Working off the clock

Your prerogative to tell him to berkeley off.
My usual response to this is to tack that time on to my next break

Laws depend on the state you're in, but in WA if you do work related stuff while on a break, then you're required to be paid for this time. You might pose the question to your friendly HR professional with your company. Don't cite a specific example, just gather the facts.

I'm going to assume you're hourly, right? I'm salaried and there is no such thing as "off the clock". If you are hourly, the safe route is to go as Mezzanine suggested.

One of the reasons I go off site for my breaks.

Even on break, most people around here consider you fair game if they have a question.

My solution..... eat offsite or in my car. If I run into someone while offsite, I have a semi-firm "No work discussed" policy.

Are you paid for the time or not?

I get paid for my breaks.. so I can get pestered at anytime.. even with a fork in my hand ready to put food in my mouth.

If your breaks are "free' (as in your time) I would politely ask the offending party "can this wait till I am back?"

how much time of yours did he take up? if it was only a couple minutes does it matter?

I am used to working longer hours when the workload dictates it (which is a lot lately...), adjusting my lunch schedule, or just straight up working through lunch completely. I bill for that time if I only took a half hour lunch or none at all.

I don't bother billing for someone taking up 5 minutes of my lunch time though. Likewise if I am in the field I still bill time if I take a 5-10 minute break to sit in the truck in the AC to cool down and drink some water. I mean how is that really any different than a smoke break or taking a E36 M3? You think the guy that takes 4+ smoke breaks a day is going to take that accumulated half hour of time off his time sheet? I doubt it.

failboat wrote: how much time of yours did he take up? if it was only a couple minutes does it matter? I am used to working longer hours when the workload dictates it (which is a lot lately...), adjusting my lunch schedule, or just straight up working through lunch completely. I bill for that time if I only took a half hour lunch or none at all. I don't bother billing for someone taking up 5 minutes of my lunch time though. Likewise if I am in the field I still bill time if I take a 5-10 minute break to sit in the truck in the AC to cool down and drink some water. I mean how is that really any different than a smoke break or taking a E36 M3? You think the guy that takes 4+ smoke breaks a day is going to take that accumulated half hour of time off his time sheet? I doubt it.

I've always tried to keep my smoke breaks pretty consistently just during my lunch break and maybe one afternoon break (depending on how hot it is out)

Better to lose a few minutes of break time than get the boss angry and lose your job.

Gearheadotaku wrote: Better to lose a few minutes of break time than get the boss angry and lose your job.

Having just gone through training, while this may be true, it's also not legal to ask an hourly person to work and not get paid. Breaks are pretty tight legal requirements, and are not to be changed.

Taking the class, the non-exempt employee laws were federal ones.

Exempt employees, that's a different story.

Do what I do: "If I help/answer/dance like a money for you, my break starts over once were done."

If I'm hourly, I'll get to it when I clock back in.

I'm salary+commission sales now, but I still set firm time limits. If its after 7pm, before 8am, or the weekend (and E36 M3's not on fire) it can wait till the next workday. Leave me a message or send a text so I don't lose it and it'll get taken care of during business hours i.e. when I can get in to the warehouse to get the stuff you forgot to order or didn't listen to me about ordering more of. If it's a legitimate "Oh E36 M3 we're having a crazy busy weekend!" I'll make the call to get my boss to drive in to let me in the warehouse, but generally my week ends on Friday and it can wait.

If it's a problem, talk to HR.

My company makes it a point to tell us that we are not supposed to do anything on our lunch. Not even answer our phone. If we have to do something, we can charge the company for the time.

This entire thread is why I would never make it in any type of environment where this line of thinking is normal. I just shake my head at this.

nicksta43 wrote: This entire thread is why I would never make it in any type of environment where this line of thinking is normal. I just shake my head at this.

^ this.

I have a rule at work. Unless it is absolutely necessary, avoid taking to the supervisor no more than once a week. I'm up to two one-minute phone calls.

nicksta43 wrote: This entire thread is why I would never make it in any type of environment where this line of thinking is normal. I just shake my head at this.

Same here. It goes both ways, too. For example, we recently bent our own rule in order to put a little extra change in a new employee's pocket.

I'm currently working off the clock (currently meaning, right this very second). Obviously not hard, since I'm posting here. But the fact is that I have a meeting tomorrow morning that need the reports that I haven't compiled yet. So I can either come in and look like an idiot in front of a bunch of managers, or I can work off the clock in this relatively unique situation (just got back from a business trip).

My manager is leaving early tomorrow, and I fully expect to sneak out early as well.

EDIT: If my supervisor knew I was working right now, she'd throw a E36 M3 fit. But my working off the clock is going to much less of a career detriment than my showing up to meetings with superiors and unprepared to present my material.

I tend to work when they ask me to, but then I also try to go off site or out of sight for my breaks and lunch, but if the boss calls I answer. If they call me in on the weekend all bets are off and they have to pay me so I guess I don't really work off the clock, if I'm working I am on the clock again.

I'm in the "I probably give too much to the company" camp. I give extra - I don't care.

i find this thread confusing... the first post is an answer to a post that doesn't exist..

that being said, if i aint being paid, i aint talking about work or doing work... i hope not to think about work when i'm not being paid, and i like my job and almost everyone there..

also, remember that Wal Mart just paid out a metric funkton of cash to present and past employees that were forced to work off the clock..

In reply to novaderrik:

There was a post.

The OP has disappeared entirely from the thread.

Maybe he is on break.

In reply to SVreX:

I'm guessing he was on a break on the company computer when he wrote it. Either they confronted him about the hypocrisy of that or he had second thoughts about having something traceable out there.

I don't work for free, as the company certainly doesn't give me anything for free.

The company gives me $XX,XXX dollars per year (plus various benefits) that are part of a negotiated contract. They aren't going to give me E36 M3 above that. Why would I ever possibly fathom the thought of giving them more?

This isn't personal, this isn't work ethic, this is business. Once again, I don't work for free. Salary or hourly.

Working for free supports the race to the bottom. "Oh, well XXXX person worked an extra hour here or there." Or "Oh, well we expect you to be at work and ready to go before we start paying you".

Why? Why would you people do this? Somebody calls me on vacation, you're damn RIGHT I'm charging OT. Somebody interrupts my lunch? Damn RIGHT I am charging for that.

The only two types of people in this world that extol the virtues of the working for free concept are management and the ones who strive to eventually be in management/a business owner.