"Lunch"

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Upstate Im confused are you saying that you think we can put in 30 minute lunch and not actually take it after the DOT rule takes effect? I apolagize if I misunderstood what you are saying, but I see it a different way if thats what you mean. DOT states we cant work a minute over 14 hours, I think the 30 minute DOT mandated rule is going to be the same. I dont think there can be any lying about it.

We are required to record a 45 minute unpaid lunch; however, it is no secret that we have drivers who work through their lunches. The only way to ensure that drivers comply with the DOT directive would be to shut down the DIADs for the 30 minutes that the driver puts in the board for their lunch.

 

[clarnzz]

First of all , how can anyone do this job for 8,9,10 hrs with a 1 minute break. Reminds me of the guys who would work all day and then come back to the building and sit for 1hr. (We are required to take 1 hr lunch). The company can find all kinds of gaps in time and assume you took other breaks without recording. Clarnz, when you get fired for stealing time, you wont have to worry about breaking the toe to get a day off.

We get a ten minute paid break which usually covers any "pit stops" I need to make. If I'm hungry I take some lunch and eat, if I'm tired and need a rest I take some lunch and rest. If I get a personal call that is going to take more than a minute I code out for break or lunch. Myself personally I find I get more tired and worn out if I stop and sit around too long. As for stealing time, there is no need, I get compensated well for my work. I have never had a gap in time questioned and don't expect I ever will.

 

[oldupsman]

I took my lunch everyday for 32 years. I did it because I was hungry. I worked hard and my body needed food to continue the rest of the day.
I also found sitting down for an hour helped clear my head and helped me plan for the rest of my day. The center had the phone number of the deli
I ate at every day. If they needed to contact me they could call there. That was before Diad, of course, but even after that if there was a computer glitch
they could call there. I had center manager's and on car sups meet me there for delivery audits. Sometimes they would meet me there just to get out of the office. And buy me lunch.
There was never any question about my position on lunch. And that nipped alot of potential problems in the bud. Such as over dispatching.

 

[moreluck]

I took my lunch everyday for 32 years. I did it because I was hungry. I worked hard and my body needed food to continue the rest of the day.
I also found sitting down for an hour helped clear my head and helped me plan for the rest of my day. The center had the phone number of the deli
I ate at every day. If they needed to contact me they could call there. That was before Diad, of course, but even after that if there was a computer glitch
they could call there. I had center manager's and on car sups meet me there for delivery audits. Sometimes they would meet me there just to get out of the office. And buy me lunch.
There was never any question about my position on lunch. And that nipped alot of potential problems in the bud. Such as over dispatching.

Guys who play golf and complain that their back 9 is never as good as their front nine.......also need food to refresh the body and carry on for the next 9 holes. It works wonders for your game too......as well as your work.

 

[CharleyHustle]

We get a ten minute paid break and then we only get docked for what we take unpaid. The boss wants at least 20 minutes unpaid to show on your time card. That's usually what I do 10 and 20, but I don't need to take a whole lunch and have never felt any ill effects from not taking a whole lunch or even just my paid ten (which WOULD be stupid not to get paid to do nothing).

Some days by not taking a full lunch I get pretty far away from my pick ups than if I'd have taken a full lunch, some days it works the other way. I skip residential everyday to get commercial before I take lunch anyway so the length of my lunch just doesn't seem to make a difference to me, of course I've always put my customers above my own preferences, so I guess I've never over though this issue.

Just judging from my barn, there are more people who take less than more lunch, so asking, telling, or demanding drivers to take more seems like a non-starter to me.

 

[OVERBOARD]

And who says a Center Manger just a puppet, they have the huge responsibility of deciding if you get a 1 minute lunch , 1/2 hour or a full hour.
The way it looks here every center has their own rules about lunch.

 

[kingOFchester]

Re: "Lunch"

What the op doesn't get is that the 50 minutes of break he skips doesn't equal 50 minutes of work. If you take lunch maybe the route has to be run different or air shuttled back to the building or businesses shuttled to another driver. This all adds time to your day OT I might add so even though they don't automatically take lunch out of his check he is still cheating himself out of money.

