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It also isn't fair to police what employees do during their breaks, so long as it isn't anything that is a breach of company policy. Thirty minutes to an hour of free time isn't all that much, after all, and there are only so many ways somebody can unwind, and also some grab some food at the same time.
In this story, an employee was aghast when their supervisor criticized them while they were getting lunch on their break in the company cafeteria. They were looking at their phone as they waited in line to pay for their food, and the manager tapped them on the shoulder and accused them of being unprofessional because of this.
They felt that this comment had been uncalled for, as they were on their break and therefore allowed to be doing things that were not related to work. They felt the need to share this uncomfortable experience.
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My manager just called me out for being on my phone... While in the breakroom line.
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Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
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Manager calls out employee for using phone while on lunchbreak in company cafeteria: 'That's not a professional look'
Rule #1 of staying sane during the corporate grind: breaktime is sacred.
Although it may have become increasingly acceptable to answer emails or take calls while chowing down on a chain restaurant slop bowl and call it 'lunch', it remains a fact that actually making time to have a decent break during the work day is one of the simplest ways to keep professional stress to a minimum. The act of making time for ourselves is not necessarily a grand gesture, but it can have a more positive impact on how we experience working life than we think.
As always, the main barrier to experiencing a thing like this is the very managers and companies that may benefit from our increased focus and productivity if we are allowed to have a proper break. Eager to hit all those goals that mean so much to corporate, the appearance of constantly on-task (and let's face it, overworked) employees is more important than the well-being of said employees. While it may be true that there are workers who will misuse the right to have a break during the day, it isn't fair to clamp down harder on those who don't in retaliation to this.
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