The Bible states that we should do unto others as we would have done unto us, in other words to treat others in the way that we ourselves would like to be treated. Most people I think would adhere to this. However, during the 15 years or so that I have spent working in the retail industry, I have noticed an anomaly. Customers and employers alike do not seem to treat those who serve, with the respect that they themselves demand. To an extent this has always been the case, but seems to have steadily got worse with the advent of the so called 24 hour society, and the gradual extension of opening hours.
When I first joined the industry, back in 1990, the rules were fairly well defined, with shops, generally speaking, opening Monday to Saturday 9 am to 5.30 pm, with one late night a week until 8 pm, usually a Thursday or Friday. That though is no longer the case. Things started to change when the revised Sunday Trading laws came into force, on 27 February 1994. These state that large shops, with an area of more than 3000 square feet can open for up to 6 hours on Sundays between 10 am and 6 pm. There are only 2 days per year when shops have to remain closed, namely Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day. The latter, I was shocked to discover, only applies when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. Smaller shops can open any time they like with no restrictions at all.
In theory workers do have the right to opt out of Sunday working, but in practise, due to the notoriously low wages paid to those who work in this sector, many of them cannot afford to do so, as they rely on the extra money they receive for working these shifts. As far as the law is concerned, workers have to give their employers 3 months notice of their intent to opt out of Sunday working, during which time they can be subject to disciplinary action for refusing to do these hours.
The effect that working these hours has on family life, can in some cases be catastrophic, as I know to my cost. In 1998 I started a job selling kitchens for a major DIY chain. It was a small department, with 4 members of staff - the Manager, the Kitchen Designer and 2 lead takers (one of which was myself). The department had to be manned at all times that the store itself was open - namely Monday to Saturday 8am - 8 pm, and Sundays 10 am - 4 pm.
What they failed to tell me at the interview though, was that the Kitchen Manager had opted to work Monday to Friday 8 am - 5 pm, whilst the second lead taker did not work weekends, or more than one late night a week. The Designer of course could not be expected to man the department on his own, as he was out most of the time, visiting clients. What this meant then, was that I was lumbered with these hours, being forced to work up to 4 nights a week until 8 pm, plus every Saturday and Sunday. All this just 4 months after I had left home to live with my partner. We should have been settling into our new life together, and building our home, but instead I was busy working, and serving others. It seemed though that no one was willing to serve me.
Eventually a compromise was reached, whereby the department closed at 7 pm instead of 8. I was still however having to do this 4 nights a week. The only day I finished earlier than this was a Sunday. The weekend situation, in the meantime dragged on for 6 whole months, my relationship with Coran becoming more and more strained, due to lack of time together. Eventually I was forced to take matters into my own hands, and gave them 3 months notice of my intent to opt out of Sunday working, if they did not get me the help I needed. It was only then that something was done, as they realised what they were about to lose.
At the time I remember feeling intensely frustrated at the fact that most people who came into the department, certainly on Sundays, were not in fact looking to buy a kitchen at all, but simply happened to be visiting the store. It is a sad indictment of our modern society that many people would still rather go shopping, than spend quality time with their own families, doing things such as going for walks, and actually talking to each other. By doing this, they effectively prevent the staff from doing the same.
In the end though, shopping is like most of the trappings of modern society, merely a distraction that people use to stop them looking at the really important issues in their lives. Since the expansion of opening hours, there has been an explosion of consumer debt, as people use their credit cards to dull the pain of their own miserable lives. They then go out and spend even more money to try and anaesthetise the fact that they are in this situation in the first place.
These feelings ultimately stem from the illusion that we are separate from the rest of humanity, and that nobody understands our pain. Shopping is just one of the things we use to fill this void. Others seek to fill it through other addictions, such as tobacco, alcohol, or their work. These are but temporary solutions, designed to mask the pain that we feel. All their really do though is deepen the void further still. If we could but see through the illusion, and understand that we are not alone, and all one, we would understand that what happens to us, is also happening to others. This gives a whole new slant to the term, do unto others as you would have done to yourself, for when we hurt another, we are also hurting ourselves.
