If you’ve ever worked a fast food, retail, or other customer service job, you might be familiar with the common rule that workers in these positions are often not allowed to sit down during their shift. When I worked in retail, it was my least favorite part of the job, and my feet were usually killing me by the end of my shift.
That’s why the existence of a “chair law” has caught the attention of the Internet.
There are a lot of tough parts about working in customer service.
Whether that’s rude customers, working for minimum wage, or simply not feeling passionate about the work, there are a lot of struggles when it comes to these positions.
There’s one drawback of the job that many people online were surprised to learn wasn’t a universal experience thanks to one Reddit thread.
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The Reddit thread posted the question, “What is evil but not illegal?”
“Not allowing US cashiers to sit down while they work because it looks “unprofessional”,” replied one user .
“In Chile we have a law called the chair law. If any job CAN be done while sitting the employer must provide you a chair to do it,” Reddit user ctune89 replied .
Many Redditors were surprised to find out that having to stand in cashier positions was not a universal struggle.
“WHY DON’T WE HAVE THAT LAW HERE?” One commenter replied.
Others told their own stories. “I remember I used to work at a fast food place where I eventually met my boyfriend there. My boyfriend was involved in wrestling at his school and one time during practice he broke his ankle but still went to work, our manager gave him a chair so that he could take orders through the drive thru.
Everything was fine until a customer began complaining about him sitting in a chair (even though he explained the reason why he was sitting).”
“Unfortunately sitting is seen as lazy in the majority of North America… Even if you can do your job while sitting,” one commenter explained.
What do you think? Should all workplaces have to provide a chair for employees whose jobs can be done sitting down, or are people complaining about nothing? Let us know in the comments!