Opening stores as call centes

[Paulc195]

Just found out that EE are making store staff go into work to use closed stores as call centres.

Thought we were all meant to be on lockdown

[BrendonH]

How did you find out?

Who mentioned this?

Why is it a bad idea?

I'm still going to work.

We are not actually in a lockdown we are being asked to stay at home unless its essential.

EE need to support their customers and this way those staff will get full pay. I dunno EE's stance on paying the staff who have been made jobless temporarily s in if they get full pay or the governments 80%

But I wouldn't believe everything you hear unless you have 100% proof this is the case and to be honest it's not really a problem anyway.

[Paulc195]

Just found out that EE will be making store staff go into work even though government guidelines state stay at home unless completely necessary.

Apparently they are  going to be using stores as call centres.

[Paulc195]

Just found out EE are forcing staff to go into stores.

Turning them into call centres. 

Why would they put workers and their families lives at risk and ignore government guidelines 

[Paulc195]

My son just called me. He workeds for EE in store. 

He now has to face public transport to get there and then the risk of working along side other staff.

Surely the biggest communications company in the uk would be able to provide him a way to do this from home

[Paulc195]

I'm self employed and I'm still working. 

But I can do this safely. It just seems stupid to me that  he cant be provided with equipment he can use from home. 

Obviously I'm concerned as a parent 

I appreciate that key workers dont have the choice but surely there could be a safer way to do this

[BrendonH]

This is something he'll need to take up with his line manager (who then should go to their line manager) Nothing can be done about that on here.

If he feels unsafe to go into work because of this virus then he couls self isolate but then this could mean he doesn't get full/80% pay.

[BrendonH]

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@Paulc195 wrote:

I'm self employed and I'm still working. 

But I can do this safely. It just seems stupid to me that  he cant be provided with equipment he can use from home. 

Obviously I'm concerned as a parent 

I appreciate that key workers dont have the choice but surely there could be a safer way to do this

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I'm also still working, being retail staff myself. I'm in a petrol station (I normally work in a Greggs unit for my company as the Greggs Manager but that has been closed as we still have to follow all Greggs policies etc) So I am now working on the petrol station side so I keep my full pay. I had someone cough (not deliberately) in front of me yesterday didn't even cover his mouth.

I'm sure EE could give your son a phone he could then use at home but then if he needs to access peoples accounts there may be a GDPR issue as they wouldn't be able to control who sees it from his own home where as they know it'll only be in store that the accounts get brought up.

[Leanne_T]

Hi there @Paulc195 

We are looking at ways to allow the store teams to add their support to helping our customers in their local communities, including supporting the local contact centres and social media service teams with the increased enquiries.

Our colleagues have key worker status because they are, as outlined by the Government, necessary for the essential service we provide. They help keep the nation connected, every day.

You can read more about this here: Playing a vital role in keeping the UK connected page.

Leanne.

[Paulc195]

Surely the biggest communications company in the UK could come up with a way that they could do this from the safety of their own homes.