Should the time clock be used for breaks?

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Sep 30, 2022
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Should the time clock be used to start breaks? It wouldn’t be used to end them. Just to make sure that all TMs are taking breaks that they deserve. I know a few TMs that have gone shifts without both 15s.
 
That would also mean that some of the TMs can't take their normally 20+ minute breaks!

In a related matter one of my fellow TMs announced he was going on his THIRD break.

How long do you have to work to even get a third one?

Of course he took a forth break later anyway.
 
Cbs No GIF by HULU
 
We occasionally squeezed the 15s to 20s nobody cared. If they did then they weren't creative enough to figure out how to swing it.
 
In a related matter one of my fellow TMs announced he was going on his THIRD break.

How long do you have to work to even get a third one?
now I could be wrong about this, diff states diff laws, so if you have a question refer to your HR

>6 hrs: 1 15
6+ hours 1 15 min, 1 30 min
8+ hours 2 15 min, 1 30 min
10+ hours 3 15 min, 1 30.
12+ hour 3 15 min, 2 30.
 
now I could be wrong about this, diff states diff laws, so if you have a question refer to your HR

>6 hrs: 1 15
6+ hours 1 15 min, 1 30 min
8+ hours 2 15 min, 1 30 min
10+ hours 3 15 min, 1 30.
12+ hour 3 15 min, 2 30.

Some of this is state specific.

Up to 5:59 is one 15
At 6 hours it becomes one 15 and one 30
At 7 hours (scheduled) it becomes two 15s and one 30
At 11 hours it becomes three 15s and one 30

TBH anyone working longer than that I just tell them to pace themselves and take what they need.
 
No.

By the time I get everything in shape and can go home (in a solid mind set that the store is in a good place), I can be sipping on a brewskie by the time my break would have ended.

Don't assume people are suffering because they skip a 15 minute break. ;)


It's not a case of assuming you are suffering.
It's not always about you.
It's about the example you set to the people around you and the people who are burning out but think they shouldn't ask because look 'that guy is
doing fine'.

I have ADHD and would skip my breaks because I was ultra-focused on what I was doing and didn't want to stop.
It's not easy to get into that groove when people are constantly interrupting you so why would you want to stop yourself, right?

And before you say, it's not my job to be an example for anyone, chances are you are exactly the person the newbies are watching.
 
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Don't assume people are suffering because they skip a 15 minute break. ;)
Not assuming anything other than a person who skips their break has little regard for corporate policy and possibly needs help with time management or admitting that they might need assistance/help. And, yes, this does set an example to team members who may want to emulate a "successful" tm, but really needs to take that break.
 
Should the time clock be used to start breaks? It wouldn’t be used to end them. Just to make sure that all TMs are taking breaks that they deserve. I know a few TMs that have gone shifts without both 15s.
Please fuck off CartoonPenguin
 
This, we don't need to have some weird competition to see who can suffer most, we want a healthy workplace. And for God's sake, if your workcenter needs to use a break schedule, don't be one of those martyrs who refuses to go on time, thus fucking up everybody else's break.
I was a supervisor for another company. When someone didn't want to take their break when it was scheduled I told them they had to wait till everyone took their's before they could take their's.
 
Not assuming anything other than a person who skips their break has little regard for corporate policy and possibly needs help with time management or admitting that they might need assistance/help. And, yes, this does set an example to team members who may want to emulate a "successful" tm, but really needs to take that break.

Honestly, I think those are unfair assumptions. I don't go around flaunting the fact that I didn't take a break or really only needed a break to get a drink of water, and then went right back to what I was working on. On the flipside, sometimes I'm just not having a great day and need a little extra. Breaks are great and I'm glad that there are legal requirements for companies to give them to their employees. I like working in an environment that trusts me to make decisions about how I spend my time, because I have demonstrated a pattern of results. On the other hand, TMs that struggle to be productive may need a little more handholding.

For me, my pride in my work isn't just that I work hard for 8 hours a day, 40 hours per week. It's that I accomplish specific tasks, or projects, thoroughly, accurately, and as efficiently as the two latter things allows. It's the fact that I regularly try to go above and beyond what is expected of me. This doesn't mean I'm bad at time management or that I don't know how to ask for help, its means I always want to do more because let's face it, there is always more to do. Tasks don't always fit into neat little packets of time. A lot of the extra stuff I do is individual execution only. It doesn't make sense to take partners or delegate that stuff.

I really don't think anyone is looking at me and wondering if my secret to success is whether or not I take 15 minute breaks or not. And if anyone tells me they skipped a break, I tell them to take their breaks 100% of the time.
 
Yeah, people are assuming I don't take my 15's.

I always take my first 15. I sometimes take my 2nd 15.

I always tell people they should take their 2nd 15 as they are entitled to it if they want to take it, even though they have things to finish.

I don't flaunt the fact to fellow TM's that I don't take my 2nd 15. I'd rather get my shit done and go home instead of staring at my phone in the break room. No one knows when I walk out the door that I didn't take the 2nd 15 other than my leaders.

I'm self sufficient so I'm rarely around other TM's at the end of the night when everyone is off finishing up their work and taking their 2nd 15's.

I manage my time perfectly fine. I complete my tasks on time goal and help others complete their tasks they couldn't finish on goal. That's quite the assumption I'd say.
 
That would also mean that some of the TMs can't take their normally 20+ minute breaks!

In a related matter one of my fellow TMs announced he was going on his THIRD break.

How long do you have to work to even get a third one?

Of course he took a forth break later anyway.
11 hour shift gets you a third break IIRC.
 
Not assuming anything other than a person who skips their break has little regard for corporate policy and possibly needs help with time management or admitting that they might need assistance/help. And, yes, this does set an example to team members who may want to emulate a "successful" tm, but really needs to take that break.
Thinking corporate policy is the end all be all seems like an odd persuasion to go along with your signature of, "I can think for myself, thank you.".

I care about policies when they make sense, and have a valid reason. I don't follow every policy to the letter 100% of the time though. There's times where taking my last break just means I have to work harder to catch back up afterwards. It's got nothing to do with inability to time manage, it's got a lot to do with payroll being so limited that I'm expected to do multiple people's jobs.
 
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