I work in the packaging department at a fairly large brewery. Packaging = manufacturing. I'm a machine operator. My shift (3rd shift. 9pm-7am) works four 10 hour shifts per week. Every operator is trained to run every machine in the department and we are often tasked with running multiple machines simultaneously due to them refusing to hire more people.
HR recently decided to update the “lunch/breaks” section in the employee handbook and didn't even have the nerve to tell us. I spoke up about the lack of breaks during my most recent shift. My manager had HR reach out to me (via email) and elaborate on the updated policy.
Originally we were allotted two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. There was no guarantee when those breaks/lunch would be because we had to wait for someone to come cover us (god forbid production stops for even 15 minutes).
The new policy says we are only allowed a 30 minute lunch. That's it. They even explicitly state that the only 'breaks' outside of lunch that we are allowed to take are bathroom breaks and we must notify our manager and have coverage in order to do that. If I take a bathroom break without informing my manager I will receive a “point” and after 3 points I am “eligible for termination” (lol)
When I asked the HR person to confirm that she was telling me that we are no longer allowed breaks she told me that they nixed the break policy to “…better align with Michigan OSHA requirements. Breaks are not mandated in the State of Michigan.”
She's not wrong but a lunch break also isn't mandated by the state of Michigan for anyone above the age of 16. Wonder when they'll decide to just stay “fuck it” and take away our pittance of a lunch break as well.