"Required" breaks at Express

McFeely

Huge Member
Couple of questions about our required breaks at Express:

1-Can a manager require you to go on break when waiting for freight in the morning between inbound trucks? We had this happen a few days ago and our manager acted like "let's get that pesky break out of the way while we're waiting on our freight." I didn't take the break (it ended up only being like 22 minutes of delay code 43), but many others did. Since they only got ~20 minutes, they all had to take another 20+ minutes later in the day.

2-If you're doing a route that has deliveries and pickups and the delivery side of things are a little light, are you required to go on break to fill the extra time before your pickups are ready? As long as you've done your required break (30 or 60, depending on the length of day), you're good right?

The only thing I have read/heard about with regards to these are what I saw posted here on the forum a while back, but I wanted to make sure it's correct:

"Employees cannot be required to take a non-meal break because there is no available work, however, employees can voluntarily go into break status during such periods."
-- People Best Practices, Section 6

I know what I do and what I've seen others do, I just wanted some feedback so I can answer my manager when he asks why I didn't take longer breaks on late freight days or light stopcount days. Thanks!
 

Nolimitz

Well-Known Member
they may not be able to force you, but they can make life miserable... I'm on your side by the way and its becoming an issue here too.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
Couple of questions about our required breaks at Express:

1-Can a manager require you to go on break when waiting for freight in the morning between inbound trucks? We had this happen a few days ago and our manager acted like "let's get that pesky break out of the way while we're waiting on our freight." I didn't take the break (it ended up only being like 22 minutes of delay code 43), but many others did. Since they only got ~20 minutes, they all had to take another 20+ minutes later in the day.

2-If you're doing a route that has deliveries and pickups and the delivery side of things are a little light, are you required to go on break to fill the extra time before your pickups are ready? As long as you've done your required break (30 or 60, depending on the length of day), you're good right?

The only thing I have read/heard about with regards to these are what I saw posted here on the forum a while back, but I wanted to make sure it's correct:






I know what I do and what I've seen others do, I just wanted some feedback so I can answer my manager when he asks why I didn't take longer breaks on late freight days or light stopcount days. Thanks!


For aircraft and CTV delays, ALWAYS USE CODE 43. Express management is famous for trying to weasel you out of time by buying doughnuts or Egg McMuffins and then having everyone (yeah, team!!) go on break. Um, no.

Most states have laws that say a break must be offered after X hours of work. I would check your state laws. Split shifts are just so wrong, and FedEx abuses the Hell out of people with them. I've seen 3 and 4 hour splits at stations where management tells you to take longer splits when it's light.

Guess what? Light volumes are Fred's problem, not yours. I will never take a split, nor would I ever take a break when I could be on Code 43. Fred makes plenty of money, and he can afford to pay you when his planes and CTVs are late.

Don't let Fred pick your pocket.
 

overflowed

Well-Known Member
All the places I've ever been not many people will take break waiting on late freight. If they ask you about say you never even heard them say so. Never been asked why I didn't take break during a code 43. You can also say I take my lunch at 12 noon not 900am
 

SmithBarney

Well-Known Member
If the freight is late and they are trying to force break, you need to go to your manager and state "I won't be going on break, do you have something for me to do."


Company Policy states you must not take your break in your first hour or last hour.
Because a break is meant as a REST period during the day, to enable you to REST
so that you may be focused on doing your job SAFELY and effectively... you know so you don't kill anyone.:yawn2:


In most cases your manager will tell you to do something like check your trucks supplies, or other trucks..

Now part two of your question if you are a DEL/PUP driver try to take your break between DEL and PUPS, but its not always possible.

There are a few tricks you can do, some might be questionable(holding walkups until you "have a chance" to process them)
another hint is head to the nearest gas station(maybe the 2nd nearest lower prices?) and fill up during this down time, your
Fueling code allows for a certain amount of time(not sure how much) but it will help fill the gap so you won't need to take a break,
don't forget to go inside the gas station because the Receipt didn't print at the pump..;)


Hope these help.
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
Couple of questions about our required breaks at Express:

1-Can a manager require you to go on break when waiting for freight in the morning between inbound trucks? We had this happen a few days ago and our manager acted like "let's get that pesky break out of the way while we're waiting on our freight." I didn't take the break (it ended up only being like 22 minutes of delay code 43), but many others did. Since they only got ~20 minutes, they all had to take another 20+ minutes later in the day.

