Archived Cashier Breaks

[PinkZinnia]

Can someone tell me what a cashier's 15 min. break is supposed to be used for? There are lots of cashiers in my store who use the bathroom numerous times a day (I'm sure they are texting friends - because no one should have to be in the bathroom that much during the day.) then they take their 15 min. break and get angry if the gstl tells them that they went over the 15 min.
I thought when I got hired (over 2 yars ago) we were told to remove name tag and go to places where you are away from guests. During my training, I also thought I was told that we can't buy things on our 15 min. break. I thought it was supposed to be used for bathroom, eat a small snack and call your friends and family... Does anyone know if there is something in writing about 15 min break?

We have a few cashiers that follow what we thought were the rules and the rest of them do as they please constantly complaining about everything they can complain about.

 

[redandkhaki]

you can do whatever you want on your 15 minute break besides leave the store. I let my cashiers go to the bathroom when they need to but no one abuses that. Once in awhile we'll get a new cashier that i know is texting and i start following them in the bathroom and end that pretty quickly.

 

[PinkZinnia]

Red and khaki, what do you do with the bathroom abusers. We have a couple who have bladder control problems.. And there is no problem with them going when they need to go, but in lack of better terms, the lazy cashiers, want to, and do follow suit and get indignant if gstl says something to them. They usually walk away from their registers when the lines are long and then the gstl has to call backup. The female gstl's will occasionally walk in the bathroom to tey to put a stop to it, but lots of our abusers are guys.

I have cashiers say to me that they go in there to take a rest when they are tired.. Um, correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that what breaks are for?
And then - I will here them trying to negotiate break times with gstl..no clue that there are approx 14 other people who also need breaks. They don't seem to understand that one break disruption can screw up all the breaks.

I swear, most of gstl time is spent sending people on breaks and lunches.

 

[Barcode]

When a cashier is sent on their break (or relieved), the second they leave their register their 15 minute break begins. They are expected back exactly 15 minutes later. Bathroom stops don't "add time" to their break after they've already gone.

However if a cashier wants to use the bathroom while cashiering, they are perfectly in their right to do so... GSA/GSTL might ask cashier if they can hold it for a few if its in the middle of a rush, but otherwise we'll cover if its an emergency.

In my time most people did not abuse, however sometimes people would go on the way back from break and be a bit late (which we reminded them). Did have a couple suspected texters (mostly female), but not much I could do about that being Male.

@redandkhaki Is it allowable to do that? I feel like following them in to bust them on texting could be an HR issue if they got upset (since its in the restroom). I don't know.

 

[Retail Girl]

Our cashiers are really bad about using the restroom right before or right after they punch out for their lunch. Drives me crazy...especially when I am super tight on the break/lunch schedule and don't have the wiggle room to get 15 minutes behind because everyone is adding on extra time for bathroom breaks.

And yes, they are within their right to go stand in line and buy things on their break if they want to.

 

[redandkhaki]

I don't see why it wouldn't be allowed. They're not on break, they should be working. So if they're going in there to hide so they can text that's not ok.

 

[tgtguy]

I buy things on my breaks all the time...I am not a cashier tho ( not that it matters) .

 

[Jill of All Trades]

Most of our cashiers use the bathroom when on their 15. We have a few who take more frequent restroom breaks but not many. I'm not about to interrogate someone about their bathroom needs- it's not worth humiliating someone with an illness to catch someone who is texting. We do encourage TMs not to wear name tags if in the store while on break. We do allow TMs to buy things on their 15. Personally, I'm fine with a TM taking a quick bathroom break right before or after their 30- the time clock is far from the front lanes and the restrooms are right there.

 

[commiecorvus]

I have to admit that when I worked Signing it wasn't that hard to skip a break (not that I should have, mind you).
But the very few times I worked register for an extended period I was counting the minutes till my next break.
Standing in one place and doing repetitive work makes me nuts.

 

[tgtguy]

you can do whatever you want on your 15 minute break besides leave the store. I let my cashiers go to the bathroom when they need to but no one abuses that. Once in awhile we'll get a new cashier that i know is texting and i start following them in the bathroom and end that pretty quickly.

