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being forced to do heavy lifting at work

ok so i work in retail in a toy shop and when i applied for the job the description was mostly customer service based which is what i am good at. I love everyone at my work so much but the only problem with my job is that they make me do a lot of heavy lifting. I am a 5ft2 female and very skinny and definitely not strong at all. I am probably the tiniest at work and there are over 30 of us.

However I am always being made to carry huge boxes around that are probably bigger than me and today I was given a list of jobs, all of which included lifting extremely heavy shelves from the warehouse, carrying them down the stairs because the lift is broken and fixing them onto the backing boards. Now I can fit shelves but the ones I was meant to do today involved climbing a really tall ladder whilst holding the heavy shelving and then balancing that shelving on one hand to slot it in. I was almost in tears at the amount of times i hurt myself and nearly dropped it on myself because it was too heavy.

My manager couldn't care less, when I asked him for help he just told me I was weak. There's so many other workers who could lift these shelves I just think it was unfair that all my jobs included putting up heavy shelving which I clearly struggle with. Is it wrong that i feel like this? should i have expected to get these kinds of jobs and is it the same in other areas of retail?

Reply 1

Dez

Original post by Anonymous

However I am always being made to carry huge boxes around that are probably bigger than me and today I was given a list of jobs, all of which included lifting extremely heavy shelves from the warehouse, carrying them down the stairs because the lift is broken and fixing them onto the backing boards. Now I can fit shelves but the ones I was meant to do today involved climbing a really tall ladder whilst holding the heavy shelving and then balancing that shelving on one hand to slot it in. I was almost in tears at the amount of times i hurt myself and nearly dropped it on myself because it was too heavy.

This is pretty much illegal, you shouldn't be doing stuff like that at work without certified training, you could easily be injured. Of course being a retail job, if you press your case chances are you'll be looking for a new job before the day is out. Not an easy situation by any means, but you ought to try and stand up for yourself. Do your coworkers get given these jobs too, or are you being singled out? Maybe try and find someone who's willing to help you out, for your own safety as much as anything else.

Reply 2

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by Anonymous

Is it wrong that i feel like this? should i have expected to get these kinds of jobs and is it the same in other areas of retail?

In many ways it is wrong to feel that adaptations to the role should be made for you just because you are 5'2" and female. Either the work is unreasonable for anyone to do, or it is not unreasonable. Unless you have a specific disability then what you are being asked to do sounds like a reasonable part of the job - you certainly can't expect colleagues to pick up the heavy lifting work, because you can't do that lifting - unless you want to end up on two different pay scales, because they are more flexible, able workers that you are.

However, the employer can't ask you to do work that is dangerous to you, and if you are lifting then there should be training on how to lift, if you are climbing ladders there should be training, and if you are getting back ache etc, then there are aids you can ask work you buy for you to support your back.

This is a classic dilemma between what an employer sees as a reasonable job, and what a specific individual sees as not reasonable for them specifically. If the job is fundamentally reasonable for an average person to do, and the employer and colleagues won't adapt who does what to fit around your size and strength, then you need to look for a job that suits small, not strong people. If the job is genuinely hard physical labour that requires special skills and abnormal strength etc, then maybe you have a case to bring up with the employer about what you are being paid to do. Be prepared to step down on the pay scale though, and if you are on minimum wage, then there's no room for maneouvre.

Reply 3

doodle_333

I'm pretty sure you're meant to have specific training if you're lifting heavy objects and there are limits to what males/females can lift

when I worked in retail some of the larger boys/men would do all the lifting, cos why wouldn't they if they're stronger?

you don't have much grounds to stand on if you're worried about losing your job though as they could just fire you if you kick up a fuss, you could always ask a male coworker if he'd mind helping you with heavy stuff and then phrase it to your manager as 'jon doesn't mind helping, would it be ok if he did it'