I’m an EMT at a theme park here in California. At this job, we are scheduled for 8 hours flat, ex 1-9 or 2-10, etc. We clock in to an automated time clock and also write down our times on a break sheet. Here at this theme park, we do NOT receive any official lunch or 15 min breaks. There are times when this works out in our favor, meaning we’ll have no calls all 8 hours and essentially get to do whatever we want sometimes and other times we’ll be busy the entire 8 hours and get no break what so ever. For example, today, as soon as I started my shift, my manager wanted me to do inspections, I did for 2 hours, then she called me and wanted to go switch positions with another EMT, when in reality, at the 2 hour mark, I should have been on my 15 min break. There have been times when she’s done that before and I’ll ask to eat or use the bathroom and she gets upset about.
Since I began this job, I was told we have to fill out a break sheet in addition to the time clock. I was told to write down the times I took two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. Upon learning this I asked, how is that possible when we don’t get either of those (because I was not and still not comfortable with lying about taking breaks/lunches I did not actually take and could potentially hurt me in the future when I’m signed off that I did take those breaks, when in reality I did not). She also told me to sign the break sheet beforehand, meaning before the official due date, “just in case”. I was stated by both my manager and HR, it’s because our lunches and breaks are paid. However, during my shift, since I’ve been there in June, not once do I ever get a chance to take a lunch, alone, and uninterrupted.
Just an hour ago, I received a phone call from manager who stated she’s upset because on the break sheet for this week, for a 6.5 hour shift on Friday, I put down no lunch, but a 15 min break, and the reasoning for it was because the shift wasn’t long enough for a lunch. She stated this is the third time this has happened and herself and HR have an issue with it. Honestly, she sounded pretty pissed, but this is the first time I’ve ever even been notified about it. On top of that, I’m pretty sure from previous jobs, that if the shift is under 7 hours, I can waive my right to not take a 30 minute lunch, and in reality, we don’t even get 30 minute lunches anyway!!! So, I don’t understand what the issue is, when in reality she’s just upset because I’m not lying for the company on the break sheet!
What do guys think of this?
Because I have not been comfortable with this since the very beginning. I work as an EMT at another theme park 40 minutes away and we all have scheduled, paid breaks, and unpaid 30 minutes, uninterrupted lunches. I’m not sure why this particular place believes that they can do that. I’m not going to call her until the end of the week because I have finals to focus on and a part of me doesn’t even care because they’re literally just laying all of us off at the end of the month. I’m just going to tell her no one has brought up the issue to me before (because they haven't) and we don’t even take or get real lunches anyway, so what’ the point?
I honestly believe they just have us fill out the break sheet so if something legally happens they can turn around and show the state that we signed off we did receive our breaks and lunches. I’m kind of pissed she call me at 11pm and left a nasty voicemail. If her and HR have an issue with it, then they should be give us real breaks/lunches and/or just doing the break sheet times themselves and us just signing them off a the end of the week, and the fact that no one has even brought this up before, and if her and HR really want to get into it, they literally have no proof they’ve ever notified me of this issue before.
Am I in the wrong? Are they in the wrong? Should I say something different?