I worked 3:30 - 9 yesterday and had to work the parking lot twice, once from 4-5 and again from 7-8. As a Courtesy Clerk I have to be bagging, floating among the check-outs, but that lot can still take some energy out of you. By 8 p.m. when I came back in from the second lot duty I hadn't had a break yet so I gave myself one. One of the ass't managers came up and said I wasn't in trouble for doing it but next time to ask. I only started a week ago and am still learning who to ask, and most employees I talk to tell me that the managers usually come up to you and tell you to take a break. Seems I can't win no matter what. I was told that I 'wasn't in trouble' for it but dammit, after that second lot duty in 50-degree temps with Wednesday being our 'senior discount day' and having more customers than I'd seen in awhile, I needed a break.
lol. Sounds like my department manager. Calls me a wuss when I want to take a break after 2 hours!
3:30-9. That shift usually includes an unpaid lunch break(30 min) and a 15 minute break at our store. Yours might be different.
Don't worry about it. It was a friendly request from the manager. I think the manager mostly wants to know where you are and that you are safe. And not kidnapped while gathering shopping carts! :)
The Customer Service manager(CSM or AssistantCSM) is in charge of you(At our store, that is how it works). The store manager and comanagers are above them. The CSM will be the ones that tell you when to take a break and when to get carts. Sometimes, they get busy and forget. Sometimes, it is too busy to let courtesy clerks get a break on time. It is wrong to make CCs wait 4 1/2 hours for a break.
On your next shift, go in 5-10 minutes early and try to speak to the Customer Service Manager. Tell them what hours you are scheduled for that day. Ask if you are supposed to take a lunch and a break. Or, only a break for a 3:30-9 shift. If a lunch and a break, that should give you a break every 2 hours. If only a break, that will give you a break after 3 hours. The other courtesy clerks should be able to tell you how the ACSM doles out the breaks. If you get missed, go to the CSM, use your charm and ask if you can have a break.
As a last resort, If this becomes a pattern of you getting late breaks, ask your shop steward how to file a grievance for getting breaks in an untimely manner. If you are not union, you might get some relief from the Cultural Council.
Don't worry about it. Get to know your CSMs and keep learning as you go. One mistake after a week isn't bad at all!!
This sounds exactly like our front end. While the CSM and backup are to busy chit-chatting or running around the store shopping ON THE CLOCK, our breaks get later and later. And each late break only snowballs into the next making them all later and later. It is pretty much the rule rather than the exception, that they will be at least an hour late if not more. Sometimes we are lucky and get them only to come back, work 1/2 hour and go home. Good luck with your breaks. Are you a minor? If so, there are probably state laws regarding your breaks and lunches. Check into it and don't be afraid to call your union.
Courtesy clerks are hard to keep track of; don't send yourself on break because we need to know where you are are managers hold us accountable for that. Please don't whine.
I depend on mine to ask me for their breaks so I can look at the situation and decide if I need to wait for somebody to come back from some other task or risk a service failure.
In my division, a shift under 7 hours gets you just one fifteen minute break.
While the CSM and backup are to busy chit-chatting or running around the store shopping ON THE CLOCK, our breaks get later and later.
My CSM runs her mouth usually with the manager on duty ignores her floor and shops on the clock. She'll disappear fifteen minutes and come back with a cart of stuff she's going to buy before going home. It makes me crazy.
Courtesy clerks are hard to keep track of; don't send yourself on break because we need to know where you are are managers hold us accountable for that. Please don't whine.
I depend on mine to ask me for their breaks so I can look at the situation and decide if I need to wait for somebody to come back from some other task or risk a service failure.
In my division, a shift under 7 hours gets you just one fifteen minute break.
I wonder how many courtesy clerks on any given day are hiding in their car or in the bottle room at all Krogers. Oh and don't forget the classic "break extender" of asking to use the restroom when you clock back in. There are some amazing CC's out there who deserve breaks on time. But there are also a bunch of bastards too that pretend a 15 minute break is really a 22 minute break. And when they finally do roll out of the breakroom, their first two questions are: "Can I use the restroom?" and "When can I get off earliest?" If Kroger eliminated the bad apples, then I'm sure that would solve a lot. Less cold reshop shrink, less pissed off customers, less dips, cleaner stores, and more hours for the people who actually work. Just my $0.02.
Courtesy clerks are hard to keep track of; don't send yourself on break because we need to know where you are are managers hold us accountable for that. Please don't whine.
I depend on mine to ask me for their breaks so I can look at the situation and decide if I need to wait for somebody to come back from some other task or risk a service failure.
In my division, a shift under 7 hours gets you just one fifteen minute break.
I wonder how many courtesy clerks on any given day are hiding in their car or in the bottle room at all Krogers. Oh and don't forget the classic "break extender" of asking to use the restroom when you clock back in. There are some amazing CC's out there who deserve breaks on time. But there are also a bunch of bastards too that pretend a 15 minute break is really a 22 minute break. And when they finally do roll out of the breakroom, their first two questions are: "Can I use the restroom?" and "When can I get off earliest?" If Kroger eliminated the bad apples, then I'm sure that would solve a lot. Less cold reshop shrink, less pissed off customers, less dips, cleaner stores, and more hours for the people who actually work. Just my $0.02.
I feel like you and I would be friends IRL lol I couldn't agree more.
I'm one of the better employees in my 70+ employee front end because of my combination of hard work and significant knowledge; as a member of dept mgmt, I get frustrated because I can't make up for others labor-wise because then I wouldn't be doing my own job.
My FE has about 70 employees too. Store total is about 180. Second biggest department is deli in my store, and I's haaaaaate to work in there. Just as micromanaged as front end.
Checked in kronos today. 72 FE-coded employees atm with ~5 on school leaves.
At my store only one bagger can be on school leave. Unfortunately some of the best employees can't be re-hired because of this and they end up working somewhere else.
Is there even a way to find out how many employees your store has?
Only if you have Kronos access. If not, you'd have to ask someone who does. They'd print an employee master report that would tell how many employees fit specific requirement and if everything is left blank, it lists everyone in the store.