Because the law places no restrictions on trading hours from Monday to Saturday, this means that as far as these days are concerned, anything goes. Shops can, if they like (and many now do) open for 24 hours a day, even on Bank Holidays. The store that I currently work in (a major supermarket) normally closes at midnight, (7 pm on Bank Holidays.) I naturally assumed then, that this would apply on Good Friday.
As I normally work from 3.30 to 10.30 pm on a Friday, I believed that my hours would be adjusted to start and finish earlier, fitting in with the revised trading hours. How wrong I was! I was told that as Friday is the busiest day of the week, we would be staying open until 10 pm, and I would therefore have to work as normal.
When I told my Managers how stupid I thought this was, they said that although they agreed, they learnt long ago not to question decisions such as these, as it never got them anywhere. What hope is there for any change at all, when the Managers, who above all else, ought to know how the business should be run, are unable to affect change, and feel so powerless? No wonder morale is so low. The majority of customers who were in at that time, freely admitted that they were only there because we were open, and it meant there was somewhere to go. I don't know who was sadder, them or me. What really upset me though, was the small minority of customers stating that they felt it was disgusting that we were open at this time, but who nevertheless still came in. When I stated that they obviously did not really believe this, or they would not have been there, most of them looked very sheepish, and were unable to answer.
It is a common myth amongst the general public, that staff get extra monetary compensation for working these unsocial hours. Sadly though, in many cases, this is just not true. It used to be, but as opening hours have gradually been extended, working unsocial hours has now become the accepted norm, removing the need for compensation of any sort. Employers realise that there is no compensation for missing out on family life. Whilst it is true that my employer does pay time and half for Sunday working, no extra money is given for working evenings. Bank Holidays attract a premium of approximately 30 percent of base salary, whilst night workers receive an extra £1.50 an hour. This is by no means adequate.
We might think that the 24 hour society has given us more freedom, to do things as and when we choose, but in reality the opposite is true. The more the boundaries are expanded, the less we have to plan our lives. Making decisions can always be put off for another time, as we know that there will always be someone there to serve our needs, whatever the time or day. What most people don't realise, is that in order for them to have this so called freedom, they effectively imprison another tier of society (i.e. the workers), and take away their freedom. This creates a slave race of mindless automatons, where society is divided into those who have and those who have not, or to quote President Bush, "the haves and have mores".
Those who have more, are choosing by their actions to deliberately keep the others down. This may sound extreme, but consider for a moment whether you would be willing to work in this way, for less than half the national average wage. Those in the top echelons of society realise that in order to maintain their own position, and their vast fortunes, they need an underclass of low paid workers, whose role is to keep the cogs in motion, and the tills ringing, so that they can maintain their own extravagant lifestyles.
Most ordinary working people are so stressed out by their own lives, that they have very little time or energy left to be nice to those around them. Instead they come into the shop, get all upset and angry when they cannot find the things they want, and take their frustrations out on the staff. In this way, shop workers become a scapegoat for everyone else's problems.
This is undoubtedly a very toxic environment, a swirling soup of anger and festering emotions, left hanging uncleared in the ethers. Above all else, it is the shop workers who are at the front line of this, having to deal with it day in, day out. When customers have finished their shopping, they are free to go, having dumped all their frustrations on us. No wonder so many of us feel tired, run down, and fed up, as most have no means of dealing with this.
As someone who is more spiritually aware, I have developed some techniques to help with this, but they are by no means adequate. The huge walls of psychic protection that I am forced to put up, prevent not just the negative stuff from getting through, but also the positive. I do not like having to do this, but it is the only way I can survive, and do my job.
Most customers it has to be said are fine, and do not cause problems for the staff. There are however a small, but growing minority who seem to think that they can do and say whatever they like, and get away with it. This is due to the common, but misguided belief that people who choose to do this type of job only do so because they are poorly educated, and cannot think for themselves, or answer back. Unfortunately the latter point is largely true. As for the lack of education, even if this were the case, it is not an excuse to treat people badly, as everyone is entitled to be shown respect.
In reality, there are many different reasons why people work in retail. They may be working parents, or students, looking for a job that fits in around their other commitments. They may even run their own business, and be choosing to keep a foot in both camps, while they get their business off the ground. Retail is the logical choice for anyone seeking flexible hours. That is why there is such a high level of part time, female employees. They are not restricted by intelligence, or education, but rather by the hours that they can work. Also, most men would not put up with the wages we get, and in general, are unable to multi task.
