During orientation the importance of working one's scheduled shift and only scheduled shift (unless something came up and swapping shifts/times was okayed by a manager) was drilled into our heads. Part of that is no working off the clock--which I believe is actually part of the labor laws. Once you clock out you are not supposed/allowed to help customers (if someone catches me right as I'm punching out I'll direct them to a general location of an item because I'm nice that way, but I won't actually lead them to it).
So, to yesterday:
At the end of my shift I race up front, punch out, take off my uniform shirt (wearing it over a longsleeve shirt) and start to make my way to the break room way across the store to grab my stuff from the fridge. I'm in the candy-cookies just on the other side of the registers when an SC pounces.
SC: "Plain amaretti cookies! I need some, show me where you have them!"
Me: "I don't work here."
Usually that tack works when I'm not wearing the shirt, but SC must either recognize me or she was watching me at the timeclock. "Yes you do! I saw you behind the register! I want plain amaretti cookies!"
Me: "I can't help you, I'm not working now. Find someone in a brown shirt."
SC: "You have a brown shirt!"
Me: "I cannot help you, I'm off the clock. I am not working."
The front end manager must have been watching this, as he's appeared from seemingly thin air.
FEM: "Ma'am, she legally cannot help you. You could get in trouble for asking an employee to work off the clock."
SC starts to say something, but FEM is staring her down; I mouth "thank you" to him and make my escape.
This is part of the reason myself and others have been lobbying for there to be a time clock out back by the breakroom/warehouse. It can be a royal PITA--depending on the time of day/crowds and where one is in the store--to fight your way up front, punch out at guest services by the main registers, and get to the locker room/break room without being grabbed by an SC. When it gets warmer out, people might not be wearing another layer so can't change right away...and if you're scheduled for exactly 40 hours, even one minute over gets a raised eyebrow.
There are timeclocks at the restaurants--one of which is much closer to the back--but only restaurant staff are supposed to use those during the day. Punching in/out way up front also wastes time; depending on how crowded the store is you may have to cut your break short by a few minutes just to make sure you can punch in time--and if an SC catches you after you've punched out for break and won't take no for an answer you can lose more time.
So, to yesterday:
At the end of my shift I race up front, punch out, take off my uniform shirt (wearing it over a longsleeve shirt) and start to make my way to the break room way across the store to grab my stuff from the fridge. I'm in the candy-cookies just on the other side of the registers when an SC pounces.
SC: "Plain amaretti cookies! I need some, show me where you have them!"
Me: "I don't work here."
Usually that tack works when I'm not wearing the shirt, but SC must either recognize me or she was watching me at the timeclock. "Yes you do! I saw you behind the register! I want plain amaretti cookies!"
Me: "I can't help you, I'm not working now. Find someone in a brown shirt."
SC: "You have a brown shirt!"
Me: "I cannot help you, I'm off the clock. I am not working."
The front end manager must have been watching this, as he's appeared from seemingly thin air.
FEM: "Ma'am, she legally cannot help you. You could get in trouble for asking an employee to work off the clock."
SC starts to say something, but FEM is staring her down; I mouth "thank you" to him and make my escape.
This is part of the reason myself and others have been lobbying for there to be a time clock out back by the breakroom/warehouse. It can be a royal PITA--depending on the time of day/crowds and where one is in the store--to fight your way up front, punch out at guest services by the main registers, and get to the locker room/break room without being grabbed by an SC. When it gets warmer out, people might not be wearing another layer so can't change right away...and if you're scheduled for exactly 40 hours, even one minute over gets a raised eyebrow.
There are timeclocks at the restaurants--one of which is much closer to the back--but only restaurant staff are supposed to use those during the day. Punching in/out way up front also wastes time; depending on how crowded the store is you may have to cut your break short by a few minutes just to make sure you can punch in time--and if an SC catches you after you've punched out for break and won't take no for an answer you can lose more time.
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