i take my breaks.
i currently work at a rinky dink gas station that many in the midwest can identify – its red and rhymes with Lacey's. Im in my early 20s and participated in “the great resignation” leaving a $30,000 a year job to go back to college and settled on this place because it was easy, close by, and still paid the bills. Being in a low cost area and having no degree at the time that was a HUGE sacrifice for me. But keep in mind by quitting a cushy job on a random Tuesday also taught me that it means literally nothing to me if I had to leave any job tomorrow; I was looking for a gig on the way in and ill be looking for one on the way out. I learned that at jobs like this you gotta take, never ask because none of these managers give a shit about you.
I also learned about my enployee rights. I know that in my state if you work 30 hours or less per week and/or work a 6 hour or less shift, you are not entitled to a full unpaid 30 minute break but rather a paid 15 minute break 4 hours into your shift.
Now im a closer. As mentioned Im in school and im also a young parent. My routine is clock in, do my work, and in the last hour when its completely dead take my 15. Just like everybody else sometime an extra 5 is taken too — none of this is out of the ordinary.
In the last week I have had not one but two managers tell me to clock out for my break, for “high labor reasons”. Twice I have had to decline because im not gonna help you committ wage theft against me. If im here, im getting oaid in full. I could tell they were annoyed and unhappy. Asked again and I referred to our states labor wevsite AND our handbook. They backed off but then tried to offer me more hours. I saw right through the attempt to get me to work more so I had to clock out and refused.
But now they've recruited the teenagers. You can all tell that this is either their first or second job and they still take our managers word as law which is absolutely absurd to me. One of them is a pregant 19 year old who complained to me that it was “unfair that she didnt get a break being pregnant” but I did and she demanded that I clock out for my 15 minutes now. And i had to get real with her. I told her at these shithole jobs they will take and take from you expecting you not to know any better. I also showed her the same website and said instead of getting angry at me for knowing my rights, get pissed that our manager isnt letting you take breaks. Gave her the advice that instead of ~asking~ for breaks, she needs to just start taking them especially for the sake of her baby. I told her to mind her business too which she did not like but still. She gets paid the same lousy $13 an hour as I do, is not a manager, and will never be rewarded for snitching. All that happens is a coworker who gets fed up, quits and now everybody scrambling to cover an already understaffed position. Im the ONLY kitchen closer so I am quite literally the backbone of my job.
Was still met with a cold shoulder but I literally do not give a fuck. I make just as much working 6 hour shifts with a paid 15 than my coworkers who work full shifts (7 hr) with a clocked out 30, after taxes. Ive literally tapped in the sweet spot at my job and I think thats why it feels like everybody hates me.
Ive learned to work smarter not harder.