Sorry for the long post, but I need to rant to folks who would understand.
TL;DR: my GM suddenly decided that I no longer meet the requirements for a 30 minute break at work.
At my job, the length of your break-time depends on how long you're scheduled to work.
Less than 4 hours = no break.
4-7 hours = paid 15 min break.
7 or more hours = paid 15 or unpaid 30 min break.
Business has been slow at work because of the various holidays, so the opening crew has had reduced hours. I usually work 6am-pm or 6am-11am (shifts started at 5am before).
Whenever I'm scheduled for the 5hr shift, I don't take a 15. They feel too short to actually rest and regain my stamina, and it's not enough time to get something to eat, so I just power thru.
But I always, always take a 30 min break for the longer shifts. I've been doing it like this for weeks with no issues.
So, Saturday the 24th rolls around, and I'm one of only 4 people (out of 8+ scheduled) able to show up. Me, GM, AGM, and another grunt like me. The winter storm a couple days prior messed up the roads, so several coworkers weren't able to come in. That's cool, whatever. Their safety is more important, and we close at 2 anyways. I'm scheduled 6-1.
We weren't expecting to get slammed with business the way we did. I was contemplating staying an additional hour to help out until we close, but I needed a break first.
9:30 I ask for a break. “Can you wait an hour?” Sure, that's fine. An hour passes, I ask again. “Can you wait another 20 minutes?” Yeah, sure, whatever. 20 minutes pass, I ask again. “Go ahead”
So I clock out, and gather up my stuff to go get something to eat. The GM pops around the corner. “Are you taking a 15 or a 30?”
“30.”
“You know you don't qualify for a 30, right?”
“The handbook says scheduled for 7 or more hours means I can take a 30. I'm scheduled for 7 hours.”
“It's more like '7 hours and 1 minute'. You're scheduled for 7. You only get a 15.”
I was so pissed. 15 minutes is not long enough to go out to get something to eat, and it wasn't long enough to warm up my car so I could sit out there. We don't have a break room, and no chairs to sit at. I was stuck standing in the back for my break.
The wording of the handbook makes it sound like I should get a 30. At no point was this ever an issue before. If she was only mentioning it because we were too busy for me to take a 30, she could've just asked me to take a 15 instead. But no.
I could've just called out that day. Honestly, the roads were bad enough that I would've been completely justified in calling off. But I showed up. And this was the thanks I get?
You better believe I didn't stick around an extra hour. I was out of there as soon as my shift was done.