My Mother works in a shop, somedays all day on her own is this legal as she has been advised that she can't shut the shop even for a call of nature.

Where's the shop and is yer mum fit?

Plenty of people work on their own – taxi drivers, truck drivers, snipers, paper boys. So being alone isn't an issue, but breaks are, and in some lines of work, like truck driving, they are not just on offer they are enforced

When I worked for a local authority we had a public venue (gallery) which was open of a saturday. It took one person to run if for the day, but I also had to work the saturday too simply so that they had some one to cover their lunch and two 15 minute breaks.

If its only part days being worked, or part of the day she's alone then that might be different.

regardless of legality it is a pretty stupid position for an employer to put someone in

Yes it's legal, but who advised her?
Was it her boss who's more worried about profits than staff?

Depending on hours she should probably have at least 15 mins break in the morn, 30 mins for lunch and 15 mins in the afternoon…. If memory serves that is statuatory for an 8 hr stint… or summink.

If the boss says she cant leave the shop to go to the loo then you should make him/her stay in the store all day without leaving.

Gary_M – Member

Where's the shop and is yer mum fit?

fit for a 70 year old. 😆

skidartist – Member

Plenty of people work on their own – taxi drivers, truck drivers, snipers, paper boys. So being alone isn't an issue, but breaks are, and in some lines of work, like truck driving, they are not just on offer they are enforced

Cheers for that thought there must be something about statutory breaks but obviously not i'll just tell me Mum to MmTFU

😕

She has a legal entitlement to breaks – not as generous as bereavementmonkey states IIRC but some breaks plus the right to go to the loo when needed

Real advice needed

I went to Boots in the middle of Stafford last Saturday lunchtime. Couldn't buy over the counter medicines because "the pharmacist is on his lunch hour".

fit for a 70 year old.

Surely she doesn't have to worry too much about loo breaks then, the pads will catch most of it.

Surely the practical answer is to lock the door, with a note showing to say "10.30 – back in 5 mins", so customers can just wait or return another time.

Gary_M – Member

fit for a 70 year old.

Surely she doesn't have to worry too much about loo breaks then, the pads will catch most of it.

Too proud to wear those, her orignal idea was to wee in the potted plants but was worried they'd whither. 😛

her orignal idea was to wee in the potted plants but was worried they'd whither.

the potted plants are innocent in all this – the place to wee is in the boss's shoes / tea / pocket / eyedrops

For some reason if I go into the office alone out of hours I'm supposed to wear a personal alarm thing they have hanging up, never bother though and can't see why it's needed in an office environment.

How many hours does your Mum work during the day? If its more than 6 hours she is entitled to a break: http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/workingtime.htm