You follow them into the bathroom? I would think they are into a stall and closing the door , how do you know they are txtng? I just find it odd to follow someone into the bathroom

 

[Barcode]

I don't see why it wouldn't be allowed. They're not on break, they should be working. So if they're going in there to hide so they can text that's not ok.

Well if they're in the stall they're afforded a certain level of privacy, if you bust them for texting in the stall, they could probably report you for spying on them in the restroom.. Maybe idk.

Our gstl would just have talks with people who overuse the restrooms.

 

[tgtguy]

That's what I was thinking...but with spot you never know

 

[redeye58]

We had a GSTL who would bust bathroom texters (you could hear the keys even in a stall) by making them put their phone in their locker when they came out. That was before cartwheel.
Now, everyone is encouraged to carry their phone around to 'demonstrate' Get Appy, Cartwheel, etc so of course they're gonna abuse it.

 

[FallenAngel]

I have to admit that as a cashier, I definitely took those "restroom" breaks, just to get away. Especially when I got scheduled for one of those ridiculous 5.75 hour shifts. It wasn't even that I wanted to go text. I just needed a 5 minute breather away from the BS. Generally I only did it on those kind of schedules. Oh and yes I was also guilty of using the bathroom shortly before or shortly after my half. For the reason Jill said. But no matter when I did it, unless it was an emergency, (of the restroom kind or the I'm about to punch the next b!tchy guest kind) I always waited until there was a lull in business.

 

[The Dude Abides]

When a cashier is sent on their break (or relieved), the second they leave their register their 15 minute break begins. They are expected back exactly 15 minutes later. Bathroom stops don't "add time" to their break after they've already gone.

However if a cashier wants to use the bathroom while cashiering, they are perfectly in their right to do so... GSA/GSTL might ask cashier if they can hold it for a few if its in the middle of a rush, but otherwise we'll cover if its an emergency.

In my time most people did not abuse, however sometimes people would go on the way back from break and be a bit late (which we reminded them). Did have a couple suspected texters (mostly female), but not much I could do about that being Male.

@redandkhaki Is it allowable to do that? I feel like following them in to bust them on texting could be an HR issue if they got upset (since its in the restroom). I don't know.

Your first part of this post is just blatantly wrong. The team member has some leeway on break times because on their walk from the registers to off stage areas there is a significant chance of being stopped by a guest. Expecting someone to be back in exactly fifteen minutes when they are going to spend roughly 2 minutes each way wading through guests with a chance of being stopped is ridiculous. As a GSA I plan for my cashiers to be away from register for twenty minutes, anything more than that and we have a problem.

As for bathroom texting, I've had more of a problem with that from Starbucks/Food Ave than cashiers.

 

[Barcode]

When a cashier is sent on their break (or relieved), the second they leave their register their 15 minute break begins. They are expected back exactly 15 minutes later. Bathroom stops don't "add time" to their break after they've already gone.

However if a cashier wants to use the bathroom while cashiering, they are perfectly in their right to do so... GSA/GSTL might ask cashier if they can hold it for a few if its in the middle of a rush, but otherwise we'll cover if its an emergency.

In my time most people did not abuse, however sometimes people would go on the way back from break and be a bit late (which we reminded them). Did have a couple suspected texters (mostly female), but not much I could do about that being Male.

@redandkhaki Is it allowable to do that? I feel like following them in to bust them on texting could be an HR issue if they got upset (since its in the restroom). I don't know.

Your first part of this post is just blatantly wrong. The team member has some leeway on break times because on their walk from the registers to off stage areas there is a significant chance of being stopped by a guest. Expecting someone to be back in exactly fifteen minutes when they are going to spend roughly 2 minutes each way wading through guests with a chance of being stopped is ridiculous. As a GSA I plan for my cashiers to be away from register for twenty minutes, anything more than that and we have a problem.

As for bathroom texting, I've had more of a problem with that from Starbucks/Food Ave than cashiers.

Maybe at your store, but at every store I've been at, Front End is right next to the Breakroom / Food Ave. No reason they shouldn't be back in 15 minutes exactly unless they're stretching their break, or SOMEHOW got stopped by a guest when they're nowhere near the sales floor (hey it happens I guess, but not often!). If someone gets stopped by a guest, that's fine and they can take a longer break, but I would always challenge a cashier why they took 20 minutes for their break when we have a schedule to keep.. When you have 15 minute breaks on end for hours at a time with meals overlapping, people need to be punctual.

