Greetings,
I am posting this to share my recent degrading experience with the head of security and another agent at the retail store I work for.
I work as a forklift driver at an enormous retail store, in the warehouse portion. After a long, short-handed closing shift as a newly certified forklift driver, I clocked out 13 minutes late but was stopped in front of reception right before the exit by stated individuals. They demanded that I go back downstairs and use a forklift to lower an unloading ramp in order to get the door closed.
The first thing I told them was that I was off the clock to which these white, middle-aged male chuds angrily responded “we wanna go home too!” I explained that “never working off the clock” is specifically outlined in the code of conduct to which they shouted, “make an exception!”. Also, they claimed that because of my job title, I was still responsible for lowering that ramp before leaving.
After going back & forth with then some more and truthfully telling them that I’d never done this because it doesn’t pertain to my role in logistics, I finally walked out.
I’m a veteran hourly employee who has worked for this company for seven years. Unpaid labor is illegal and split shifts (more than one shift per day) are not allowed where I work. In fact, this is supposed to be a retail company that is known for taking good care of its employees.
As far as I’m concerned, they screwed themselves over by failing to notice it earlier and not reporting it before my supervisor left. I’ve made up my mind to go to HR about it, which I never had to do before but these retail pigs brought it on themselves.
Does the fair standards labor act protect me in this scenario?