Archived TM Drink Policy (what are the rules at your store)

[SuperTarget]

Ok so as of the last couple days my stores ETLs have kinda been on a witch hunt for Cashiers/Front End team members having drinks around them while on the clock.

I kinda wanted to ask around to see if your store has similar policies or if this is a corporate wide thing and my store is trying to enforce the rule a little further.

I was told:

• No drinks of any sort (open top or closed top)
• In sight of the guest or not
• Water still is not ok

I find this somewhat over the top but maybe thats just my opinion. If they are worried about guest perception I could buy that as a good reason so if it was out of sight (behind GSD or under register) with a lid I was hoping that would be ok. Or if that wasn't the reason and they were more worried about spills, if at least water would be allowed for closed top bottles where its easier for cleanup. And in the extreme case where the prohibition for all beverages is taking place at my local Target if maybe a doctors note would help me at least be able to keep a closed top water bottle behind the GSD.

I still have to get final clarification from HR tomorrow on how extreme they are taking this rule. I was told a register may have been damaged because of spills so that could be why they are quite upset but this rule has my team completely upset over how hard they are taking this.

I mean the guests are always leaving drinks around as well... Ive had guests leave their Triple Mocha Frappe on the Self Checkout machines and even cause a spill in another incident which was guest caused. This seems really dumb to be just going after the team members for this.

Guest = ok, Team Member (which is working for you) = not ok. Double Standards imho

Thoughts?

 

[gsa4lyfe]

Water on the salesfloor - https://www.thebreakroom.org/threads/water-on-the-salesfloor.20082/#post-466953

 

[mistershow]

when i'm on the lanes, they don't really care what we do w/them - i usually put it kind of under the register or next to the lane light. when i'm working guest services we have to put them behind the wall next to the sink ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

my gstl leaves their drink in their lane with all of their stuff

 

[REDcardJJ]

Get a doctors note. Technically your store is correct, drinks at the checklanes are a Steritech violation. You’d be allowed to have a water bottle with a doctor note though.

 

[starmaster1000]

Yeah this was an issue at my store too all of a sudden after the new ETL-HR started. We were able to have water under the register and behind the wall at GS but now nothing without a doctor's note.
Whatevs. I'll just take more frequent restroom breaks when I'm thirsty.

 

[Leo47]

Not strict at all I literally pretty much always have a Starbucks drink in my hand. STL just doesn’t like them on the GS counter

 

[StargazerOmega]

Nothing but water on the lanes at my store, which is OK with me, as I usually keep a soda or a Snapple in my locker for breaks and meal times.

 

[busyzoningtoys]

Lol we don’t give a shit at my store. Kind of hard for us to be strict about it when all of the leaders either have a Starbucks or lacroix in their hand constantly. Cashiers just keep their drinks tucked away somewhere at their lane, service desk keeps theirs under the counter, fitting room has a spot where soft lines stashes there’s, electronics and mobile have a spot at the boat, back room keeps theirs by receiving desk with the understanding that if we say steritech, they toss it. Closers will have theirs in their cart. I’m always leaving my drink everywhere and having to go retrieve it. They’d never complain though, as they’re coming out ahead when my 15 consists of buying a drink, then turning around and continuing to work lol #teamleadlife

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Water only at my store on the sales floor. No tm drinks at food ave or Starbucks behind the counter areas.

 

[Times Up]

Front end: depends who is GSTL. One allows water only, other doesn't give af.

Electronics boat:. water only in a covered container. The TL has a note up back there threatening to take away that privilege if the rule is broken.

Sales floor:. I don't know. I never see them with anything.

 

[Baethoven]

Idk what the rules are at my store other than we’re not supposed to have anything other than water in the backroom.... which considering the number of half empty Dr. Pepper bottles I keep finding laying around is clearly going well.

 

[starfishncoffee]

Our rule is water only. Keep it under your register/behind GS/etc. Had one STL who tried to take that away, but when HR got bombarded with doctors' notes, they had a little chat with the STL, who relented.

 

[Marvin Martian]

That is all good if you are on a lane or at Guest Services but when you are hardlines on the floor we cannot have drinks with us. But some of us keep a water bottle stashed because between the walking talking pushing and cardboard your mouth gets very dry.

 

[Baethoven]

Yeah pretty much all of the hardlines people at my store carry water around. A lot of us will just put our bottles on our uboats or flats to have with us as we work. I’ve never had any manager ever tell me that was not okay and they’ve watched me chug down half a bottle on the floor 😂

 

[allnew2]

Ok so as of the last couple days my stores ETLs have kinda been on a witch hunt for Cashiers/Front End team members having drinks around them while on the clock.

I kinda wanted to ask around to see if your store has similar policies or if this is a corporate wide thing and my store is trying to enforce the rule a little further.

I was told:

• No drinks of any sort (open top or closed top)
• In sight of the guest or not
• Water still is not ok

I find this somewhat over the top but maybe thats just my opinion. If they are worried about guest perception I could buy that as a good reason so if it was out of sight (behind GSD or under register) with a lid I was hoping that would be ok. Or if that wasn't the reason and they were more worried about spills, if at least water would be allowed for closed top bottles where its easier for cleanup. And in the extreme case where the prohibition for all beverages is taking place at my local Target if maybe a doctors note would help me at least be able to keep a closed top water bottle behind the GSD.

