Archived Do you guys take all your 15 min breaks?

[Times Up]

Absolutely! I am not capable of dealing with guest after guest for 5.75 hours...my store's favorite shift for cashiers.

 

[Bosch]

Hah 15s? I take 30s sometimes.

So yes

I have stretched a few like that.

 

[HRLady]

I USED to not take mine

Me too. When I first started at Target, I skipped my breaks to get a bit more stuff done. Then, I realized how dumb that was to do because it is effort and sacrifice that goes unnoticed by Leaders (not to mention that you get paid to NOT work for 15 minutes - this alone should be a good enough reason to take a break). Most ETLs don't know and can't know that Team Members are skipping breaks. In fact, if they ever found out, there would be consequences instead because it is a terminable offense for anyone who condones it. Since it is a lose-lose situation, it would be illogical to continue doing it. No more working for free and putting myself at risk for termination.

 

[countingsheep]

No job on this planet is worth skipping a break least wise this job. Realistically its completely pointless to get whatever done because there will always always be something else needing done to. Take your break dont risk a rule nazi catching you because you wont get praise for it.

 

[Kartman]

I need a site for extremely attractive people.

 

[Greenie]

I've skipped a few of my seconds. Sometimes I'm just trucking along and then comes in my relief and I'm like, oh it's time for me to leave?

But mostly I take them.

 

[PackAndCry]

Certain states it's a fireable offense.

I USED to not take mine but all I realized is it creates unrealistic expectations on how long a task takes.

Also tms who don't take their breaks are generally moodier and less connected to the store. Sometimes it's nice to sit in the breakroom and learn what's going on around the store.

See, this is another thing for me. I find that the days that I feel pissed off at work, it's the days I didn't take all my breaks. The 15s give me a chance to destress and relax. Plus, with how much walking we do in SFS, it gives my feet a chance to rest, which is always a good thing.

 

[HRZone]

In the end, all I want is at the minimum for the ETLs in my store to spend 30 mins learning to ring and write on cups. Because they aren't bound to the allotted hours. And most of the time are in the building. But that is too much to ask of them because it is not within their "core role".

I feel your frustration on that part we actually go over mytimes allotment for Starbucks because everyone but my CTL refuses to go back there.

I would challenge your leaders. Either give me more hours to write a schedule with break coverage or cover our breaks.

Rather than skip the last break the Starbucks tm should get on walkie "LOD I have to go to break what do you want me to do?"

If they refuse. Finally as a leader you should know how to leave an anonymous hotline call tip. It's actually a fireable offense to deny a team member a break. I can print the policy tomorrow.

You aren't doing your team any favors having them skip their breaks. Like you said they're frustrared, you're frustrated if you want something to change you have to push the envelope

 

[HRZone]

Also if you want to PM me. There are ways to schedule Starbucks and cafe to require the fewest breaks possible. I write the food schedules at my store and if we don't have break coverage I won't schedule tms more than 5.75 hours for a second break they will never get

 

[SoCalMama]

I still write my departments schedule. With hours we are given, there is not much room for overlap without screwing my morning team and closing team. Most of our hours are dedicated to the weekend as well because its a mad house than. What my team needs is literally back-up. Quite literally, if we press the help button. The response is: "Can someone please tell Starbucks to stop pressing that button. No one is coming to help them." Which is frustrating and demoralizing to my team.

Mean while they come up to us to requisition a drink for [insert tm] for helping front end. Or come to us when we are alone with 8 people in line and 3-4 drinks in Que. Asking us to make samples for the team huddle to boost store morale. I'm ranting at the moment but clearly I am tired and frustrated. And the fact that my direct ETL doesn't even know how to ring people up just adds to the fume.

Its been like this before I even took over. I'm friends with the previous TL who step down to a different store. So I knew this going into it. A year later, I worked hard to rebuild a new team. And we together worked hard to end the year with double digit sales comp and getting an award from our Starbucks DM for being store of the quarter. It just feels like we get the the short end of the stick. And no one will even come to help us. Let alone allow us to shut Starbucks down for a break. In fear of our DM walking in.

In the end, all I want is at the minimum for the ETLs in my store to spend 30 mins learning to ring and write on cups. Because they aren't bound to the allotted hours. And most of the time are in the building. But that is too much to ask of them because it is not within their "core role".

Every GSTL and most GSA's at my old store could write on a cup and ring an order. I also shamed the STL into learning. I may or may not have called him "weak".

 

[SilentCrow]

Never take my 15s because no coverage. Scheduled 7am - 3pm, but the mid comes in at 12p. GSTL is constantly called therefore I have to wait until my mid comes in. By that time it's time for my meal.

 

[SoCalMama]

Never take my 15s because no coverage. Scheduled 7am - 3pm, but the mid comes in at 12p. GSTL is constantly called therefore I have to wait until my mid comes in. By that time it's time for my meal.

That's completely reasonable if you are making $60,000 or more a year. LOD or any random cashier should cover your break.

