- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 04:26 05:44 12:20 15:47 18:50 20:08
Forced to be on their feet for long hours, counter staff of convenience stores and shopping malls are complaining of many physical ailments such as varicose veins, ulcer of the lower leg, foot corn, muscle cramps and foot and back pain.
Doctors have also reported increasing cases of leg pain and varicose veins caused by long hours of continuous standing.
Counter staff say they are not supposed to sit during working hours.
“I get very tired standing almost eight hours a day at a stretch.
During the peak business hours in the mornings and evenings, we all stand continuously for three to four hours and even when there are no customers, we are not supposed to sit.
"I am only 27 but my legs already have varicose veins. I am a bit plump and standing long hours is really affecting me,” said Ramona (name changed), a convenience store cashier in Dubai.
Similar stories were heard from other counter staff. More women than men face this problem because the former are preferred as counter staff by the stores. Many of the suffering women are from the Philippines.
“My shift runs from 6am to 3pm. During these long hours, I am always standing at the counter and I am not supposed to sit even when I am tired.
"There is no chair at the counter and sometimes we sit on the floor without being noticed by our supervisors or the security cameras. If we are found sitting during working hours, we can be sacked from our jobs. Continuous standing is hurting both my legs,” added another Filipina counter sales staffer in Sharjah.
“Sometimes my supervisor will be kind enough to invite me to his cabin and offer a chair to relax. But not all managers are kind enough to do this,” she added.
"I often feel pain in the heels which eases once I start moving. Sometimes I get swellings on my leg and feet. We need a chair to sit at least when there are no customers around," the woman who works for a convenience store said.
"Many of the Filipino counter staff in leading electronics shops work eight to twelve hours and most of the time they are supposed to stand.
We are not allowed to sit and there is no chair at these counters," added another sales woman.
Doctors who spoke to ‘Emirates24|7’ said hospitals and clinics are getting more patients complaining of foot ailments, particularly varicose veins.
Says Dr Anu Shobha Jose: “We have been getting a lot of patients with varicose veins, muscle cramps and chronic leg muscle pain.
"Most of these patients work in convenience stores, shopping malls, cold storages or hotels. Standing for long hours causes deoxygenated blood in the circulatory system to get stuck in the legs. As impure blood gets accumulated in the veins, it weakens the blood valves and causes pain.
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“If a person stands for several hours at a stretch, he/she can develop varicose veins, muscle cramps and chronic pain which can develop into an ulcer. But few patients are undergoing treatment for ulcer in UAE because it is expensive,” she added.
Dr Anu advises counter staff to walk as much as possible within their work areas to help improve blood circulation.
A manager of a leading convenience store said: “It is true that some of our counter staff are complaining of leg pain and varicose veins.
However, they don’t have to stand all the time at the counters. They are allowed to move around and relax during their rest times. However, it is true that they are not supposed to sit at the counters. We don’t keep a chair for them.”
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