Manager accuses retail employee of "stealing" for taking a full 30-minute lunch break instead of only taking 20 minutes: 'I told her if it’s unpaid, that time is mine.'

Are those ten minutes really so valuable to the company?

Some companies are extremely strict about their employees taking their breaks, especially when those employees are under 18. I remember when I was a minor working 8-hour shifts; my company did not mess around about me taking my mandatory 30-minute breaks between the four-hour shifts. Perhaps this was because they had previously been entangled in controversy over child labor laws. Maybe they gave us this break because they really like us personally. Whatever the reason, I was thrilled to have 30 whole minutes to sit at the bar, eat some food, and scroll on my phone before the worst of the dinner rush. 

Breaks can be a touchy subject among management, because they know it appears uncouth to take them away, but they don't like seeing their employees sitting around doing nothing when they could be sweeping or stocking shelves. Some companies do not recognize the importance and value of regularly scheduled breaks for their workers. A consistent break could be all that's keeping them from quitting, because if they had to work 8 hours without stopping, they'd be too burned out to continue at the expected pace. 

Author image for Emmy Pratt Emmy Pratt
Add us on Google
Advertisement

Stay entertained and up to date by following us on Facebook and Instagram!

Tags

retail work lunch break employee manager retail workers retail retail worker reddit story lunch employees tales from retail reddit thread Reddit break working retail
Scroll Down For The Next Article

Also From Memebase

'Dropping a book you're not enjoying is elite adulthood': What's something you didn't realize was optional in life?

'Dropping a book you're not enjoying is elite adulthood': What's something you didn't realize was optional in life?

Trending Now

Dad refuses to call an ambulance for his 25-year-old son, whose spleen ruptured, because he was at work and ambulances are expensive: 'He looked at me and asked if I could drive myself.'

Dad refuses to call an ambulance for his 25-year-old son, whose spleen ruptured, because he was at work and ambulances are expensive: 'He looked at me and asked if I could drive myself.'

01
Boss adds new job responsibilities that weren't in the job description every week, tells employee she should be grateful when she pushes back: 'I’m watching coworkers burn out left and right from the same creeping scope expansion.'

Boss adds new job responsibilities that weren't in the job description every week, tells employee she should be grateful when she pushes back: 'I’m watching coworkers burn out left and right from the same creeping scope expansion.'

02
'She’s doing it on my dime, I can’t afford this’: Mom lets her son’s girlfriend move in rent-free, pushed to set a strict budget after 21-year-old Carmella starts cooking fancy, pricey dinners at the mom’s expense

'She’s doing it on my dime, I can’t afford this’: Mom lets her son’s girlfriend move in rent-free, pushed to set a strict budget after 21-year-old Carmella starts cooking fancy, pricey dinners at the mom’s expense

03
Tolkien Tuesday: The Best Lord of the Rings Memes This Week (December 9, 2025)

Tolkien Tuesday: The Best Lord of the Rings Memes This Week (December 9, 2025)

04
Manager demands key employee keep quiet during project meeting, gets caught out by vice president's questions: 'She didn't want anyone else getting any recognition'

Manager demands key employee keep quiet during project meeting, gets caught out by vice president's questions: 'She didn't want anyone else getting any recognition'

05
Grandma refuses to babysit 8-month-old grandson full-time, despite doing so for her eldest son's child, leading parents to demand she stay away altogether: ‘They never leave him alone with us’

Grandma refuses to babysit 8-month-old grandson full-time, despite doing so for her eldest son's child, leading parents to demand she stay away altogether: ‘They never leave him alone with us’

06
Advertisement