Supermarkets in Italy

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

My cousin has just been hired as a temp at a supermarket in Italy for 3 months (part of a maternity cover).
He forwarded to me the "code of conduct" he was asked to accept and undersign. I am posting it, if anybody wants to compare with what are the (written and unwritten) rules in other countries. Thought it might be interesting for somebody.

- The supermarket's uniform consists of a red shirt with the supermarket logo on the right and a white visor; you will be provided with two shirts and one visor, and it will be your responsibility to keep them clean and wear them to work daily. You are requested not to wear the red shirt outside the workplace, not even while traveling to and from it. You are allowed to wear any kind of trousers provided that they are ankle-length and any kind of closed shoes (no sandals).

- You will be provided with a name-tag to pin on your shirt pocket. You are asked to remove it while you are on a break or off the clock.

- You will be assigned your shifts for the following week on Thursdays. If you have any specific requirement please let the personnel administrator know about them by mid-day on Wednesday. Your shifts might start up to one hour before the opening of the shop to the customers, or finish up to one hour after it. The opening hours for the customers are 8.30am to 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday. You will be assigned 10 4-hour shifts in those days, with no less than 45 minutes between the end of a shift and the start of the following. You have the right to a 15-minutes break after 2 hours in each shift. If you wish to smoke during your breaks please do so only in the designed area behind the store and remove your uniform to avoid it to smell of smoke. Remember to wash your hands carefully after having smoked.

- You are not allowed to start getting ready to leave before the end of your shift.

- If you desire to shop in the store, do not do so during your shift - wait until it is over or come earlier. You will obtain your employee's discount only on presentation of the personal employee card that will be provided to you on your first day.

- Random drug and alcohol tests will be performed. Refusing to undergo one will be considered a failed test and will result in immediate dismissal. Failing a test will also result in immediate dismissal.

- You are free to use the fridge, water fountain, water boiler, microwave oven and coffee machine in the break room. Remember that any food or drink you may want to consume from the store will need to be paid for.

- At 7.30pm an announcement will communicate that the supermarket is closed. The entrance doors will be locked. All the customers still inside the store will be politely asked to make their way to the counters immediately.

FOR CASHIERS

- You are not allowed to have any personal food or drink visible at your counter.

- If you need a "comfort break", please ask the manager in charge to relieve you for that time.

- Discounts are not to be given to anybody for any reason. Only employees with a valid employee card receive a discount.

- Always offer any customer the "fidelity points" stickers (one every full Euro spent). If they ask what they are for, offer them the leaflet.

- If an item doesn't scan, type its barcode; you will be shown exactly how.

- If a customer requires assistance in bagging, please signal it to the manager in attendance. Do not assist him/her personally, unless there is no other customer waiting.

- Politely insist to receive payment immediately after you have completed scanning a customer's items. They will have time to bag while you scan the next customer's items.

- If you are working at the "7 items or less" counter, refuse politely but firmly to assist any customer with more than 7 items.

- If you are not working at the "Credit card accepted" counter, don't accept credit card payments - not even as an exception. If a customer insists to pay by credit card at a counter that does not specifically indicate that credit cards are accepted, call the manager on duty.

- If the customers in your queue are abusive or quarrel (with you or with each other) contact the manager on duty. Avoid to talk back to them.

- If you are told to close your counter switch your light off and politely tell any customer approaching that you are closing your counter also pointing them to an open one.

- Scan all banknotes with a face value of 50 Euro or more and all those that seem suspicious to you with the scanner provided. If a customer complains about this mention store policy.

- You are not allowed to refuse payment with high-value banknotes (provided that they are confirmed valid through your scanner). If you do not have enough change, apologise to the customer and contact the manager on duty.

- Checks are not to be accepted as a form of payment.

- When you close your counter or are relieved by a colleague count the contents of the till and note it on the slips provided. Do the same when you open a counter or relieve a colleague.

(some more bits and pieces about security that are so obvious that I don't think they need to be translated)

[Teskeria]

I like those rules. simple and if they are consistent with enforcement, may have a smidgen few sc's with full carts in express or wanting ' just a gallon of milk' and buying 50 other things

[AtDIelement]

Agreed. I think they get straight to the point.

The uniform policies seem a little wacky though.

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

Yep, I also (as a customer) find them clear and straightforward - and the fact that there are several "no credit card" lanes makes shopping faster. That and the fact that each till actually has TWO separate bagging areas, so while a customer bags the cashier can start checking out the next.
The only thing that left me a bit surprised about the uniforms is the fact that it is not allowed to wear them before getting to work - or was it anything else that you found wacky?

