Our time-clocks round to the nearest :15 when dealing with clock-ins. So, if you clock in at 9:54, it treats it the same way (pay wise), as if you clocked in at 10:06.
So at our store, a LOT of people clock in early by 7 minutes, and leave 7 minutes early. E.g. if you work 8 to 4:30, you'd clock in 7:53 - 4:23. Makes life easier as you don't need to pointlessly wait by the time clocks. And as a bonus, if a person is needed 7 minutes early than their "actual" time (like if we got a huge rush), they can go ahead and help out.
Now, on the Front End, we've been told we can't do this any more. Everything has to be to the precise minute, unless you're running late b/c of traffic or such. I asked our union person, and she said so long as we make sure not to clock out *too* early (8+ minutes), we should be fine. But out FE manager in particular has been completely anal about it. This is leading to people getting seriously teed off, especially when they see all the other departments leaving 7 minutes earlier than they are. And I fully agree, it seems like a pointless rule seeing as it doesn't affect our pay or anything, and improves our morale and just plain makes sense.
SO...how do your stores do this? Is there a strict limit or a leeway? What do "Da Rules" say?
-- Edited by Going 4011 on Sunday 31st of August 2014 08:28:16 PM
I always clock in a few minutes early, but I don't leave until at least right on the minute. Like today I clocked in at 9:55 but clocked out at 6:00 right on the dot.
I'm not sure if i'd be allowed to clock out at 5:55 or not.
I'll clock in 7 minutes early if I know I have a lot of work in front of me. In most cases the biometric, finger scan, timeclocks are programed to not let you clock in before then, either.
Whether or not you'd be "allowed" to clock out at however many minutes early is really a matter of how anal your mgt wants to be about it.
Since I'm not on the front end I generally clock in a little early and leave on the dot because I have stuff to do. If I was on front end I would be the fool clocking in 7 minutes late and leaving 7 minutes early. The way they treat people up there makes the Gulag look like fun.
According to our shop steward, the 7 minute rule is in our contract so management can't do anything about it. But they can go after those who abuse the 7 minute grace period when it comes to breaks and lunches.
The thing is front end, at least with cashiers, is very time sensitive. I have one courtesy clerk who tries to leave five minutes early based on a clock that itself is running a couple minutes fast and I tell him NO, you're scheduled until this time you need to stay until this time.
If you come in just before the 7 minutes is up then the person you are relieving might be over on time. They might need to get to their bus stop or to school or pick up their kids or 1000 other things. Don't be stealing their time. Or maybe they need to move from one spot to another like to the service desk or floor. There's a "rule" that you can't leave until your relief arrives but some people just don't care and leave without saying anything.
One of our supervisors operates on her own time and it's getting on my nerves. She strolls in as she pleases then bitches if you try to hurry her because she's 7 minutes or 15 minutes late or whatever. She thinks whatever's distracted her is more important than getting to her schedule place to work. It's also not fair because other people have been written up for abusing the seven minute grace period and she is supposed to be setting an example.
I have never heard of anyone at my store being disciplined over the stupid 7-minute rule. 7:53 is the same as 8:07.
I have, however, had managers stop me one minute before clock-out time to ask for a "quick favor, shouldn't take but 5 minutes"... (gee what a coincidence) ... so I don't feel guilty about clocking out 7 minutes early.
Never been on the front end but I usually clock in anywhere from 6 to 7 am regardless of what my schedule says. I definitely have more 'schedule not found' messages than anybody else in my store. In all reality it doesn't matter though it still all goes into the system.
I have always used the no clocking out 7 minutes early rule with my department. You are scheduled to be working based on needs of your department, not just to work 8 hours. Also, in the front end, their are usually replacement associates. Therefore, if you are scheduled 8-4, but take it upon yourself to work 753-353, and your "replacement" is working 4-8 but is running late and clocks in at 407, that's up to 15 minutes that your department was shorted a body. Now this may not seem like a lot, but if there is a big rush, you could be looking at 2 possibly avoidable dips. I'll say the same thing that I have always told my people, "If you clock in 7 minutes early, that's your time; if you clock out 7 minutes early, that's my time!"
I have always used the no clocking out 7 minutes early rule with my department. You are scheduled to be working based on needs of your department, not just to work 8 hours. Also, in the front end, their are usually replacement associates. Therefore, if you are scheduled 8-4, but take it upon yourself to work 753-353, and your "replacement" is working 4-8 but is running late and clocks in at 407, that's up to 15 minutes that your department was shorted a body. Now this may not seem like a lot, but if there is a big rush, you could be looking at 2 possibly avoidable dips. I'll say the same thing that I have always told my people, "If you clock in 7 minutes early, that's your time; if you clock out 7 minutes early, that's my time!"
Sorry but that is a load. This is Kroger. Kroger does not schedule based on needs of the department. I don't know about other departments, but were this true, Front End would run a lot smoother than it currently does. As it stands, Front End at my store is like trying to walk through a thunderstorm with the wind having inverted your umbrella.
Needs of your department, my behind.
This cookie sale has been going on for two whole periods but have they given us more hours? Of course not. Part timers can't have more than 25 hours, after all! So annoying.
i have been annoyed as sh*t with this. if you want to see my post 'just. idek' in the forum it goes into detail
i do avoid dipping out if i'm behind a register and the store's not dead but if i've been on lot for two hours and it's looking pretty good from my effort im dipping out. i try to maintain healthy relationships with my coworkers but this is creating drama.