2-If you're doing a route that has deliveries and pickups and the delivery side of things are a little light, are you required to go on break to fill the extra time before your pickups are ready? As long as you've done your required break (30 or 60, depending on the length of day), you're good right?

The only thing I have read/heard about with regards to these are what I saw posted here on the forum a while back, but I wanted to make sure it's correct:



I know what I do and what I've seen others do, I just wanted some feedback so I can answer my manager when he asks why I didn't take longer breaks on late freight days or light stopcount days. Thanks!
I have never been forced to take a break in either case. I just refuse.
 

SmithBarney

Well-Known Member
I have never been forced to take a break in either case. I just refuse.

In most cases your manager is applauded by saving overtime, and probably rarely cares about the number of people not taking break.
Say your work group is 50 people, and 40people take a 30minute break,
well you've just saved 20hrs of overtime.
lets pretend(HAHA) the average pay of these people is..$20($30 for OT)

You just saved the station $600 in overtime Mr Manager! BZ to you...
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
Couple of questions about our required breaks at Express:

1-Can a manager require you to go on break when waiting for freight in the morning between inbound trucks?

No.

2-If you're doing a route that has deliveries and pickups and the delivery side of things are a little light, are you required to go on break to fill the extra time before your pickups are ready? As long as you've done your required break (30 or 60, depending on the length of day), you're good right?

Your only break requirement is 30 or 60 minutes, whichever is applicable. If you are running into that issue with enough frequency, your manager can schedule you for a 90 minute break that you'd have to take.

The only thing I have read/heard about with regards to these are what I saw posted here on the forum a while back, but I wanted to make sure it's correct:

It is.
 

McFeely

Huge Member
Your only break requirement is 30 or 60 minutes, whichever is applicable. If you are running into that issue with enough frequency, your manager can schedule you for a 90 minute break that you'd have to take.

This was a case from a coworker that I spoke to yesterday. He runs a Saturday delivery route with 1 regular PUP. That regular has a 12:00 ready time.

A couple of weeks ago he did this route and got an additional oncall pickup with a 13:00 ready time. Normally he's able to do this route and avoid a break at all (5-hour rule in my state). This occasion he did all the deliveries, then the 12:00 PUP, then went on break for the next 55 or so minutes until his 13:00 was ready.

I told him he should have taken 30 min, but nothing more as he was just giving away pay. He probably had to sit at the station afterwards anyway in a code 39 or something after finishing up for the day. Oh well-
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
"Meal breaks taken near the beginning or end of a shift are discouraged..."

Sure, except when there's late freight or some other reason that benefits the company. I've never seen an organization more focused on trying to get free work from employees or minimize their pay, although Amazon seems to be very similar in their tactics.

For years, I worked in stations where they would have pizza parties or BBQs during "lunch" or after work. Attendance was "mandatory" as in you were pressured to attend these events and management would remind you if you didn't show-up. Simply put, this was a way to conduct work meetings off the clock. Invariably, sometime during the BBQ, work-related material would be introduced by the manager, or you'd be handed the latest letter to sign that indicated your acknowledgement of some new policy.

I would never attend any of these, and whenever a manager got in my face (often) and said I wasn't part of the team or had a bad attitude I would simply reply that if it was important enough for me to attend, it needed to be paid. It never went any further than that.

Besides encouraging people to not use Code 43, FedEx is famous for having managers corner you as you are leaving the building and then having a work-related conversation. The simple solution for this is to tell the manager you're heading inside to clock back in. Then, we can have a conversation.

Do not let this company rip you off. They are always trying some new way to screw you out of money.
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
Sure, except when there's late freight or some other reason that benefits the company. I've never seen an organization more focused on trying to get free work from employees or minimize their pay, although Amazon seems to be very similar in their tactics.