By letting your cashiers know it is OKAY to take 20 minutes, you are encouraging them to take long breaks, and they know you won't challenge them on it.

 

[commiecorvus]

I am pretty sure most of the cashiers don't have to go to the bathroom to do their texting.
The last time I was in a store the girl at the register had her phone sitting out and checked it three or four times while she was ringing me up.
When I was done and started to walk away she picked up the phone and did some texting.

 

[Geekprincess]

At my store the gstls/gsas don't care if you pee quick and then punch out or punch in and pee, as long as long as you aren't adding 10 minutes to your break.
And our store is very strict about the no phones on the clock rule so no one can really sneak off and text.
Also, until the fixed the lockers, no one punched out until they got their locker open. It was our way of pushing them to fix the super awful locker situation. And it worked.

 

[The Dude Abides]

When a cashier is sent on their break (or relieved), the second they leave their register their 15 minute break begins. They are expected back exactly 15 minutes later. Bathroom stops don't "add time" to their break after they've already gone.

However if a cashier wants to use the bathroom while cashiering, they are perfectly in their right to do so... GSA/GSTL might ask cashier if they can hold it for a few if its in the middle of a rush, but otherwise we'll cover if its an emergency.

In my time most people did not abuse, however sometimes people would go on the way back from break and be a bit late (which we reminded them). Did have a couple suspected texters (mostly female), but not much I could do about that being Male.

@redandkhaki Is it allowable to do that? I feel like following them in to bust them on texting could be an HR issue if they got upset (since its in the restroom). I don't know.

Your first part of this post is just blatantly wrong. The team member has some leeway on break times because on their walk from the registers to off stage areas there is a significant chance of being stopped by a guest. Expecting someone to be back in exactly fifteen minutes when they are going to spend roughly 2 minutes each way wading through guests with a chance of being stopped is ridiculous. As a GSA I plan for my cashiers to be away from register for twenty minutes, anything more than that and we have a problem.

As for bathroom texting, I've had more of a problem with that from Starbucks/Food Ave than cashiers.

Maybe at your store, but at every store I've been at, Front End is right next to the Breakroom / Food Ave. No reason they shouldn't be back in 15 minutes exactly unless they're stretching their break, or SOMEHOW got stopped by a guest when they're nowhere near the sales floor (hey it happens I guess, but not often!). If someone gets stopped by a guest, that's fine and they can take a longer break, but I would always challenge a cashier why they took 20 minutes for their break when we have a schedule to keep.. When you have 15 minute breaks on end for hours at a time with meals overlapping, people need to be punctual.

By letting your cashiers know it is OKAY to take 20 minutes, you are encouraging them to take long breaks, and they know you won't challenge them on it.

Our breakroom is on the other side of the store from the front end. It's basically impossible to make it back there without being stopped.

Quite frankly if your store is that strict on 15 minute breaks I feel bad for you. There is a difference between not sprinting back into place at exactly 15 minutes (do you have a stop watch?) and blatantly stretching out breaks. I keep an eye on the clock and know how long my cashiers have been gone for and the overwhelming majority are in front of their register 16 or 17 minutes after they walked away. I don't have an issue with that. It's when the time gets over twenty minutes that their grace period is up which leads to a documentation and forward to the GSTL.

 

[neversaynever]

Since I have to spend all 15 minutes of my break trying to hydrate myself because I cannot have some water at my registers... Of course I have to make a trip to the restroom after my break. Same before it - pounding that cup of water before I click in means I can't wait until break time.

I rarely make the trip to the break room and just sit in FA/stbx at the counter by the window. I set a timer on my phone for 14 minutes too.

We are expected to follow the schedule and ate not supposed to leave until the next person is back. BUT
Most often, the gstl or GSA doesn't know if we have gone - they ask you if you did. Unless the use your registers during a back-up time.

 

[Barcode]

We allowed cashiers to have water, long as it's kept out of sight.

Dude, I know what you're trying to say, but if you don't challenge a cashier on why they took 20 minutes they will keep doing it because it's OK. I found that out the hard way -- people started taking advantage of me.

