Does he have to serve you in the store without a respirator? The Office has the answer

Many retailers refuse to serve customers who do not wear a mask or respirator. Some consumers therefore turn to the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (CTI).

“Recently, we are increasingly encountering questions about alleged discrimination against a consumer who is not admitted to the establishment when he does not have a respirator in place,” said CTIA spokesman Jiří Fröhlich.

This is because many customers consider the enforcement of nose and mouth protection to be discrimination. There are even more than one contribution spread through social networks, in which people invoke, for example, violations of the Criminal Code against the actions of sellers. According to the CTIA, however, similar contributions are not true.

“An employee of a shop or an agency worker who actively enforces the obligation of other persons to comply with the obligation under extraordinary measures (eg the obligation to wear a veil, respirator) commits a criminal offense of appropriation of state or local government under section 328 of the Criminal Code. “A private person is threatened with unconditional imprisonment for up to two years,” the statement said, which is being spread by a number of people on Facebook in protest against the actions of traders.

According to the CTIA, however, the seller does not have to serve the customer without a respirator in place. “Such conduct cannot be considered as prohibited discrimination within the meaning of § 6 of the Consumer Protection Act, as it pursues a legitimate aim – to protect other customers and employees of the establishment from being infected with COVID-19,” Fröhlich explained.

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