Archived Compliance and punch fixing

[Retail Girl]

So, I live in a 5 hour state. We must take our meals by the fifth hour or hit the dreaded compliance.

On Saturday, apparently our GSTM (of about two months) hit compliance due to a guest being a pain in the butt for the GSA, who lost track of time, blah, blah, blah. The SrGSTL, who was LOD that morning, told the GSTM to not do any punches for the rest of the day, and then at the end of her shift, had her do punche corrections for the rest so she wouldn't be in compliance. I was not here for any of this, and thought this was a no-no...but if an LOD is doing it, who am I to argue?

Well, fast forward three days. The GSA (different one) today was unable to get off the lanes to get over to the GSTM in time for her to get to her lunch in time, and she hit compliance again. I wandered in just before she she came back from her lunch, and she said that she didn't punch out and would do the punch corrections later. I told her that that was a term-able offense (isn't it? I'm not 100% sure on this) and she shouldn't do that. She was then worried about getting fired for Saturday's punches, and I told her that would be on the LOD who told her to do that.

So she asked me what to do. I told her that if it were me, I would talk to the LOD (again, the SrGSTL) and if she wanted to fix the punches, that was on her, but let her make the call. The GSTM refused to do that, because she didn't want to get the GSA in trouble for not getting over there in time. Of course, if we just cover this up, then we don't have to acknowledge the lack of support for the front end (see my previous thread for that). She did tell me that she would be more proactive about it in the future...which I told her in the end it was on her to make sure she didn't hit compliance and she needed to get on the walkie and be vocal about it if she was getting too close.

So, she finally decided to go to the HRTM to ask her what to do, since she didn't want to get anyone in trouble or admit what happened. I don't know what the HRTM told her, but my guess is that they just altered the punches again. Since I was not there for either of these incidents and it's none of my business anyway, I was sworn to secrecy and don't plan to say anything. Hell, it's not like Spot has done any favors for me recently. Not wanting to get my SrGSTL, GSA or GSTM into trouble, is the other reason I am not saying anything...but it doesn't help the underlying problem, either.

So, what would you have done/told the GSTM in this situation (if you were a GSA)?

 

[commiecorvus]

I know of two TLs who were fired for exactly this same kind of thing.
They were just trying to do the best possible job and the way to fake out the system had been going on for a long time under the old HR but a new one came in, said it was falsified paper work and fired them.
I really don't know if you should say anything.
Nothing good will come of it.

 

[redeye58]

You've done what you can by telling her the policy.
If the SrGSTL is taking her down this slippery slope, all you can do is watch.
You did your part by advising her what could happen should this become a habit.
Now all you can do is see if she truly learned anything.

 

[awbuckit]

This fixing your punch later thing used to be the norm at my store. Everyone's SOOOO scared of the compliance report that they would do whatever it took to not be on it...and the managers knew about it. Not sure what's going on now since I'm not in hr anymore. Thank God.

 

[antivibe]

I would mention that it's a big offense... if the wrong person finds out.
If the GSTM has to do it again then she should keep it a secret.
She should not be risking it by waiting that long to take her meal, not that I don't use punch corrections every now and then.

 

[sigma7]

That's time clock fraud and falsifying company records. Grounds for immediate termination. But if your store is fostering a culture of using punch corrections to avoid compliance and anyone at District finds out, then your DTL and HRBP will be coming down hard on your ETL-HR and STL. Heads will roll.

 

[Retail Girl]

The underlying problem, of course, is the fact that our leadership team won't support the front end, so we GSAs think we need to handle everything ourselves. So when the other two GSAs couldn't get to the GSTM in time to cover her, they felt they couldn't call on anyone to help. Our vibe scores are plummeting. The STL and ETL-GE are sending out threatening emails to the leadership team that they need to be supporting us up front. But with the STL being the biggest non-supporter of the bunch, the emails are a great joke to us GSAs.

 

[pfreshdude]

Still dont know how anyone goes into compliance. Get a watch or have a PDA or have your phone on you and make sure to check the time every so often and once your 4 hour mark begins you need to find a way to get to lunch. You have 1 hour...it isnt hard. Sorry if I sound like an ass but I mean really its just such a basic thing that seems to be an issue when it really shouldnt be, both at my store and other stores.

