Tips for working?

[power205]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum, but I'm so glad I found it. I recently got hired at a retail store and the hiring manager was telling me and the other woman at orientation today that a bunch of people have been calling out due to a stomach virus. I nearly broke down when she told us. I don't want to be scared every time I work, but my first shift is tomorrow and I am so scared I might catch this bug. I was wondering if any members have any tips to avoid getting this bug from work. I know hand washing is the best way, but I'm just afraid if I touch the register and the pens and other commonly touched things and touch my phone or personal items that I'll catch it from being careless. I may be looking too much into it, but I would feel a lot better if there are any tips any of you have.
Thank you so much

[thecheesecake17]

Just go to work with the mindset of -don't touch your mouth! Or even better - maybe go to a bathroom close by I.e.- is there any cafes around? Or secret bathrooms? I'd go to another store personally.

Honestly though the likelihood is that the people who do have it won't be up and about, they'll be in bed shaking it off. Also I doubt theyd leave their hands to infect everyone, I think people are more diligent than that.

[crd08]

I have worked with the public for years and have avoided it. Just keep up with the hand washing and don't touch your face. Working will be good for your phobia, its testing at times, but overall good.

[Shubertgoddess]

I work in an office for a retail store these days and my phobia was SEVERELY tested over the holidays. We were super short staffed and I wound up having to do a lot of work on the selling floor. I was working with customers constantly (and even though we are more boutique than big box, we were still PLENTY crazy busy for the holidays!) - working sales, ringing customers up, shaking hands, answering common phones, using pens that customers and every employee in the store had touched, handling money and credit cards.... using the same restroom etc.

But let me tell you, while I was definitely tested, it also has helped tremendously. I mean, Im totally anal about cleaning down my workspace and the phones and the registers. And I still clean down every phone, register, countertop, door handle, drawer handle on the selling floor twice a week. But I wash my hands often, I most definitely wash them before I eat, I dont touch my face and I dont put gum or mints into my mouth without clean hands (or, because the box of altoids is just mine, I stick my tongue in it lol).... common sense (and a little above and beyond because, again, Im anal lol). I mean, we had a girl working there who had something new wrong with her every week. I swear, she's less healthy than my 92 year old grandfather in law and she's only 28. Several weeks in a row she had different stomach issues. Each time, I came in and bleached everything down, even if she only worked half a shift and went home. She was also smart enough (most of the time) not to come into work if she was sick (which was awesome the time she had pink eye. thank GOD. gtfoh haha)

Its GOING to freak you out the first few weeks. You WILL be tested. But you'll be smart. And you'll be FINE. really. I dont know what kind of retail you're doing. I mean, I could NOT work in like, a walmart or somewhere like that. I know myself. Thats too much for me even if I WASNT emet. Where I am now, because it's such a specialty store, on a regular day we MIGHT see 25 customers the entire day. so it's not like we constantly have people rolling through the store and filling it, shopping. It will be hard, I wont like and say it will be easy.... at first. But it will GET easy. There will be some days you will just be doing everything as if you have always done it and no sweat off your back. But then there might be a day or two where you're bugging out. (happens to me sometimes but I have general anxiety anyway). But you can do this! Really!