There is constant pressure at my center to work off of the clock. I have done a lot of asking around and about half of the drivers are working on their breaks. They say that they "just want to get home" or "don't want to get in trouble". The Heck with that!
It is as simple as doing things the right way: work when you are on the clock and rest when you are not.
We just had some runner gunner blow through a stop sign and plow into a car, severely bloodying up a bunch of kids and causing severe, permanent facial scarring to at least one kid. If that driver would have driven safely and rested throughout the course of the day, EVERYBODY would have benefited.
I take every single second of my breaks and I get my full compensation. This works for me, but I do have to be very careful to follow all of the methods because I run over allowed every day. But all of us have to be very careful, right? Management literally follows us with cameras and video recorders. Taken together with the GPS and the DIAD that archive data to the nearest second, one would be a fool not to be very careful.
Suspiciously, management never disciplines drivers for working through their breaks. Hmm...
Also, if I am here to bitch and moan, I am sick of the cronyism in our center. We have suckups and ass-kissers who kiss up to the center manager and other management in order to get favors, and IT WORKS! I have concluded that this is beyond my control, and that I make more money by not being an ass kisser.
Finally, if you want to keep your job don't bring XXX material to work. Not on your laptop and not on your cell phone. I can count at least 4 drivers who were permanently fired for just this. Word to the wise.