Why are cashiers required to stand?

I agree about the life of a cashier. I use to be one some years ago. I always stood as long as I can remember and tried to take brief respites here and there when I was pretty far along in my last pregnancy. I have seen some handicapped people sitting down while cashiering. Standing up for long periods of time can cause back aches and not to mention your feet hurting. You are right. Sitting could probably prove more helpful health wise to the cashier these days.

Yeah, I wonder that, too. I work in a library and we stand all day, too. But, most of the libraries have chairs to sit on (some don't) when you can. But, we are moving around all over the place, so a lot of the time it's not good to sit. But, I don't know why someone who has to stand in one place doesn't have a stool. It was like that when my grandfather used to work for the automakers in Detroit in the 20s and 30s, too. His bosses thought sitting equated to laziness.

The standing policy is driven by cultural expectations that customers, or consumers, don't really believe that someone is working if they're sitting down, with the exception of office workers. But from a cashier's point-of-view, stools at the cash register area typically get in the way , and besides, it's actually more tiring if you were to alternate between sit and stand all day. Imagine this scenario: You work at the local supermarket and cashiers are entitled to sit down at their stools if there are no customers queuing up at the counter or cashier check-out point. When there are customers, or consumers, queuing up to pay for their purchases, you get up from the stool to serve them. Once you clear the queue, you sit down again. And this cycle will keep repeating itself throughout your entire shift until you knock off from work and go home. By depending on the stools too much, you'll actually get more restless and unable to be alert in your own job scope. How do I know? That's because I am a cashier too. Imagine I am louging on the stool and I have to stand the moment a customer comes up to my counter to pay. If I totally forgot that there is a stool behind me and I just simply turn around and proceed to walk away from my counter, I would definitely trip and fall. And if that happens, who's at fault now? The company who decides to give me a stool for my sore tired legs and butt, or my own carelessness that caused me to trip and fall? So all in all, I would definitely not recommend a stool at the cashier register area. Work hazard, I'd say. Moreover, I am not willing to risk my two front teeth just to sit at the cash register area. I would gladly stand, that is unless I am pregnant and need to rest my legs all the time to alleviate the veins that are threatening to protude out of my skin surface. Hope my answer can help you out.

The only store I have ever seen the cashiers allowed to sit down is at Aldi's. The cashiers there have stools to sit on while they ring you up. I hear they pay pretty good to for a cashier job.

That is a really good question, I have been a cashier before and standing was part of the job. Nothing to sit on and when I think about it. I have not ever see a cashier sit while working unless it was their own business. Other than that if your working for someone you have to stand from beginning to end of your shift.

i think it has something to do with customer satisfaction or services. management of every supermarket wanted to proclaim to the buyers or customers that they are accomodating. and also standing has a more efficient work output than sitting because you can easily go through any corner of the store if needed like those working in some foodchain. its really tiring though but maybe youll get use to it.

When I used to work for a supermarket, they actually provided free chiropody for their staff, however you had to a foot complaint, you couldn't just go there of your own free will, your manager had to refer you there! Always a catch. When I go to the supermarket I do see staff sit down and all cashiers have chairs, so I guess it depends on the policy of the supermarket or shop. When they have to pack the shopping I guess it's easier to stand up rather than twisting their body round which can cause wear and tear. I would hate it myself, my feet get really hot at the best of times and standing on them all day, I'd want danger money.

It's a way of keeping them in their place. Cashiers are generally considered on the lowest rung of the pole by both customers and management. Standing on one's feet for hours on end and having to be nice to all and sundry is difficult, well, it was for me anyway. I'm so glad not to be working any longer.

It is easier to see the product that the customers is putting on the counter if you are standing and also to see what they have in the cart. You can also check on the other cashiers and see if the manager wants you for something. Not only that it is easier to see how long the line is. If you were sitting even for a moment, a customer can have a bag of potatoes on the bottom of the cart and sneak past without you knowing it.

I have seen stores in which the cashiers are seated in stools. The one that does it all the time is one where you bag your own so the cashier is just there to swipe your items and take your money. There was also one that actually had dedicated bagers at the end of the counter to bag items for the customers. I think it's a good idea depending on the type of store and how busy it is. A place like a 24 hour Super Walmart rarely has a "slow" time so their cashiers are pretty much busy all the time. The Kmart wwe have near by...should not have stools! The cashiers hardly do any work as it is so they don't need any extra excuse to just sit around...and they would do just that in between customers. I wonder though if providing a stool for wrkers could be a requirement though. They can't deny a person a job because of a disability so if a stool was needed for you to work I think they would have to allow that or risk being sued...of course they'd probably feel it would be easier to not hire you at all or fire you as long as they can come up with a different excuse.

Yeah. I wanna know too why do cashiers have to be standing. LOL. I did not pay attention to do. That is really difficult. Standing for a long time will give me a serious health problems.

I've often wondered about that. That is my main reason why I would never be a cashier. I had a spinal years ago when I was in the hopital and standing for any length of time starts my back to hurt. I worked one year at the Mall where my husband was the manager, and he would not allow me to sit. I had to stand over 10 hours with back pain and cramps, I only lasted there one week

It's an American thing. Faster, faster, faster....You can't work as fast when you are sitting. In Israel all supermarket cashiers have nice comfortable office type chairs. They can sit while they are ringing the groceries up. Matter of fact if they were to stand, everything would be to low. I've traveled a lot and most of the world allows and expects the supermarket cashiers to sit while they are working.

In India cashier working being seated in high chairs or stools. Earlier the cashier in the super markets used to work while standing the whole day almost. But now even they are provided with stools or chairs to sit and work comfortably.

Personally it would be nice if you could be a Cashier and sit. I miss being a Cashier and being able to interact with people all the time, but due to the situation with my leg and such there is No Way that I can do it again. Some of the greatest satisfaction though has come in my life when I was able to work retail and wait on customers.

Aldi's cashiers get to sit down. I don't know why others don't follow. It does look like it would be more comfortable.

I think from my experience it's so you can reach the register, bags, and supplies. The only times I've seen cashiers sitting is: When they are disabled (a man at our local wal-mart is allowed to sit on a stool), recovering from surgery (have a co-worker who had knee surgery and was trying to keep weight off it but needed to work), and another whom was pregnant. I know as a teller we too were required to stand til we got spoiled with high office chairs, only they had 2 of them for 4 people so it was always a battle of if you got off your chair if someone else would of swiped it. The worst was being 8-9mo's pregnant and everytime I walked away this witch who just started took the chair.

I used to work for a small retail store and I had a stool to sit on. But I found it rather annoying. I usually had to get off my stool serveral times for one customer. Twisting and turing to handle the money then bag the stuff. Or maybe you need another size or whatever. Its more of just a hassle than anything else. Unless you worked at like a gas station or something. I also worked in a hambgurger joint and I wouldn't sit down my entire sift. So I don't think standing would be a health issue.

I'm no expert on the way the body works, but I imagine that standing is actually easier on the back if you are working as a cashier somewhere where there is a lot of passing items from one side to another like a supermarket. Otherwise, I guess that you would hurt your upper back and neck with that repeated movement. Where there's a low volume of items passing through though, I imagine that cashiers are only required to stand because it's thought to look better!

I completly agree with yoU! When i was in CPH, Denmark i was like omg this is so unfair! I seen the grocery store cashiers sitting on comfortable looking computer chairs and all they did was sit and scan the items. The chairs were slanted at a weird angle though, i guess to make it a little uncomfortable lol.. But whatever when i was working as a cashier here in Canada, something like that would have been nice! Standing on hard concrete all day is hard no the back!