My last post regarding this director
So, for some context, I live in Illinois and I work at a daycare. Last Friday, a baby had covid and infected all the infant room teachers and most of the youngest children. We were already short-staffed before the exposure, and now with so many teachers out, we are even more understaffed.
I'm sure many people already know that according to Illinois state guidelines, if an employee works a 7.5-hour shift, they must have a break no later than 5 hours into their shift. Since I open the daycare at 6:30, that would mean the latest I can take a break is 11:30, if my math is correct. Well by 10am, I knew I wasn't gonna get a break cuz my director had me join a zoom meeting for training that lasted 10-12. By the time the meeting ended, I was just about 6 hours into my shift (5.5 hrs to be exact). So I go ask my director what the game plan was, curious if I could go home or if she would have me do bathroom breaks, etc. She then told me she had a bunch of stuff she needed me to help with and couldn't guarantee what time I would go home, only that I wouldn't stay until 3:30.
I said that I can't stay past 2 cuz I didn't get a proper break, and referenced the state guidelines about breaks. She got upset, and asked me why I had to quote the state law, and continued to be vague about when I would be able to go. She then suggested I take a break so I could stay late. I told her that I didn't wanna take a late break, and I would have liked to have my break hours ago like I was supposed to. I have already talked to her and the assistant director about my break preferences and said that if I'm working a shift of 7.5 hours, then I want my break according to state law, otherwise I will go home before that.
We both got upset. Her body language began to be hostile, and I began to tear up cuz I was getting stressed. When I get frustrated, I cry. I tried to hold back the tears, but my anxiety got the better of me and I had to use every muscle in my body to not sob. I know it sounds pathetic, but I was extremely uncomfortable and her body language didn't help. At this point, I wanna get away from her, so I told her I will give my co-teacher her break (one of the things she said I would have to do) so I would be done by 1:10 cuz it was around 12:10 at the time. My director said no and called me into her office to talk. I guess she wasn't happy I didn't agree to her terms to stay for an undisclosed amount of time.
The talk in her office was a shit show. She used so many excuses. She said she's understaffed so her “hands are tied”. She said it was my fault for not coming to her before my meeting to tell her I needed a break before the meeting. I didn't even know I had a meeting until 10 mins before the meeting started. But so what? She's the director and she knows everyone's schedule. I shouldn't have to tell her to give me a break cuz it's literally my legal right! Then she asked me what I wanted her to do. I'm sitting there dumbfounded cuz I feel like it's obvious: I'm going home early, I'm not working 7 and a half hours today. I think I was having a small panic attack cuz I couldn't think and could barely speak.
When I managed to get some words out, I told her my head was foggy and I couldn't think and suggested I calmed down while giving my co-teacher her break and that I could talk to her (my director) about solutions after my co-teacher comes back. Luckily, when I went back to her office after my co-teacher returned, my director was on the phone and said she will have to schedule a time to talk to me tomorrow. I was relieved and almost ran out the center. I can feel my chest tightening from the stress of remembering this as I'm typing.
When I got home, I called the regional director (had to leave a message cuz she didn't answer) and filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of labors. When I was looking through my time cards of me working there (4 months total), I learned that on 8-10 occasions they failed to give me a break on time and sometimes I got no break at all. If I did get a break, it was 2 or 3 hours late. On those other days, I worked 8 hours and didn't get a break.