 

[SurefireWolf]

I practically never take my breaks because I never have time. If we finish the Due Today batches at 1:55, I am told that if I had taken a 15 we'd have missed the time. If I DO take (or attempt to take) a break, an SPU will ALWAYS drop and the LOD will tell me I have to get it. Me saying "I'll get it in 10 minutes" is simply not an option. A couple days ago I had a cold and would have loved to sit down for 15 minutes, but there were a ton of SPUs that day and nobody wanted to cover them because "That's SFS'es job" and I was the only one scheduled.
It's really annoying because everyone except the SFS team gets to take a 15.

 

[Leo47]

Never take my 15s because no coverage. Scheduled 7am - 3pm, but the mid comes in at 12p. GSTL is constantly called therefore I have to wait until my mid comes in. By that time it's time for my meal.

You don’t have any GSTMs that you could trust to watch the front for your break???

 

[smashandthrash]

It was a de facto rule to skip second break if you were in the backroom at my old store. Obviously they wouldn't stop you if you did take it, but you would be looked down upon. We were all pretty competitive anyway.

 

[can't touch this]

15+30+15 or GTFO. Not my problem if coverage is bad...put me in charge of hiring and writing the schedule and we won't have any more issues :^)

I prefer hour meal breaks though. Especially if I have to burn through 15 minutes waiting in line at the checkout to buy my food. My last job gave hour meals but I know better than to ask if they can schedule me 30 minutes earlier and let me take an hour (even though it's the same amount of time)

 

[commiecorvus]

At my store they combined the two 15s into one thirty for the flow and plano team who came in at the same time (and the signing ninja).
We liked it.
You didn't forget your break times, there wasn't as much packing things up, walking to the back, coming backing and unpacking things.
It worked really well.
Then the STL we all liked who made the store golden left putting the HR TL in charge and she had to follow the rules.
I skipped my second break a lot, which got me written up once.

Moral of the story, don't skip your second break boys and girls.

 

[Bosch]

I practically never take my breaks because I never have time. If we finish the Due Today batches at 1:55, I am told that if I had taken a 15 we'd have missed the time. If I DO take (or attempt to take) a break, an SPU will ALWAYS drop and the LOD will tell me I have to get it. Me saying "I'll get it in 10 minutes" is simply not an option. A couple days ago I had a cold and would have loved to sit down for 15 minutes, but there were a ton of SPUs that day and nobody wanted to cover them because "That's SFS'es job" and I was the only one scheduled.
It's really annoying because everyone except the SFS team gets to take a 15.

That is bullshit and you know it.. They won't cover it since you let them not cover it.

I am the on the only Scheduled for SFS and you know what - that shit waits.

"I am on my 15 I will pick it when I come back or someone else can start the batch, I will take over when I come back." And you turn off the radio and take your break.

 

[HRZone]

Never take my 15s because no coverage. Scheduled 7am - 3pm, but the mid comes in at 12p. GSTL is constantly called therefore I have to wait until my mid comes in. By that time it's time for my meal.

I think you are generally a strong gstl from what I have read on here but I have to say if you haven't trained one or two cashier's to cover your breaks that's pretty poor leadership.

Weren't you saying how at your store the cashier's can pull batches to fill end caps but they can't cover your 15?

It may be you needing to realize that you're not the only one who can lead the front and you need to trust your peers.

 

[HRZone]

I practically never take my breaks because I never have time. If we finish the Due Today batches at 1:55, I am told that if I had taken a 15 we'd have missed the time. If I DO take (or attempt to take) a break, an SPU will ALWAYS drop and the LOD will tell me I have to get it. Me saying "I'll get it in 10 minutes" is simply not an option. A couple days ago I had a cold and would have loved to sit down for 15 minutes, but there were a ton of SPUs that day and nobody wanted to cover them because "That's SFS'es job" and I was the only one scheduled.
It's really annoying because everyone except the SFS team gets to take a 15.

This is a pretty weak excuse to not take a break.

You tell the LOD you're going to take a break and they need someone to watch for flex fills. At my store our electronics tms, backroom tms, and a couple others know how to fulfill flex orders.

You have company policy backing you up on this. You're working for free, stop being a sucker

 

[Miked0292]

There has been times where I don't take my last break , but I try to take lunch at the start of the 4th hour because this way if I notice something before going on break I have time built in so I can take care of it.

 

[Kartman]

As much as some of you may believe, the store is NOT going to suffer because you take the breaks you've earned.

The only thing you're hurting is your fellow TMs.

Don't be hurting!!!

 

[IcePeasant]

Leadership knows I am a hard worker and get my work done, like these past two weeks. Hell with being sick and having to set almost every endcap I own. But I’ll leave with a clean green slate. That being said, they walkie me on my 15s/Lunches/ even though they well know I am on said 15s/Lunches.

 

[therealtd]

No, I never take my breaks.

 

[Produce Queen]

Can you imagine the PR nightmare for Target if the media did a story on emoloyees not taking their breaks because they feel they can’t get coverage or get their work done?