Archived ETLs in the breakroom...

[newtoitall]

So all the ETLs like to eat lunch at the same time and all gather in the breakroom. They act like they are 8 years old and are loud and disruptive. It really doesn't let me rest and enjoy my break. How do I approach this situation so I can do my best at work??

 

[Kompa]

Take your lunch at a Different time.

 

[newtoitall]

I can't. Im following the daily break schedule

 

[Kompa]

I've very unlikely that all the ETLs are taking break the same time a TM is.

In the unlikely event this is true, just eat at food ave/starbuck. The breakroom is a place to blow off steam when getting off floor, while sometime loud people can be annoying, you can't tell the whole group of ETL's to can it.

Just ask can you take a break either an hour hour early, or late

 

[newtoitall]

I can take a picture right now if you'd like. We can't eat in those areas. This is the only place I can take a break. It's frustrating that I can't relax due to leadership causing more stress in the breakroom.

 

[Nauzhror]

Err, you can certainly take your break elsewhere. Go sit in your car.

I can't possibly take your complaint seriously, you're bitching that someone else is taking their break in the break room, you want them to leave, but claim there's nowhere else for you to go.

If there's nowhere for you to go, then there's nowhere for them to go either.

Obviously that's not the case for either of you, you both have other options,

 

[AllThingsTarget101]

If you want to move up, take it as an opportunity and sit with them. They can teach you a lot.

 

[newtoitall]

Yes it is very motivating when they're all in there acting a fool, hooting an hollering, having a jolly ole time while there's several requests for backup cashiers. It makes me want to work even harder!

 

[sigma7]

Eros have just as much a right to the break room as TMs do. That said, some stores' ETLs don't eat in the break room bc they know their TMs don't want them in there. Other stores ETLs and TMs get along just fine and there's no animosity in the break room. My opinion...people can take their break wherever they want, be them TM or STL.

 

[commiecorvus]

This seems to be less about them being ETLs and more about their behavior.
Some people want a quiet place to unwind for their break, some people want to watch 'Lets Make A Deal" and others want to bullshit with their buddies.
I don't mind doing a little of all three depending on my mood, always brought a book but didn't mind looking up and getting involved in the latest loud political conversation or watching the Worlds Cup.

Personally I think ETLs should take their break with the TMs so they are in the trenches so to speak.
If you have conversations around them about how hard it is to make ends meet or what the world is like from your prospective they can't help but listen and don't have the right to give you a hard time about it.
As other people have pointed out if it drives you nuts you might need to find a quieter corner.

 

[Noiinteam]

Ours come and go, usually they may be in there when flow takes their 2nd break, our lunch is too early. I personally don't have a problem with it. I speak my peace regardless of who is in there.

 

[tgtguy]

So all the ETLs like to eat lunch at the same time and all gather in the breakroom. They act like they are 8 years old and are loud and disruptive. It really doesn't let me rest and enjoy my break. How do I approach this situation so I can do my best at work??

The etls/stl in my store do this all the time. They love to talk about whos house is bigger...I even heard one of them complaining about how his wife thought they should be driving a more expensive car...the etl even said well my wife knows we can afford it .. Usually their conversations make them out to be shallow, vain and rude to say the least....I cringe when I walk in there and they are there...or they come in after I have sat down...I usually just focus on my phone and surf the web etc. Sadly there isn't anything you can do about it...you just have to ignore them or invest in some ear buds.

 

[PinkZinnia]

its very rare for anyone to be in our breakroom....just the way I like it.
sometimes there will be boxes of cookies or food for us - That, I think is a waste, No one ever lets anyone know that it's in there.

 

[RedMan]

Wear earbuds. At my store, the only place for breaks is in the breakroom or on the sidewalk. Since that's where the smokers hang out, everybody else goes to the breakroom. It's kinda like middle school. The STL/ETLs sit in one corner. The TLs sit in another corner. It's all very segregated by class and no one breaks that rule. One day my ETL sat down at a table with me and the STL called him over to sit at the *big* table. hehehehehe We all laughed but it wasn't all that funny.

 

[Noiinteam]

I would think nothing of it if my Etl or another Etl sat down next to me. How sad your store is like that.

 

[tgtguy]

Our breakroom is set up with the smaller square tables put together to make one large table ....so we don't even have a lot of room in our breakroom to begin with..

 

[redeye58]

Our ETLs go hole up in one of their offices or in the TL office. I know because that's where I hear the most noise.
They would never sit around TMs because they don't care about our lives outside Target & don't WANT to hear about our personal lives; too messy for them.

 

[tgtguy]

If you want to move up, take it as an opportunity and sit with them. They can teach you a lot.

this might be true...but more times than not the etls could learn more from the tms if they actually would listen

 

[AllThingsTarget101]

If you want to move up, take it as an opportunity and sit with them. They can teach you a lot.

this might be true...but more times than not the etls could learn more from the tms if they actually would listen

I agree, however, there is usually 1 or 2 good etls per store that are worth listening to

 

[Mhugh220]

Your ETLs get a lunch break? Weird. On the occasion the day side ETL team ate together it was at a nearby restaurant - about once a year. We had mostly female ETLs - 3 male and 5 female. The women didn't like each other so us guys hung out at work with each other.

Overnight I would eat before the team, with them in the breakroom, or at TSC with other TMs/TLs while I let the POG team in. The breakroom is for everyone but people should be respectful of their surroundings.

You can go anywhere on your 30 min break.

 

[tgtguy]

If you want to move up, take it as an opportunity and sit with them. They can teach you a lot.

this might be true...but more times than not the etls could learn more from the tms if they actually would listen

I agree, however, there is usually 1 or 2 good etls per store that are worth listening to

They seem to be missing from my store...we have one etl that actually knows what he is doing...but he is such an ass while doing it .

 

[commiecorvus]

Your ETLs get a lunch break? Weird. On the occasion the day side ETL team ate together it was at a nearby restaurant - about once a year. We had mostly female ETLs - 3 male and 5 female. The women didn't like each other so us guys hung out at work with each other.

Overnight I would eat before the team, with them in the breakroom, or at TSC with other TMs/TLs while I let the POG team in. The breakroom is for everyone but people should be respectful of their surroundings.

You can go anywhere on your 30 min break.

It's funny, one of the only ETL's who would eat with the team at our store was ETL Logistics as well.
I think he was closer to his team than any of the other bosses and had their respect too.

The rest might deign to drop in every once in a while but very rarely.
They would time their breaks to eat together and order lunches from Panera.

Now it's true we had a no walkies rule in the breakroom so the ETLs and STL are kind of in a bad position.
The good ones really are on call even when they are eating and need to be listening.

 

[Kompa]

When it comes to ETLs, the the ETL-Log does seem to be closer with their team than other ETLs. Maybe because most of logistics are specialized positions and constant communication is needed .

 

[Mhugh220]

I'd rather shoot the shit with my team than talk with the other ETLs. I had a great relationship with 3 of my TLs and 2 of them worked with me every night. Makes work more enjoyable when you have TMs with similar personalities.

 

[paidtosmile]

Our execs always took their breaks in the breakroom... Except our ETL-HR and STL, they would occasionally get through paperwork-type stuff while eating. Otherwise they'd be in the break room too.

You can definitely eat at Food ave, starbucks, your car, or a bench outside! I had no problem with the ETL's and STL, but whenever the flow team took breaks I'd go and eat in the GSTL office or in food ave.