mask ( nor a single other coughing person ) If someone had covid I am clearly already exposed.

Yeah that really sucks that the company isn’t taking some initiative to send people home. I have a zero tolerance policy in my office. If someone comes to work and clearly isn’t feeling well, I send them home. It’s a small office and we’re all fairly spaced out, we don’t wear masks in our office unless we’re dealing with the public. But I’m not having coughing and snotting people all over the place. Go home with that nonsense. I’m sorry your employer isn’t showing any responsibility. That’s awful.

I'm genuinely shocked so many countries in the western industrialised world have such lax laws when it comes to people and companies that ignore or break pandemic guidelines/mandates. I was in a cue yesterday and the lady in front was just constantly talking bad about masks and social distancing by saying how she doesn't believe that masks work, as well as that it infringes with her human rights and that random internet searches means she knows better than professional lawyers and scientists. These people don't ever learn that google isn't an academy and youtube isn't a school, however they are happy to listen to scientists etc. only when it suits them. Sorry for harping on lol.

Yeah I don’t know how it is on your side of the pond, MrLondon - but here in the states masks and Covid in general are so insanely politicized that it’s just ridiculous. People feel their personal freedoms are being infringed upon, the level of hate spewed on social media is crazy, so many people just have zero respect for their fellow humans. I just don’t get it at all. And don’t even get me started on the conspiracy theories. Absolutely ridiculous. Just wear the damn mask. It’s not that difficult at all.

Well our Prime Minister is doing such a slow job at fighting the pandemic and avoids mimicking other countries that have contained it more successfully as if doing so would hurt that infamous British pride. Not sure if you heard what is happening in Indonesia, where anyone that doesn't follow the mask mandate has to dig graves for victims of the pandemic, which seems very harsh but also teaches a valuable lesson in humility and empathy. You are 1000% correct, these social media platforms should really crackdown a lot harder on all this disinformation and fear-mongering. I do miss the days where conspiracy theories were mostly UFO's and Big Foot, but now we have more dangerous ones such as Flat-Earthers (which seems the gateway Conspiracy Theory), anti-vaxxers and homeopathic medicine promoters, which have all cost too many human lives. If these people don't want to wear a mask, they should just stay at home and order shopping online... it's an easy choice. Sorry I feel very strongly about this subject.

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Originally Posted by MrLondon86

I'm genuinely shocked so many countries in the western industrialised world have such lax laws when it comes to people and companies that ignore or break pandemic guidelines/mandates. I was in a cue yesterday and the lady in front was just constantly talking bad about masks and social distancing by saying how she doesn't believe that masks work, as well as that it infringes with her human rights and that random internet searches means she knows better than professional lawyers and scientists. These people don't ever learn that google isn't an academy and youtube isn't a school, however they are happy to listen to scientists etc. only when it suits them. Sorry for harping on lol.

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Totally agreed MrLondon.

Some workplaces just aren't fit for purpose period, even in non-Covid times.

Some day care centres I have attended in the past (well before this pandemic) sported various physical H & S hazards, and when I informed the staff about them they got touchy with me and either denied there was anything wrong or said 'well we simply ain't got the staff nor the funds to deal with it'.

And this was even during the 'New Labour' era when there were supposedly more funds around!

But on the other hand they used to see H & S hazards in many other things whenever and wherever it suited them!

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Originally Posted by Lencoboy

Totally agreed MrLondon.

Some workplaces just aren't fit for purpose period, even in non-Covid times.

Some day care centres I have attended in the past (well before this pandemic) sported various physical H & S hazards, and when I informed the staff about them they got touchy with me and either denied there was anything wrong or said 'well we simply ain't got the staff nor the funds to deal with it'.

And this was even during the 'New Labour' era when there were supposedly more funds around!

But on the other hand they used to see H & S hazards in many other things whenever and wherever it suited them!

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That's completely insane, how could our government be so careless for so long? Yeah you are right they did at least did get some health & safety hazard protections in place, but could have included more restrictions/fines etc. for others such as in childcare centres etc. What's the most irritating is that the government is putting more attention on the anti-maskers and internet-wannabe-scientists than actual scientists, economists and doctors, rather than denouncing them and pushing for science based facts etc. But what do you expect from the government that has given us some of the weakest worker's rights in the western world, you'd think being one of the wealthiest countries in Europe we would have much higher standards in near enough everything.

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Originally Posted by MrLondon86

That's completely insane, how could our government be so careless for so long? Yeah you are right they did at least did get some health & safety hazard protections in place, but could have included more restrictions/fines etc. for others such as in childcare centres etc. What's the most irritating is that the government is putting more attention on the anti-maskers and internet-wannabe-scientists than actual scientists, economists and doctors, rather than denouncing them and pushing for science based facts etc. But what do you expect from the government that has given us some of the weakest worker's rights in the western world, you'd think being one of the wealthiest countries in Europe we would have much higher standards in near enough everything.

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Too right MrLondon.

As far as politics go, no matter who's in power, we will always get those with 'can't-be-bothered'-type attitudes who will always revel in blame games and blatant denial, in spite of them often being the ones at fault themselves.

And I'm referring to people in workplaces (both workers and bosses) rather than politicians per se.

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Originally Posted by Lencoboy

Too right MrLondon.

As far as politics go, no matter who's in power, we will always get those with 'can't-be-bothered'-type attitudes who will always revel in blame games and blatant denial, in spite of them often being the ones at fault themselves.

And I'm referring to people in workplaces (both workers and bosses) rather than politicians per se.

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Couldn't have worded it better myself, but it does show no one is immune to ignorance and the only cure is trusting in real education.

Yesterday a guy came around to take temps, he didn’t wear a mask but I guess he sounded better thanks coughjng guy. He took the girls behind me first and I heard them laughing and saying “no way man.” Hers was 100. He shrugged and said you’re fine and came over to me and took mine and mine said 100.4. He again just started laughing like it was hilarious and told us to have a good day and left. Now i am assuming it was not correct, I went home and took mine and I have been absolutely fine, but the fact that he didn’t even care that ours read high bothered me. Why bother taking them if it doesn’t matter anyways? And with my anxiety I sat there all day TERRIFIED that I really had a fever.

My brother worked at B&M and they opened up a COVID test center next door. He quit because a lot of customers wasn't wearing masks nor some workers and they didn't seem to have strict guidelines at his store. He said "What if people come in here before, or after, their test and their positive? The chances of them popping in for some shopping is highly probable".

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Originally Posted by UserName20

And with my anxiety I sat there all day TERRIFIED

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You live in the US, we are to report to the local health department if we feel unsafe in any establishment.

I'm sure you know that, why haven't you called? I highly doubt you'd have to tell them your name.