When I first started my current job, in July 2003, I was looking for a part time position that would fit in around my writing. The job appealed to me primarily because the work was sufficiently unchallenging to enable me to still go home and write, without sapping my own energy. I also saw it as a wonderful opportunity to meet and interact with large amounts of people from different walks of life, sharing views and experiences. It also presented me with a huge challenge, to see the Divine in everyone I came into contact with, regardless of how they treated me. This has proven to be the biggest challenge of all, and something I struggle with on a daily basis.
All was fine until August 2004, when due to Coran's own health problems, I increased my hours to full time. Since then, it has become more and more difficult to see the job in this positive light. It's repetitive nature has sapped my strength to the extent that I no longer have the energy to do anything at all, much less write. Life has become an endless round of getting up, going to work, cooking dinner, watching television and going to bed. Sometimes it feels as if I am on the conveyer belt, rather than the food.
I do not of course lay the blame for this entirely at the feet of my employers, and their customers. It was after all my choice, so I have to share responsibility for this. I have allowed myself to become complacent, a mindless automaton, whose role is not to ask questions, but rather just do her job.
It is however the customers that ultimately set the rules, so in a way they are to blame. We therefore have to share responsibility for a situation that we have both created, through our insistence on longer opening hours, and the gradual encroachment of personal boundaries. I first noticed this happening, when people came off the train from their work, at 6.30 or 7 pm, and went straight to the shops for a TV dinner, rather than planning in advance and shopping at the weekends. The more this happened, the more it fuelled the demand for longer and longer opening hours, until eventually it became 24 hour trading. Whilst people refuse to plan their lives, the later they finish work, the later shops have to remain open, in order to cater for their needs. Perhaps the word need, should be replaced by whim.
Call me old fashioned, but I personally do not believe that you should expect others do anything that you would not. If you then, would not work on a Sunday, or Bank Holiday, or even after 6 pm, but expect to go shopping at these times, then I am sorry to say that you are a hypocrite. There should be no need for shops to remain open all the time. After all, everyone gets days off. No one is forced to work 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (unless of course you are in Retail Management!!)
By allowing customers to set the rules, without limitation, and fostering the belief that they are always right, we are effectively telling the staff that they have no rights. The customer may be right, but this does not mean that they have the right.
The majority of staff are too frightened to say, in front of customers at least, what they really think, for fear of complaints being made against them. This forces them to put on a mask, and prevents them from being themselves, leading to a huge drain in energy, and ultimately making them less effective at their job. The mental and emotional strain of having to do this continually drags them down (and I speak from experience here). The sheer effort it takes to put on this mask, and chatter away to the customers is very hard to keep up, when you are in turmoil inside, and cannot express this.
Sadly, it seems that left to their own devices, customers will not do the right thing, and show the staff the respect that they deserve. Maybe this is a reflection of what they think of themselves. They have got so used to being treated this way by their own employers, that they do not realise there is another way. We therefore need to teach, through our actions, the way in which we would like to be treated.
If the staff were to assert their right for fair treatment, then this would show the customers that they can do the same in their own lives. Most people it seems, do not want to be reminded of this fact, as they then have to change, and expand their comfort zone. This is why, when staff dare to assert their rights to fair treatment, and make it clear that they will not allow customers to treat them with disdain and lack of respect, they are labelled as trouble makers. They are seen as having ideas above their station.
If there are enough complaints from customers, then staff run the risk of being accused of gross insubordination, which is a sackable offence. They will then find it very difficult, if not impossible to get another job. This leads to not just resentment, but also apathy. Apathy is a very dangerous thing, as it means that they have given up. This though is what people want, and I include the working classes in this. They do not want to be challenged by anything that is different, or outside their own zone of experience, as it shows them that they too can break free.
In this way, staff become institutionalised, too frightened to step out, or say what they feel, and all the time believing that they are incapable of doing any other work. Even if they should want to, the hours that they do, prevent them from undertaking any form of training in order to escape from the routine. They have become anaesthetised to the pain that they feel, running on adrenaline due to the constant hustle and bustle of their working environment. When they finally do get time off, they are then unable to enjoy it, like a caffeine addict experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
If the staff though are unhappy, then this is bound to have a detrimental effect upon the service they give, meaning that the customers too will be unhappy. Remember that we are all reflections of one another.