For years, I worked in stations where they would have pizza parties or BBQs during "lunch" or after work. Attendance was "mandatory" as in you were pressured to attend these events and management would remind you if you didn't show-up. Simply put, this was a way to conduct work meetings off the clock. Invariably, sometime during the BBQ, work-related material would be introduced by the manager, or you'd be handed the latest letter to sign that indicated your acknowledgement of some new policy.

I would never attend any of these, and whenever a manager got in my face (often) and said I wasn't part of the team or had a bad attitude I would simply reply that if it was important enough for me to attend, it needed to be paid. It never went any further than that.

Besides encouraging people to not use Code 43, FedEx is famous for having managers corner you as you are leaving the building and then having a work-related conversation. The simple solution for this is to tell the manager you're heading inside to clock back in. Then, we can have a conversation.

Do not let this company rip you off. They are always trying some new way to screw you out of money.

I quoted the policy.
 

Purplepackage

Well-Known Member
Couple of questions about our required breaks at Express:

1-Can a manager require you to go on break when waiting for freight in the morning between inbound trucks? We had this happen a few days ago and our manager acted like "let's get that pesky break out of the way while we're waiting on our freight." I didn't take the break (it ended up only being like 22 minutes of delay code 43), but many others did. Since they only got ~20 minutes, they all had to take another 20+ minutes later in the day.

2-If you're doing a route that has deliveries and pickups and the delivery side of things are a little light, are you required to go on break to fill the extra time before your pickups are ready? As long as you've done your required break (30 or 60, depending on the length of day), you're good right?

The only thing I have read/heard about with regards to these are what I saw posted here on the forum a while back, but I wanted to make sure it's correct:



I know what I do and what I've seen others do, I just wanted some feedback so I can answer my manager when he asks why I didn't take longer breaks on late freight days or light stopcount days. Thanks!


There is no specific answer for any of this, it varies by station and more specifically the individual employee.

My ops manager and senior preach hour breaks, yet if I feel im to busy and I only take a half I never hear about. Meanwhile the guy next to me is being hounded that he needs to get his hour in everyday.

If I'm 25 minutes early to a drop box, I will sit and wait with no code in, never have put an extra break in and I never will.

Or how about this, fellow swing has been punching in at sort time regardless of what his scheduled time is for months and he has heard a word about it. Schedule says 8am for Monday he punches in at 6:45 because it's sort start
 

overflowed

Well-Known Member
Can someone tell me how much time is given for fueling? Dano?
This question was asked in a workgroup meeting before. We were told 10 min. But, who the hell knows because my manager at the time had to ask about it. Also we're told to 10 min shuttle to gas station, 10 min fuel, 10 min shuttle back. No diesel in that workgroup area. So probably won't be the same for you.
 

!Retired!

Well-Known Member
Can someone tell me how much time is given for fueling? Dano?
I was told a long time ago, though I forgot the exact numbers. It's calculated by how much fuel you pump, which is why you put the gallons in your time card. Example: 1 gallon = 30 seconds (don't quote those numbers, I'm not 100% sure)
The only time I take a break waiting on late freight is when I have something planned that evening.
I usually don't mind taking a break in the station. I hate stopping once I get on-road. Also, it helps me get out earlier. As MFE said, if you don't, you draw attention to yourself. If others start following, you might expect a bulls-eye on your back.
 

MassWineGuy

Well-Known Member
I'm with MrFedEx here. The only times I was told to take a break specifically to avoid getting paid was in my first week or two of training. Other than pm sort, all I was doing was computer based training. Breaks only came up once or twice. I didn't like it, but on my first week I felt it wiser not to make noise. Now, the only breaks I take are the 30 or 60 minute required breaks.

If freight's late, we're told to punch in the delay code. I've never been pressured into any questionable breaks, other than what I mentioned, and strongly believe in not working for free. If a break request made no sense now, I would ask for a specific reason and still not take it.

I clocked in earlier than usual one day last week to make deliveries. I had lunch and coffee for my hour break but couldn't start my pm pickups because they weren't read. No one objected to me and others hanging out until our routes began.
 
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