[Magpie]

What I found wacky was that, if these are actually enforced as written, they're pretty good. Personal food/drink are allowed if you keep them out of sight. Don't argue, call the manager to take abuse instead. It's store policy that you scan notes, instead of just "don't take any counterfeits or offend customers". Managers help if a customer is unable to bag (instead of slowing down the cashier, I like that). (I also like that they don't have the new "one customer at a time" checkouts, I hate those.)

The uniform thing does make sense - it reduces the number of times that they'll have to provide new shirts, because it'll drastically cut down on the dirt and wear in some cases. It also prevents problems with "you can do this, you cannot do that, while wearing your uniform". No one wears the uniform out of work, they never have to worry about representing the company unless they're at work.

[wolfie]

Your shifts might start up to one hour before the opening of the shop to the customers, or finish up to one hour after it. The opening hours for the customers are 8.30am to 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday. You will be assigned 10 4-hour shifts in those days, with no less than 45 minutes between the end of a shift and the start of the following.

Looks like opening shifts start no earlier than 07:30 and closing shifts end no later than 20:30, meaning the store is staffed for 13 hours per day. With a minimum 45 minute break between shifts, that means nobody works 3 shifts per day (since 3 shifts + 2 breaks = 13 1/2 hours). Would suck to have both an opening and closing shift, since you'd have a 5 hour gap pinned down at both ends.

[Rapscallion]

Looks like opening shifts start no earlier than 07:30 and closing shifts end no later than 20:30, meaning the store is staffed for 13 hours per day. With a minimum 45 minute break between shifts, that means nobody works 3 shifts per day (since 3 shifts + 2 breaks = 13 1/2 hours). Would suck to have both an opening and closing shift, since you'd have a 5 hour gap pinned down at both ends.

UK laws and EU laws are pretty intertwined. I know in the UK that an employer cannot force you to work with less than eleven hours between shifts without your permission. Very likely to be the same in Italy.

Rapscallion

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

What I found wacky was that, if these are actually enforced as written, they're pretty good.

Oh, now I understand. I had misinterpreted your use of the adjective "wacky". Sorry.

Looks like opening shifts start no earlier than 07:30 and closing shifts end no later than 20:30, meaning the store is staffed for 13 hours per day.

I agree with the maths.

With a minimum 45 minute break between shifts, that means nobody works 3 shifts per day (since 3 shifts + 2 breaks = 13 1/2 hours).

I suppose not. Good point.

Would suck to have both an opening and closing shift, since you'd have a 5 hour gap pinned down at both ends.

That's true. Will ask what happens there.

UK laws and EU laws are pretty intertwined. I know in the UK that an employer cannot force you to work with less than eleven hours between shifts without your permission. Very likely to be the same in Italy.

Agreed - then again, they are 4-hour shifts, so I assume (which I am aware might make an ass etc etc) that the law you mention is somehow dodged... probably they call an 8-hour day "shift" before the law but mention two 4-hour shifts to the employees... don't know, really. Will ask as soon as he starts working there, which is... next Monday I think.

[Magpie]

Agreed - then again, they are 4-hour shifts, so I assume (which I am aware might make an ass etc etc) that the law you mention is somehow dodged... probably they call an 8-hour day "shift" before the law but mention two 4-hour shifts to the employees... don't know, really. Will ask as soon as he starts working there, which is... next Monday I think.

Here also there's a minimum length between shifts, but they can give you split shifts (which I agree are the devil).

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

...yes, I asked. You have two "half-shifts" a day, of 4 hours each, and unless necessary they will give you a 45- or 60-minute break between the two (time of a regular lunch break, really).
Quite fair I guess.

[mattm04]

I like the no checks. Die checks, die.

[Chromatix]

Cheques are only used at retail in Britain and America, AFAIK. In pretty much all other countries, they're firmly out of favour.

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

Cheques are only used at retail in Britain and America, AFAIK. In pretty much all other countries, they're firmly out of favour.

...and even here in Britain I saw many "no cheques please" signs.

[Bardmaiden]

I know that most major supermarkets in the UK haven't taken cheques for sometime and that they are being phased out of use by the banks, not sure by what date though.

[anyanka2]

If they're enforced, they're not bad. I especially like the no checks accepted, no smoking in the work shirt, express lane limit enforced, and customer bags their own order.

Checks are still widely used in the US, especially by older people and people with less tech savvy/technophobia. Where I live now, many people live paycheck to paycheck and as a result, use credit card and write a lot of checks. Some people just don't get the simple concept that debit cards and checks take money from the same source - your checking account. That's just too complex for very simple people.