May be cheating himself out of money, but one could argue that he gained time with his family at the cost of $'s. Some may even argue that their family comes before the union. Its a dog eat dog world.

 

[kingOFchester]

Apparently you missed the reply stating DOT will require everyone take 30 minutes starting July of next year.

Already heard drivers talking about sheeting a section prior to delivery so they can deliver while clocked out. Wait till something goes missing........that will be hard to explain..

 

[Omega man]

I hear ya, but our stops per car isn't going to change whether I take my full lunch or not. I'm so happy I don't have to.

There is a fool born every day. Maybe you can talk every other driver in your center into doing the same so you can create your own layoff.

 

[HULKAMANIA]

Already heard drivers talking about sheeting a section prior to delivery so they can deliver while clocked out. Wait till something goes missing........that will be hard to explain..

With telematics wouldnt that be hard to accomplish?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

With telematics wouldnt that be hard to accomplish?

Not really---the only time it would be an issue would be, as koc said, if something came up missing.

 

[clarnzz]

There is a fool born every day. Maybe you can talk every other driver in your center into doing the same so you can create your own layoff.

I can't remember a single time this year where me taking my hour lunch would of had any effect other than just me getting off an hour later. Now if we voted out bonus and everyone filed 9.5's that might have an effect as it would hit them in the only place they seem to care about, their pocketbook.

 

[Jackburton]

Bonus doesn't pay time and half.

 

[clarnzz]

Bonus doesn't pay time and half.

Yes it does.

 

[Catatonic]

Bonus doesn't pay time and half.

Yes it does.

It varies by Local Supplement.

 

[Jones]

It varies by Local Supplement.

Well, technically it doesn't vary by supplement because it's not a negotiated contract item. The company decided in which areas it would pay bonus at straight time rate vs OT rate, but I have no clue what factored into that decision. Actually I'm kinda curious.

 

[clarnzz]

Well, technically it doesn't vary by supplement because it's not a negotiated contract item. The company decided in which areas it would pay bonus at straight time rate vs OT rate, but I have no clue what factored into that decision. Actually I'm kinda curious.

Dunno, I'm under the 710 supplement. The more that I hear on here the more I feel like we have a pretty good thing going. I just wish there was a way to change the way vactions are picked and we would be golden.

 

[Omega man]

I can't remember a single time this year where me taking my hour lunch would of had any effect other than just me getting off an hour later. Now if we voted out bonus and everyone filed 9.5's that might have an effect as it would hit them in the only place they seem to care about, their pocketbook.

Taking a full lunch does not equate to the same amount of time that you must work later when compared to not taking it. When lunch is taken, the time is always more due to additional work that is created by stopping in the middle of the day. Some examples include breaking off from farther areas to cover pickups in compliance, delivering business stops out of trace before they close, and driving to meet points to get pickup pieces back to the unload etc. These normal disruptions result in a longer day. You simply are unaware of the effects of your actions.
Soon you will be required by law to take at least 30 minutes sometime in your first 8 hours of driving so this is a moot discussion.

 

[clarnzz]

Taking a full lunch does not equate to the same amount of time that you work later. When lunch is taken, it is always more due to additional work that is created by stopping in the middle of the day. Some examples include breaking off from farther areas to cover pickups in compliance, delivering business stops out of trace before they close, and driving to meet points to get pickup pieces back to the unload etc. These normal disruptions result in a longer day. You simply are unaware of the effects of your actions.
Soon you will be required by law to take at least 30 minutes sometime in your first 8 hours of driving so this is a moot discussion.

I suppose there are some minor factors that would boost my day a tad, but I'm not going to worry about 10 minutes or so when it means being at work an hour longer.

 

[brownmonster]

Bonus doesn't pay time and half.

Yes it does. What kind of a fool would make bonus if it didn't?