I still have to get final clarification from HR tomorrow on how extreme they are taking this rule. I was told a register may have been damaged because of spills so that could be why they are quite upset but this rule has my team completely upset over how hard they are taking this.

I mean the guests are always leaving drinks around as well... Ive had guests leave their Triple Mocha Frappe on the Self Checkout machines and even cause a spill in another incident which was guest caused. This seems really dumb to be just going after the team members for this.

Guest = ok, Team Member (which is working for you) = not ok. Double Standards imho

Thoughts?

There is no food or drink in my backroom ever.

 

[can't touch this]

It literally doesn't matter what TMs do with drinks as long as Starbucks is a thing and guests continue to buy drinks and leave the half-empty cups full of curdled slime around the store. I find it really hard to believe that me leaving a Gatorade bottle on an endcap in my workcenter is any worse than Stacey leaving her slimy frap cup next to a mannequin in softlines (protip: it's not)

 

[REDcardJJ]

Steritech is just a company that Target pays to come in and make sure everything is brand and guest friendly. OSHA is an actual government entity with authority, and OSHA requires that employers provide employees with potable water (drinking fountain, covered container, or single-use bottle). They only allow exceptions in specific areas where contamination is a legitimate concern (likely Starbucks), but then require that employers offer those employees regular water/refreshment breaks.

Given cashiers can't just walk away from their lane to drink water in the breakroom, it's not really Target's call as to whether they can have water bottles with them at the lane.

Why not? As long as you check out with the GSA before doing it, this would definitely be a thing you can do if you can’t have a water bottle at your lane. It’d be considered a reasonable accommodation.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Our backroom and SFS teams take drinks with them. The SFS TMs/TLs carts have water, Starbucks, whatever in them, some even have cup holders. The ETL- Log has a Starbucks cup grafted to her hand, so she doesn’t say anything. Amazingly, that’s about the only thing she doesn’t bitch about...

 

[FlowTeamChick]

Officially, it's only water in a clear, closed container (a lid like on a Starbucks cup isn't sufficient). We used to be more strict and it was only water and only with a doctor's note. I've noticed some people have a bottle of soda or a coffee with them before the store opens, and no one seems to get in trouble about it. One TM has her coffee with her most of the time in a non-approved container. Rules don't mean a whole lot at my store.

 

[Bullseyerc]

I pretend to care.. but I honestly don’t. Usually I just pretend I saw nothing (other GSTL is on a power trip over it though and yet they had a venti starbucks at photo the other day and I challenged them on it).. guess what? They ended up saying they would throw it away and I WAS THE ONE who threw it away for them! Then again, no one on the team likes said “GSTL” >_>

And I am aware it is a major violation but I still don’t care enough to micromanaged my team on it as long as it doesn’t become a major disturbance.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

And I am aware it is a major violation but I still don’t care enough to micromanaged my team on it as long as it doesn’t become a major disturbance.

Ditto. The store is almost always too hot, and the team is rushing around trying to meet deadlines, why make them more uncomfortable? Good hydration is their friend, I’m not going to be the one to take it away from them.😁

 

[Bosch]

Our backroom and SFS teams take drinks with them. The SFS TMs/TLs carts have water, Starbucks, whatever in them, some even have cup holders. The ETL- Log has a Starbucks cup grafted to her hand, so she doesn’t say anything. Amazingly, that’s about the only thing she doesn’t bitch about...

We do on our carts as well, however when the store opens, they stay in the backroom. I only leave the cup holder on the cart so depending on where I have to park vs the location in the backroom I am pulling the backroom peeps know that isn't backstock.

 

[YoNanas]

They care but they don't. And water is water. I consider "drink" is something sweet and flavored. And it's more a violation to have your team work dehydrated running around all day and lifting like at the gym than the "drinks" on the floor themselves. I don't give a fuck. I'm not gonna let Target and these MF have me get a UTI or premature kidney failure.

 

[YoNanas]

Steritech is just a company that Target pays to come in and make sure everything is brand and guest friendly. OSHA is an actual government entity with authority, and OSHA requires that employers provide employees with potable water (drinking fountain, covered container, or single-use bottle). They only allow exceptions in specific areas where contamination is a legitimate concern (likely Starbucks), but then require that employers offer those employees regular water/refreshment breaks.

Given cashiers can't just walk away from their lane to drink water in the breakroom, it's not really Target's call as to whether they can have water bottles with them at the lane.

And only time Target cares about dates on food being up to code or anything else of that nature is when Steritech is coming. Other than that, they don't even care on a regular basis if food is getting FIFO or bother to schedule the team to start early enough to have enough time to do their job right. That's why I stopped caring when they say Steritech is coming because anyway, Steritech is a company Target pays and not an inspector from the city or state. And the leaders are the ones who should be proactive up to that day. Water will not attract any flies so I do not see how it's gross to have water. Fuck them. I'm still gonna be chugging down my water. Got a 24-pack in my car. So I never run out. At least for the week.

Health > Target

 

[Falkor]

I had to get a doctor's letter for water on the floor. I am in hardlines.