Hello,
I've been working a part time job for 7 months now. I'm in college and will finish college next December. I'm hoping this job lasts until next December. However, we're not allowed to take breaks alone. I work for Cricket Wireless. Our district manager says if someone is in the store with us, then we can take a 30min break whenever we want. However, if no one is in the store, we're not allowed to put up an “On Break BRB” sign and leave for 30min.
This hasn't been a problem for me until today. My college mailbox doesn't let you pick up your mail on saturdays and sundays. I was scheduled to work from 9am to 5pm Friday. The college mailroom closes at 4. I didn't want to have to wait until Monday to get my mail because I ordered a phone through Best Buy's christmas sales and wanted to use it over the weekend. I asked in the group chat if I could hang a sign and take a 30min break at 11:30am. Realistically, it would've been more like 15min because it doesn't take long to drive to campus and check the mail. However, I was given the option instead to just come into my shift at 12pm and then work until 8pm.
This alternative is fine by me, I realistically don't like opening the store anyway, so coming in at noon when inventory is already done is great. BUT, I started thinking about this. I'm diabetic. When a customer is wilin out in the store, it can really tank my bloodsugar. Sometimes, we have these old people that come into the store just to talk nonsense and ramble which also tanks my bloodsugar. Sometimes, I just need a mental health break when someone really disruptive comes in and I've been working for 4 or 5 hours already.
I've talked to my parents and some other older people in my life and they've all told me “that's illegal, you should call Maryland's Department of Labor”.
So, I wanted to ask you guys if it's even worth making a scene about this for a job that I'll only probably have for another year. Would the Department of Labor actually do anything? Would I just risk my job for no reason? Can anyone give me good advice about this or should I just tough it up? A lot of the people working at Cricket are high schoolers or college kids or 20yr olds that just live at home and want Cricket to be their entire career. It'd be really cool for everyone if we could put a sign up saying “on break” and drive out to get coffee or something. Especially considering a lot of us are scheduled to work entire shifts (9am to 8pm) alone.
Let me know what you all think