It is high time then that these companies started to listen. When I raised this point during a recent meeting with my own Store Manager, I was told that although the staff may feel un-listened to, in actual fact we do have the opportunity to express our views through a scheme which encourages us to submit ideas to the Chief Executive on a postcard. This is really just paying lip service though, as 2 lines on a postcard does not provide adequate space for us to write what we really think in sufficient detail.
Whenever the Directors or staff from Head Office visit my store, everyone pulls out all the stops to ensure that a glowing image of perfection is presented, rather than the reality of how things really are. Staff rush around, cleaning and making sure the shelves are filled up, while cashiers are told to be on their best behaviour, smiling in a way that makes them look like extras from a tooth paste commercial. This presents a false image, which far from helping the store, effectively stops us from getting the help and support that we so patently need. The parable of the Emperor's new clothes springs to mind.
It seems to me that we are living in a society where entertainment and instant gratification have become more important than service. We pay our entertainers obscene amounts of money, for singing, dancing and kicking balls around a football pitch, but are not prepared to pay for the one thing that we all rely on - good service.
You might think that lower prices are a good thing, but for every £3 pair of jeans that are sold, the supplier is being screwed into the ground, and denied the right to earn a decent living themselves. Many say that they are against the idea of Third World sweat shops, and companies moving their operations abroad in a bid to save money, but it is the buying public, through their actions, and unceasing demand for cheap goods, that allow this to happen. How many people actually read the labels of their cheap jeans to see where they were produced? They are not putting our money where their mouths are. This needs to change so that everyone can have a decent life and standard of living.
The newspapers in Britain are full of stories of how our Farmers are going out of business, due to selling their products to the large supermarkets at low, or sometimes non existent profit margins. It is though, once again, the public's demand for cheap food that fuels this in the first place. This of course also means that the stores have less money to pay their staff (although the same does not seem to be true of the Directors), with Managers being forced to do unpaid overtime and work through their holidays (at my company it is actually written into their contracts that this is expected of them). At least the ordinary workers have a choice, in theory at least, of whether to do overtime or not, but the Managers have no choice at all, if they want to keep their jobs, that is.
This creates a never ending circle. Whilst those who have continue to want more, and hold on to what they already have through fear that someone will take it from them, and that they might have to change, the masses continue to live in constant fear that things will never change. It is our complacency that allows this situation to continue.
The reason the public demands low prices, is because they themselves do not earn enough, or prefer to spend their money on luxuries, such as alcohol, tobacco, and expensive cars, rather than essentials. Most of these things though are simply designed to deaden the pain, and keep up appearances.
Much has been said in the National Press about valuing our so called Key workers, such as Nurses, Teachers and the like. Whilst I do not wish to diminish the role that these people play, I believe that the term Key worker should be expanded to those outside the public sector, such as cleaners, caterers, and retailers. After all, where would society be without these people? These are the unsung heroes of the modern age, the cogs that keep everything ticking over, upon whom we all depend. Most of us just take it for granted that they will be there. Think for a moment though, what your life would be like if one day they were not there, and you were unable to buy the things you needed. What would you do, and how would you feel, if your rubbish went uncollected, your milk undelivered, and the factories all ground to a halt?
Workers such as this are tired of being taken for granted, and wish to take back their power and redress the imbalance that has occurred. Customers can be instrumental in allowing this shift to occur. Everyone it seems is willing to complain when things go wrong, and poor service is received, but no one offers praise. Let the staff, and the bosses know when you have received good service. Show genuine thanks and appreciation for the things we do, without taking advantage of our good nature. Just because the cashier asks if you would like them to pack for you, you do not have to take them up on the offer. It is a question, not an invitation. Respond to questions such as this, with a straight yes or no answer. We may be a lot of things, but we are not mind readers.
Similarly, if help is needed, then help us to do our job by clearly requesting this. Give thanks where thanks are due, for all those little things, that are taken for granted, like being helped to the car park, or fetching a wine box. Take the time to talk to the staff, and ask them how they are feeling. In short, treat them as you yourselves would like to be treated. It is not difficult, and goes a long way!
Remember, we may be serving, but we are not servants.
