I work at jd seeding and we are working 12 hr shifts.We work from 6 am to 6:30 pm and we get 1- 15 min. break at 9:00am and a half hr break at noon.Alot of employees there seem to think we should be entitled to at least 1 -15 min break in the afternoon between noon and 6:30.I know this might not be the proper place to ask this question but I can't seem to find any info on this elsewhere.Management will not address this issue with us. Any info from this board would be greatly appreciated as I very much respect all of you people who post here and have valued all the welding info I have read here greatly.Thank You for your time and guidance!
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I dont know the system in the US, but I work 12 hour shifts too.. The nominal week is 37 hrs here + a total of 30 minutes of breaks during the normal 7,4 hour day..
The 12 hour shift agreement negotiated by the workers union here specifies a total of 60 minutes breaks during the day.... Usually the dept. manager and the employees make some sort of agreement about when these breaks are held..
Normal procedure is to punch out and in before and after a break
The only exceptions for this ( I am one of them ) are the operators on machinery and processes that cant be stopped.. We just take breaks whenever we have time to do so, but must be prepared to skip some breaks if there are problems... Normally it isnt a problem taking a 10 minute break each hour... We dont punch out/in when we take a break since we are "available " at all times
We work on a rotating schedule ( the place is running 365 days / year, 24 hrs/day), normally from 6 to 6 and union agreements specify that we cant have more than 4 scheduled days of work in a row, altho swapping shifts is allowed ( and done on a regular basis )....
Working nights ( 5 pm to 6 am ) gives about 30% on top of the regular pay Weekends ( from 2 pm sat. to 6 am mon. ) gives 60% on top Extra shifts: ( if they ask you to go to work on a day off ) gives 60% on top
This basically means that working extra shifts at night on weekends gives you a 120% bonus
I guess it must depend upon the state that you live in. In my State, North Carolina, worker's breaks are not regulated. In fact no breaks, not even meal breaks are required to be given and are left up to the company to set their own policies. Most companies give breaks (usually paid) and then allow time for an off the clock meal break. The bad ones don't. Since NC is a "right to work" state, they figure if you don't like the way you are treated at a company you are free to find work elsewhere.
These are links to Illinois Dept. of Labor and U.S. Dept. of Labor refering to meal period in the private sector. It appears there is no requirement for breaks other than meals. There is a link to 820 ILCS
140/3 for the law, administrative codes, complaint form, required posters, etc.
I feel for you bro. Although we do not work 12 hour shifts regularly, I have had the same argument/disagreement with my employer. He says, and sadly is correct, all he has to give us is a 30 minute lunch break per day. I even went so far as to talk to the Ga. Dept. of Labor and they confirmed that we were only entitled to 1 30 minute break per day, it can not be within 30 minutes of starting time or quitting time. Every other shop I have ever worked for gave us atleast 1 15 minute break in the morning, most gave you an evening break also. I am not sure what being a "right to work state" means, both Tennessee and Georgia(where I live and work, respectively) are I believe. Anyone have a better explanation?
In the end where you work is not important. What is important is how your employer treats you. If you are not being treated properly it is time to plan a move. Pleading your case will only piss the guy off. He obviously has no intention of treating his employees decently. Improve your skill set until people are asking you to work for them. That takes a bit of doing and does not happen in a years time. In the meantime learn just how unbearable working conditions can be and let that be a motivation to improve yourself. I remember one individual who had gone back to school and had made a major change in attitude. When I asked him what happened he told me that changing rollers on a Cat while lying in mud convinced him there were better ways to make a living. I suggest you start planning for the future. Randy
If you have a union contract, such things are usually covered there. Mind you, it would take a rather stupid management to run breaks that were not in line with the contract that's in place, but if so, you should be able to file a greiveance and get it sorted out.
But basically, as others have said, it depends on whether the company treats you like a human being, or not. One place I was at literally had a break every two hours (in, 2 hours, coffee, 2 hours, lunch, 2 hours, coffee, 2 hours, leave). Took 9 hours to work an 8 hour day (15, 30, 15 break times, not on the clock), but you never, ever, worked more than 2 hours at a stretch. Other places have been different. So you may want to see what your options for working where you get treated like a human are.
Employees have the right to be part of the collective bargaining unit, to be represented by a union for contract negotiations and labor relations, to receive union wages and full rights under the collective bargaining agreement, but do not have to join the union or pay for its services.
Surely a company would *increase* productivity, not to mention saving money with fewer injuries, fewer mistakes, higher quality work, etc., by giving employees reasonable breaks??
I'm just a hobby weldor, but even in hobby work--welding and woodworking--I find that I start making mistakes if I work too long without a break. A time or two I've managed to forget just where the blades are on the jointer ... fortunately, I've only trimmed the barest tips of my fingers off, but that was quite painful and messy enough (even though nothing to compare to Ernie's recent experience -- how's it going, Ernie?). Or I realize just a little too late that I welded something up backwards, or cut a beautiful mortise on the piece that was supposed to have a tenon. Somehow blood dripping down on a lovely piece of wood or steel that I have just carefully cut a little too short has never actually improved my productivity, though it has occasionally expanded my vocabulary!
I guess there could be some situations where the process does not easily allow for a break -- someone has to stay on the job, or the line gets backed up, or something like that. But since you *are* getting a break in the morning, and at lunch, clearly it *is* possible to stop without fouling up the whole process ...
I would guess that someone, somewhere, has done a study on this issue ... but of course, if the seemingly obvious benefits of giving reasonable breaks are not, in fact, obvious to the company, a study proving the same would probably not be well received ...
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