I find it very shameful that Migros is unwilling to enforce the obligation for customers to wear masks. Since October, I've always seen the same 4 or 5 people at the same time on the same day who don't care about wearing a mask correctly. I have noticed that most people do not have a dispensation. One of them was an elderly woman. The Migros staff told me that the old woman didn't have to wear a mask because she was old. When I drew the old woman's attention to wearing a mask, she told me I was a nutcase. I suggested to Migros that they appoint a security guard to ensure that this obligation is observed. The worst thing is that people without a mask do NOT keep any distance. Suddenly someone is standing in front of me without a mask. Shopping is such a pain. I don't feel safe and I'm very sad that Migros doesn't care about the health of its customers. Migros doesn't see any need for action. Migros is also not willing to enforce the obligation to wear a mask. Instead, Migros wrote to me that there are many customers who are exempt from the obligation to wear a mask for health reasons and who have to show certificates. Unfortunately, this is not how I experience it in reality. The problem was even discussed in the newspaper: Sonntagszeitung from 15.11.2020 Wirtschaft Eiertanz der Migros Eiertanz um Maskendispens At the wholesaler, there are contradictory statements as to whether customers who shop without mouth and nose protection have to show a certificate. The check is a burden for staff It has now become routine. At the latest before entering the supermarket: put on your mask. People who cannot wear masks for medical reasons are exempt from the nationwide mask requirement when shopping. But how do retailers check whether customers without a mask have a certificate? This is a tricky and unpleasant task for store staff. When asked, all retailers say that customers generally comply very well with the mask requirement. However, there are still isolated incidents. This is a burden for the employees in the stores. According to one retailer, there has been verbal abuse, threats of punishment and even assaults. How are the companies enforcing the federal government's requirements? There are contradictory reports from the major distributor Migros. One customer noticed a post on Facebook in which a user wrote about Migros: "The staff have been instructed not to look at certificates or check people. Shopping is really pleasant." The customer is unsettled. "Dear Migros managers, is this true? If it really is the case that anyone and everyone can walk in without a mask and not be checked, that would be more than enough reason to avoid the store." She doesn't receive a clear answer on the social network. They always adhere to the federal government's guidelines. "We make people aware of the mask requirement, but we cannot set up our own mask police," writes a Migros representative. When asked by the media office whether staff are instructed to look at certificates, a Migros spokesperson writes: "We recommend that people with mask dispensations carry proof with them when shopping, but we do not make any disproportionate enquiries about this ourselves." So staff do not check or ask for certificates? "No, most of them proactively identify themselves," says the spokesperson. People without a dispensation must be refused entry Such behaviour does not comply with the requirements of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). According to the authority, store operators must ask for a dispensation. If someone does not provide proof, "the operator has the right and the duty to refuse entry to this person or to expel them from the store", says a FOPH spokesperson. When asked about these specific requirements of the Federal Office, Migros suddenly sounds different. "People without masks will be approached. Anyone without a certificate must buy a mask or is not allowed to shop," the spokesperson now says. A direct inquiry with employees in several Migros stores revealed a mixed picture. It can happen that people ask for a dispensation, says one employee. In another branch, the answer is: "Just say that you have a dispensation, that's enough." Other companies have a clear line. Furniture retailer Ikea won't let customers into its stores without masks, even if they can produce a medical certificate. Manor requires proof of exemption from the obligation to wear a mask. People who present this will be accompanied by a Manor employee when shopping. "So that the minimum distance can be maintained," says a spokesperson. An incident in a Manor store in the canton of St. Gallen shows just how difficult the situation can become for staff. A customer without a face mask did not want to show a certificate and refused to leave the store. For a major distributor with around a thousand sales outlets, an all-round service with shopping assistance like Manor is not feasible. It is also challenging to enforce the federal guidelines in all stores, and staff at discounters with their lean structures hardly have time to check all customers for compliance with the FOPH guidelines. However, the instructions to staff are clear. Lidl states: "If a customer cannot produce a certificate, we must ask them to leave the store for the safety of our customers and staff." Competitor Aldi is taking the same approach, according to its own information, and customers at wholesaler Coop are also only allowed to shop without masks if they have a certificate. If staff in the stores have questions about how to deal with Covid guidelines, they can contact a task force at the headquarters in Basel. © SonntagsZeitung. All rights reserved.