I work out in the Fuel Station and have been for 15 months now. It has not only been me, but everyone that works out here, that has been having issues here at my store to where they will avoid giving us breaks. The front desk is in charge of giving us breaks by sending cashiers out here for our 15 minute breaks and 30 minute lunches, however they always seem to never want to send anyone out. It usually follows up with excuses such as, "We don't have anyone that knows fuel." or "We are full inside right now." when in fact both times I have seen cashiers inside through the front window standing around laughing, talking, and far from busy. I have even talked to the front desk CSMs (Customer Service Manager) and ASCMs (Assistant Customer Service Manager) about sending cashiers out on their downtime and we can train them to use the register for 15 minutes. That usually follows up with an empty promise of, "Ok, we will."
It has now got to the point to where we (everyone in the fuel station) hardly ever gets breaks. I have brought this situation up to the store manager and the assistant store managers (we have 3). The store manager seems to not to have a care in the world if we get our breaks and the assistant store managers either forget or just don't care about it either since they simply say, "Oh yeah, I'll get on the front desk about that." We do get hungry out here, we are not allowed to run a transaction for ourselves (only one person in the kiosk), and we get yelled at for bringing our own food out here. So with this issue I have decided to write a grievance, however I have no clue on how to do this. I have never wrote one and I don't want to ask the front desk or management, because I don't want it to be a situation of "Hey, how do I write a grievance so I can complain about you?"
Would anyone know how to go about writing one? Any and all help is much appreciated.
Sorry to hear this is going on. Having not filed a grievance myself, I would recommend speaking with your union steward at the store.
They are usually a department head, or someone that has been there a while. Orrrr... just walk over to the deli and ask. They file lots of grievances. :p
I find it hilarious that a fuel clerk is whining about not getting a break. Your entire shift is a break.
I would have to agree. Having worked in 2 stores with fuel centers, I can testify that not having coverage for breaks comes down to the fuel lead not adequately working overlapping coverage into the schedule. My last store had a problem with it because the lead did not do so and spent most of his shift in the store chatting every day. My current store's lead actually works and pays attention to his schedule; we haven't relieved a single break in the 10 months I've been here.
Also, OP may not be able to file a grievance without being in the union, so if they aren't already, that would be step 1.
I find it hilarious that a fuel clerk is whining about not getting a break. Your entire shift is a break.
I would have to agree. Having worked in 2 stores with fuel centers, I can testify that not having coverage for breaks comes down to the fuel lead not adequately working overlapping coverage into the schedule. My last store had a problem with it because the lead did not do so and spent most of his shift in the store chatting every day. My current store's lead actually works and pays attention to his schedule; we haven't relieved a single break in the 10 months I've been here.
Also, OP may not be able to file a grievance without being in the union, so if they aren't already, that would be step 1.
If I were OP, I would save the $200 in initiation fees, quit, and work for someone who isn't a slave driver or apply for cashier in the store where you are guaranteed a break at the expense of being micromanaged by the Red Vestites.
I find it hilarious that a fuel clerk is whining about not getting a break. Your entire shift is a break.
I would have to agree. Having worked in 2 stores with fuel centers, I can testify that not having coverage for breaks comes down to the fuel lead not adequately working overlapping coverage into the schedule. My last store had a problem with it because the lead did not do so and spent most of his shift in the store chatting every day. My current store's lead actually works and pays attention to his schedule; we haven't relieved a single break in the 10 months I've been here.
Also, OP may not be able to file a grievance without being in the union, so if they aren't already, that would be step 1.
@Anonymous
I agree with you completely that our whole shift is a break. We literally sit down all day and get paid to do it, however I am complaining because I get hungry out there and I am not allowed to bring food into the kiosk (or so says the store manager). Since there is only one clerk in the kiosk at a time we cannot "ring" ourselves up otherwise we risk losing our jobs. I simply wanted to get some food and the service desk wouldn't let anyone out to relieve me for even 2 minutes (I don't care if it is a break or not, I just wanted to get some food ;p ). Hardly anyone in the kiosk ever asks for a break, but the one time I do I am told no.
@techelite
Breaks in our store do not fall on the fuel lead. Breaks are managed from the front end since there is only one clerk in the kiosk at any given time in the day except for the 30 minute shift overlap. I have tried speaking with my fuel lead to increase the shift overlap to see if we can squeeze in breaks then, but then the store manager steps in and says no and that only 30 minute overlaps are allowed. To be honest it is starting to sound like my store manager isn't very good. I am in the union by the way, I have been since day one.
If I were OP, I would save the $200 in initiation fees, quit, and work for someone who isn't a slave driver or apply for cashier in the store where you are guaranteed a break at the expense of being micromanaged by the Red Vestites.
I would never quit the fuel station. The fuel station has one key benefit which is that on our down times (when it gets slow and everything is clean and completed) I can do school work on the job in the back of the kiosk in between customers.
I recently had to talk to my union rep about a problem in the store and he said that if the problem continues that I should call him back and he would help me file a grievance. I would say find your local unions number and give your rep a call. I found my unions number on the union website. Good luck.
Seriously? You get paid to take a break, so why not take it. It's the law that they are required to give you one. So it's ok that everyone else gets away from customers for a bit, but because we sit down we can't. I find this post hilarious.
I find it hilarious that a fuel clerk is whining about not getting a break. Your entire shift is a break.
I would have to agree. Having worked in 2 stores with fuel centers, I can testify that not having coverage for breaks comes down to the fuel lead not adequately working overlapping coverage into the schedule. My last store had a problem with it because the lead did not do so and spent most of his shift in the store chatting every day. My current store's lead actually works and pays attention to his schedule; we haven't relieved a single break in the 10 months I've been here.
Also, OP may not be able to file a grievance without being in the union, so if they aren't already, that would be step 1.
If I were OP, I would save the $200 in initiation fees, quit, and work for someone who isn't a slave driver or apply for cashier in the store where you are guaranteed a break at the expense of being micromanaged by the Red Vestites.
The OP and the reply agreeing are hilarious. Let's not get breaks that we get PAID to get. Let's not get treated equally for breaks like everyone else in the store. Wtf is this. It's the LAW.