 

[Retail Girl]

The GSTM has only been there two months, and since she has to have someone cover her (generally the GSA/GSTL) she has always let them worry about it...she didn't figure it was on her. Also, the way schedules happen and the way people come in, people are generally all scheduled for their breaks and lunches at the same time. So someone gets scheduled for the 4:30 mark. If the people before them either can't or won't go at their scheduled time, or take an extra five minutes to use the bathroom, talk to someone, whatever, then they get shoved back. If the GSA gets busy/swamped on top of that, you really start to push your fifth hour.

There are times because of the schedule I have to put my lunch at the 4:45 mark. Since I always clock in 5 minutes early, that leaves me 10 minutes of wiggle room, which is pretty dangerous. I have never hit compliance, nor allowed a single person under me to hit compliance, but I personally have come darn close, heading to the time clock at a dead run.

 

[Kompa]

Still dont know how anyone goes into compliance. Get a watch or have a PDA or have your phone on you and make sure to check the time every so often and once your 4 hour mark begins you need to find a way to get to lunch. You have 1 hour...it isnt hard. Sorry if I sound like an ass but I mean really its just such a basic thing that seems to be an issue when it really shouldnt be, both at my store and other stores.

I agree with this, I see it a lot here actually. I mean, I know some guest can be a pain in the ass, but once you notice that 4 hour mark, you need to find coverage. Even if it means closing the lane. You can't can't be coached for trying to avoid compliance. How everyone here has issues with guests that last over an hour is beyond me. Even more so when it's their second time. Also, doesn't the LOD get a notice that someone is going to hit it at like their 15 before mark? It's like their tying to get on.

 

[Retail Girl]

Closing the only cashier lane I have open, or walking away from guest services when there is a line is simply not an option. And again, everyone can not walk off at the four hour mark when there are other breaks and lunches to work into the puzzle. We don't have the coverage to have more than one person off the front end at the same time.

I have never let my team go into compliance, but if you aren't paying attention, it can cut it close. It's not like (most of) the salesfloor or process teams who can just walk off as without a care in the world.

 

[Jill of All Trades]

It's definitely possible to get close to compliance when you're short handed. However, as long as you've kept your senior management in the loop and given them fair warning, I would definitely say "I have to go on lunch in ten minutes who can back me up?" then, "I have to go on lunch in five minutes and I have no backup. Who is responding?" then "I am going on lunch to avoid compliance. The front lanes will be unattended."

 

[BullseyeBabe]

I don't even know what to say about that. It would just about have to be MY life & death before I would ever call the hotline. I think you have already done all you can. You told the GSTM they could get termed for what they did. What more could you do? It sounds like you're stuck in a no win situation. I like Jill's suggestion, but I probably wouldn't have the guts to say it. All this just makes me really sad. Why do they insist on treating their really, really good people this way?

 

[Bosch]

I will say when my schedule changes, I can forget, cause being on a process team my hours are pretty stable(time of shift, not # of shifts). So a cellphone alarm is a good friend.

And it can be difficult to make your lunch when you have a big project going and those pesky guests won't leave you alone to get it done.

 

[awbuckit]

Still dont know how anyone goes into compliance. Get a watch or have a PDA or have your phone on you and make sure to check the time every so often and once your 4 hour mark begins you need to find a way to get to lunch. You have 1 hour...it isnt hard. Sorry if I sound like an ass but I mean really its just such a basic thing that seems to be an issue when it really shouldnt be, both at my store and other stores.

At my store you hit compliance at 6 hours. How the hell people don't take a lunch by 6 hours is beyond me! And I'm not talking cashiers or other front end staff. I'm talking pog/pricing/sf/flow staff. You know, where you aren't TIED to a register and can roam freely around the store! Ridiculous!!

 

[redeye58]

One of our older TMs (guy in his 60s) sets the timer on his watch after he clocks in, for 15 minutes before hitting non-compliance. When his timer goes off, he knows he's got 15 minutes to wrap things up & get to the timeclock.
With frontend, it sounds like an oncoming trainwreck: they'll continue to deny you the help needed &, when she hits compliance again, they'll either set the pattern for time fraud or let her take the fall.