Annoying new strict rules at work place.

[alkemyst]

I knew a guy who took 8 to10 smoking breaks a day at 10-15 minutes each. he used to eat his lunch at his desk and tell everyone that he's such a hard worker and never takes lunch breaks. :\

I'd terminate you just based on obviously how much time you spent logging his traffic each day or for lying about co-workers.

Either way, you'd be out.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I knew a guy who took 8 to10 smoking breaks a day at 10-15 minutes each. he used to eat his lunch at his desk and tell everyone that he's such a hard worker and never takes lunch breaks. :\

Smoke breaks just mean "not at the desk", doesn't mean "not working."

At my job, it's 60% thinking, 20% politics, and 20% paperwork and red tape. I figured out many solutions to issues with a cigarette in my mouth.

That said, it's been a while since I've had any smokes, and I used to take 2 or 3 smoke breaks during a 9ish hour day ...

But, anyhow ... "on smoke break" can still be "working" if you work with your mind.

 

[SZLiao214]

At my restaurant the owners don't allow employees to use the flavored syrups in their own drinks. It cost around 5 dollars for the 2 quart container.

 

[momeNt]

You need to unionize and start collectively bargaining for your rights as workers.

First find out as inconspicuously as possible how receptive ownership would be to sign a contract that would make them signatory to the union that you would eventually be forming.

If it's favorable, hurry up and unionize and begin your first session of collective bargaining. Start with demands 3X more than you know they'll ever accept, then when you settle they will think they talked you down when in reality it's more than you initially wanted.

It's absolutely key that you start off really big with your first collective bargaining agreement, subsequent ones ownership will be bringing in more and more lawyers and financial consultants to analyze the funds of the unions and how well both ownership and union could weather a work stoppage.

If they wouldn't be receptive to becoming signatory to your eventual union. Go ahead and create the union, but bring on some some seasoned union members from a local construction union to begin setting up pickets, and inflatable rats to place in front of your workplace. Eventually ownership will be beat into submission. Then follow what I previously outlined into getting back some of your worker rights.

Eventually you will bleed the company dry, but just make sure you are in charge of the union pension and you'll be able to profit nicely off the demise of the company.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

What is this thing called a "break"?

It's what they do to your legs when you stop working.

 

[Mxylplyx]

I went to college so I don't have to deal with crap like this. Part of being a professional is being treated like a professional. I haven't had my breaks managed down to the minute since I worked retail in high school.

 

[TheNinja]

I had a job with rigid breaks....when I was in High School bagging groceries and working construction. Not in the business world though.

 

[Phynaz]

Let me guess, OP is a union member.

 

[bearxor]

So my workplace will be enforcing new rules for our 15 minute breaks and it sucks.

1. The 2 15 minute breaks we get cannot be combined into a 30 minute one, they must be taken 15 minute in the morning, and 15 minute in the afternoon.

2. We cannot leave the building during our 15 minute break.

Sucks.

Mistake I thought this was OT.

Seriously?

At my last job, I was the only "offical" employee left. The last one that was actually employeed by the company (aside from the owner). I called out because I just spent 5 days driving to El Paso to get my sister-in-law and her baby because her husband decided he wanted to be a dick and I didn't get home until late Sunday. (I was actually on christmas vacation the prior week).

He then sent out a memo the following day to everybody that worked for the company, including contractors (remember, I'm the only actual employee at this point) stating that the new rule for employees regarding time was to work from 8a-5p with a 30 minute lunch. This is two weeks after he slashes my pay and a few weeks after he converts the next-to-last employee to a contractor.

Cut my pay, increase my hours and take away a half hour of my lunch? I quit that day.

 

[momeNt]

Let me guess, OP is a union member.

Lol not a chance.

Holidays and breaks are something held sacred. No union president wants to be the guy to give those up during collective bargaining. The only thing worse than giving up that would be giving up a 40-hour guarantee I would imagine.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

You need to unionize and start collectively bargaining for your rights as workers.

Texas is a right-to-work state: no unions allowed.

