'I see you're not a team player': Boss limits breaks to two 15-minute sessions due to being understaffed, employee consults union and faces backlash for reporting

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Isabella Penn
Jun 13, 2024 1:00 PM EDT

Let's face it: we all need a break from work. There's no way our brains can stay totally engrossed for 8+ hours while still producing our best quality work all day long. Whether it's stepping outside for a quick breath of fresh air or eating a snack, sometimes that mental break is really what an employee needs to power through the rest of the day's tasks. Well, this boss is trying to mandate a new break policy. He's only allowing his employees two 15-minute breaks a day due to the company being short-staffed. If you ask us, overworking your employees with no time to recuperate sounds like a straight path to burnout and terrible retention rates. Nonetheless, the entitled boss pulled his authority card and mandated the breaks anyway. So, one employee decided to ask his work union if this was allowed. He claims he did it with harmless intentions, but his boss seems to think otherwise. 

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  • 01
    r/antiwork ⚫20 hr. ago JR_Junior Juniors_Jr Boss just lost his mind after I reached out to the union
    via u/JR_Junior_Juniors_Jr
  • 02
    So on account of us being short staffed recently, we have fallen behind on some work (mostly busy work like cleaning and such). As a result we were told today that we no longer get our 2 15 minute breaks each day. I then simply texted our union
    via u/JR_Junior_Juniors_Jr
  • 03
    representative to ask if that was allowed. I wasn't attacking anyone, just asking. Apparently, this lead to all supervisors in the area being told they can not cancel our breaks. A few hours later my boss comes storming into my lab saying things
    via u/JR_Junior_Juniors_Jr
  • 04
    like "you sicced the union on me" "oh you wanna play like that now" "I see you're not a team player" and attacking me for not being a good enough multitasker (which isn't true) and showing up to work only 3 or so minutes early insted of the 15
    via u/JR_Junior_Juniors_Jr
  • 05
    or more that everyone else does, before storming off so I can't even explain a thing. Somebody help me cause I am an inch away from quitting this hole.
    via u/JR_Junior_Juniors_Jr
  • 06
    Edit: many people have criticized the union for revealing me to my boss as a snitch. There are only 5 people at our location in town and I'm the only one who regularly pushes back against BS so it wasn't hard to tell who reached out to the union. They're not at fault (I think). Just what happens with a really small team.
    via u/JR_Junior_Juniors_Jr
  • 07
    thatgreenmaid • 22h ago No you did not sicc the union on him...but you better now. He can't harass you for contacting your union rep to inquire about your mandated breaks.
    via u/thatgreenmaid
  • 08
    . sun_cardinal ⚫ 22h ago Whoops, that's another message to the union rep.
    via u/sun_cardinal
  • 09
    NO-MAD-CLAD 22h ago Edited 4h ago Make a written record of his retaliatory rant and send that to the union. Having evidence of this will make it an absolute nightmare for the company to try and fire you now. The union will be able to call any other reason they come up with to fire you another retaliation attempt. Start keeping your phone set to record audio when in any spaces at work where there would not be an expectation of privacy. Keeping a good
    via u/NO-MAD-CLAD
  • 10
    evidence log will be the difference between a big payout or not. Most unions love being handed a slam dunk opportunity to flex on employers like this. EDIT: Check your local laws as per recording legality as expectation of privacy is only a thing in common law countries and it can be very different in the USA depending on the state you are in.
    via u/NO-MAD-CLAD
  • 11
    noncit 21h ago • This is one of the functions of a union... To protect workers when their rights are being violated. The issue here is staff shortages, not you 'siccing' the union onto the boss. He's just I that he got caught and with the attitude you describe, he's probably the reason you can't get enough staff in the first place. Given that he's already , keep a diary of your interactions and keep the union informed. This is unlikely to end well, and a record of your interactions might come in
    via u/noncit
  • 12
    JR Junior Juniors Jr OP • 21h ago Exactly. I'm sure glad we have one. Its funny cause when I first started working here I was told that we should discuss our complaints with each other before going to the union or higher ups. I thought it was them wanting to settle things like adults but now it seems like it was just him saying "please don't go to the union when I'm breaking the law, talk to me so I can tell you not to worry about it".
    via u/JR_Junior_Juniors_Jr
  • 13
    Optimal-Scientist233 Works Best Idle • 21h ago Saying anything to you is a retaliatory violation and promotion of a hostile work environment which is illegal. > 410 ⇓ ☐ Reply JR_Junior_Juniors_Jr OP • 21h ago Yeah I'm definelty going to reach out to them again about all of this.
    via u/Optimal-Scientist233
  • 14
    potential_human0 • 21h ago Somebody help me cause I am an inch away from quitting this hole. You have a union job that appears, from your post, to stand up for the workers. You should stay. Keep this in mind. less than 10% of American workers have a union job. In the 1950s 30% of workers were members of a union. This decline in union membership is a leading cause of economic disparity in the U.S. Instead of 'quitting this hellhole', consider using the power of the union to force your employer to
    via u/potential_human0
  • 15
    • thatattyguy 21h ago "I'm not to blame for the consequences of management acting unlawfully, and I don't need to let myself be exploited to be a 'team player.' Management tried to solve a problem by stealing its employees' breaks, in order to gain an unpaid 30 minutes per day of work from us, in clear violation of state law. I will always stand up for myself in such situations."
    via u/thatattyguy
  • 16
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    via Yan Krukau

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boss antiwork employee work stories manager job work coworkers petty revenge Horrible Bosses entitled union reddit thread Reddit company employment in the workplace
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