Working through lunch, not getting paid for it

Tampa Airport BM's buy nasty ass pizza every saturday and sunday, and it counts as your "lunch" while you try to sneak in a few bites between writing tickets. No leaving the counter to relax, and good luck complaining about the lunch break you were supposed to get. I was told more than once by the BM's that ERAC supplying food counts as a lunch. That place is hell on earth, I am so glad I left that shitty company.

[MT Minus]

Everytime I ask for a lunch break my BM changes the subject and makes me pick up dropped cars in other states. I put 10 hours straight on my timecard. If my BM tries to change it to cover his ass theres gonna be some drama for him.

Why not try thinking about the good of the company and not just yourself??

[MT Minus]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Why not try thinking about the good of the company and not just yourself??

Because I should be paid for the work I do. Is that wrong?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Why not try thinking about the good of the company and not just yourself??

Fucking ERAC tool. So the good of the company is getting ripped off and not getting paid for the work you do?

Originally Posted by SellingDubSacks

Hey guys, just found the site, think it's great. I am currently an MT who thinks I won't make it past the nine month threshold I heard so much about, but that's another post. The reason I am posting is because sometimes my branch manager makes me and the other people in the branch work through lunch. I don't mind working through lunch if I get paid for it, but I don't. The manager usually buys us all a crappy lunch (usually without asking us if we want to eat in), we eat it for 15 minutes at the most in the break-room, and then usually have to work the other 45 minutes of our lunch because some customer comes in, someone needs a pick-up, the phone rings, etc. etc.. At first I was adding the 45 minutes to the end of my day thinking it was the only fair thing to do considering we are forced to clock out one hour for lunch even if we did not take a full hour. But then I noticed my branch manager taking my hours down the day after I imputed them. I called him on it and he stated if I left at certain time, I have to clock out at that time. I told him I thought it wasn't fair since I don't take a full hour for lunch but have to clock out for one. He said it was Enterprise's policy that if the branch buys the employee lunch, then that is the same as taking an hour. I bit my lip and walked away but wanted to say:

"WHAT KIND OF BULLSH!T POLICY IS THAT!?! FIRST OF ALL THAT IS HIGHLY ILLEGAL IN THIS FREAKING STATE. IT'S BAD ENOUGH I HAVE TO WORK A TEN HOUR DAY BUT I HAVE TO WORK AN ELEVEN HOUR ONE AND GET PAID FOR TEN. WITH THE CRAP WAGES WE GET HERE ALL THE EXTRA HOURS COUNT. I MAKE THE SAME AS MY STONER FRIEND FROM HIGH SCHOOL WHO WORKS AT FRY'S AND YOU CAN'T GIVE ME ONE MORE FREAKIN HOUR BECAUSE YOU BOUGHT ME A COMBO MEAL FROM JACK IN THE BOX THAT I NEVER FREAKIN ASKED FOR. GO F#CK YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Seriously, who can I complain to? My branch manager basically told me (in his own way) that complaining about things like this doesn't make me seem like a team player. The area manager? I'm afraid if I go to him, he'll just tell my branch manager and he'll give me a hard time. I'm think about going to the higher-ups at admin. Any advice?

I thinking about post on the Stage 3 section of these boards from now on.;)

Like I said before in 24EE Kim Stahl is the worst offender. When you try to go on lunch she'll make you do pickups while she sits on her tank ass. And I hope her bitch-on-wheels temper tantrums put the nail in her green ERAC coffin.

[Sidecar Randy]

Whats wrong with taking 5 minutes to shovel down a moron sandwich for lunch?

[hekiliko'olau]

Per the Department of Labor:
"meal periods (typically 30 minutes or more) generally need not be compensated as work time. The employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purpose of eating regular meals. The employee is not relieved if he/she is required to perform any duties, whether active or inactive, while eating."

This includes answering telephones and writing contracts.

E-Chimps need no meal breaks. They can simply nibble on their virtual MBA when they get hungry.

[trabpukcip]

Originally Posted by hekiliko'olau

Per the Department of Labor:
"meal periods (typically 30 minutes or more) generally need not be compensated as work time. The employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purpose of eating regular meals. The employee is not relieved if he/she is required to perform any duties, whether active or inactive, while eating."

This includes answering telephones and writing contracts.

During my e-chimp days, sometimes I would help answer phones during my lunch just to help out my friends that worked there. However, if I didn't feel like helping at all, i just said "sorry I'm on lunch" and kept eating or reading my paper. Some people just need to grow a backbone. It's kind of sad that some spineless people complain about being "forced" to work through lunch. They're probably the same people that bullies took lunch money from.