 

[Leros]

Smoke breaks just mean "not at the desk", doesn't mean "not working."

At my job, it's 60% thinking, 20% politics, and 20% paperwork and red tape. I figured out many solutions to issues with a cigarette in my mouth.

That said, it's been a while since I've had any smokes, and I used to take 2 or 3 smoke breaks during a 9ish hour day ...

But, anyhow ... "on smoke break" can still be "working" if you work with your mind.

Yup. Sometimes the most productive thing I can do is stop working and go for a 10 minutes walk outside. It helps to clear the head and gives me time to mull some ideas around.

 

[DCal430]

You need to unionize and start collectively bargaining for your rights as workers.

First find out as inconspicuously as possible how receptive ownership would be to sign a contract that would make them signatory to the union that you would eventually be forming.

If it's favorable, hurry up and unionize and begin your first session of collective bargaining. Start with demands 3X more than you know they'll ever accept, then when you settle they will think they talked you down when in reality it's more than you initially wanted.

It's absolutely key that you start off really big with your first collective bargaining agreement, subsequent ones ownership will be bringing in more and more lawyers and financial consultants to analyze the funds of the unions and how well both ownership and union could weather a work stoppage.

If they wouldn't be receptive to becoming signatory to your eventual union. Go ahead and create the union, but bring on some some seasoned union members from a local construction union to begin setting up pickets, and inflatable rats to place in front of your workplace. Eventually ownership will be beat into submission. Then follow what I previously outlined into getting back some of your worker rights.

Eventually you will bleed the company dry, but just make sure you are in charge of the union pension and you'll be able to profit nicely off the demise of the company.

I belong to a Union, these rules are in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Union and the State I work for.

 

[DCal430]

Texas is a right-to-work state: no unions allowed.

Thank "god" I don't live texas, really not sure how people live there.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

People with elite jobs don't have this trouble. Engineers, scientists, professors, lawyers, doctors... the elite get treated with some fing respect.

<-- 1337 a*s chip designer

 

[Printer Bandit]

<-- 1337 a*s chip designer

do you work on ARM designs?

 

[FelixDeCat]

meh.....

 

[mjrpes3]

Thank you for making me realize how awesome my current job is (even tho the pay ain't great).

 

[MotionMan]

This was in response to someone abusing the system, a lawsuit or a new lawyer/HR director (or any combination of those).

MotionMan

 

[Fritzo]

I don't take breaks other than lunch. Nobody here really does, other than smokers.

 

[MotionMan]

I belong to a Union, these rules are in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Union and the State I work for.

Texas is a right-to-work state: no unions allowed.

Thank "god" I don't live texas, really not sure how people live there.

Does anyone else see the irony in this (in back-to-back posts, no less)?

MotionMan

 

[Pia]

Find a better job.

If the work is anything falling into the category of "knowledge work", and these days most work is, then micromanaging people is a surefire way to not just piss them off but actually destroy productivity.

At my last workplace I kept a five-minute break every half an hour. That boosted my output a lot.

 

[OutHouse]

the developers here at my company really abuse it. every morning abnout 9am they all flock together and waddle out of the building and go 3 blocks down to a independent coffee shop to get coffee and food. process normally takes around 45 min. then at lunch time at high noon they all gaggle outside of my office and have a spirited debate on where they are going for lunch.... this is nearly a everyday event that pisses me off especially when i am on the phone. will the VP do anything about it? nope, its been going on for so long that its part of thier culture. Do we in IT get that much lattitude? hell no, ive had to eat at my desk all damn week, so today i say fuck it! i dont care if the exchange server is on fire im going some place for lunch.

sorry for the rant..

OP your office sucks. and the liability issue is bullshit, you can sue for injuries if you are on or off the clock if you are on the property.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally Posted by Phynaz View Post
Let me guess, OP is a union member.
Lol not a chance.

owned. lol

 

[momeNt]

I belong to a Union, these rules are in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Union and the State I work for.

Are these new rules, or just actual enforcement of existing rules? Unions generally care a lot about their breaks and don't let changes to them go through very easily or without a concession from ownership.