Honestly your store is more of an exception though just due to the layout. Almost every target I've been in usually has break room and tsc way up front.

 

[copycopy]

I try to keep on top of the cashiers breaks so there aren't late breaks and end up having 4 cashiers off register at once. I give a few minutes leeway, but after the 20 minute mark we are going to have a discussion. I understand quick bathroom breaks, I'm not going to tell them no. I have cashiers who have gotten away with 25 min 15min breaks for years and they are not to happy with me.

 

[BullseyeBabe]

Reading this reminds me of the bad old days when I was a cashier. Ever wonder why it's hard to keep cashiers? Would you like cashiers to work harder and get more red cards? Then stop treating them like dirt! Does it make you mad when they take 2 or 3 extra minutes to use the bathroom?
How do you think they feel when they see you standing around chatting, laughing & joking around? Don't tell me you don't do it because you do. A little of that is permitted everywhere in the store except on the front lanes. Everyone looks down on cashiers. Don't believe it, think about how many times you've heard, he, she, I'm, "just a cashier." I bet you've said it yourself. They aren't treated with the respect they deserve & they get left out of just about everything.
Do yourselves and me a favor before you react with, not at my store, not my cashiers & not me take a minute and just think about what I've said, please. It will make things better for all of us. I promise.

 

[masterofalltrades]

When a cashier is sent on their break (or relieved), the second they leave their register their 15 minute break begins. They are expected back exactly 15 minutes later. Bathroom stops don't "add time" to their break after they've already gone.

However if a cashier wants to use the bathroom while cashiering, they are perfectly in their right to do so... GSA/GSTL might ask cashier if they can hold it for a few if its in the middle of a rush, but otherwise we'll cover if its an emergency.

In my time most people did not abuse, however sometimes people would go on the way back from break and be a bit late (which we reminded them). Did have a couple suspected texters (mostly female), but not much I could do about that being Male.

@redandkhaki Is it allowable to do that? I feel like following them in to bust them on texting could be an HR issue if they got upset (since its in the restroom). I don't know.

Your first part of this post is just blatantly wrong. The team member has some leeway on break times because on their walk from the registers to off stage areas there is a significant chance of being stopped by a guest. Expecting someone to be back in exactly fifteen minutes when they are going to spend roughly 2 minutes each way wading through guests with a chance of being stopped is ridiculous. As a GSA I plan for my cashiers to be away from register for twenty minutes, anything more than that and we have a problem.

As for bathroom texting, I've had more of a problem with that from Starbucks/Food Ave than cashiers.

Maybe at your store, but at every store I've been at, Front End is right next to the Breakroom / Food Ave. No reason they shouldn't be back in 15 minutes exactly unless they're stretching their break, or SOMEHOW got stopped by a guest when they're nowhere near the sales floor (hey it happens I guess, but not often!). If someone gets stopped by a guest, that's fine and they can take a longer break, but I would always challenge a cashier why they took 20 minutes for their break when we have a schedule to keep.. When you have 15 minute breaks on end for hours at a time with meals overlapping, people need to be punctual.

By letting your cashiers know it is OKAY to take 20 minutes, you are encouraging them to take long breaks, and they know you won't challenge them on it.

Our breakroom is on the other side of the store from the front end. It's basically impossible to make it back there without being stopped.

Quite frankly if your store is that strict on 15 minute breaks I feel bad for you. There is a difference between not sprinting back into place at exactly 15 minutes (do you have a stop watch?) and blatantly stretching out breaks. I keep an eye on the clock and know how long my cashiers have been gone for and the overwhelming majority are in front of their register 16 or 17 minutes after they walked away. I don't have an issue with that. It's when the time gets over twenty minutes that their grace period is up which leads to a documentation and forward to the GSTL.

In my store the breakroom is right next to rear seasonal, which pretty much means your getting stopped.

 

[redandkhaki]

just to clear things up about following them into the bathroom.. The few that i have busted were not smart enough to go into a stall. I would never stand and watch them in a stall to see if they were texting. All of the ones that i've busted were problem team members anyways.
If a cashier tells me they need to go to the bathroom and it's not their break time they can go. I get what it's like to be stuck on a register especially when you're working a 5.75 hour shift.