Do NOT Mess With Your Employees’ Breaks

The tech support company I work for has a lot of issues retaining employees, and the few that do stick around are pretty good at their jobs. One day, an opportunity comes up that they are looking to train someone to be the floor manager of the call center since the manager that was there recently left. (Yep, due to upper management and ownership; this is the reason they have issues keeping people.)

A couple of the senior techs suggest that I put my name in the hat to do it, but having been friends with the last floor manager and knowing everything that went on with him and why he left, I want nothing to do with it. Plus, I managed a small crew at a warehouse job I had, and I don’t like managing because of all the stupid people you have to deal with. It’s like being a babysitter for grown people and it sucks.

One of the other guys, who never managed before, takes them up on the offer and he starts out overseeing first, second, and third shift techs. On the third shift, there are sometimes two people working, but more often than not, it’s just one person.

The new floor manager has been working for a week now, and when I get in one morning, the guy on third shift is pissed. My work hours overlap third shift by an hour so he can pass off any important tickets to me or relay any important information or so I can help him with issues he doesn’t know how to fix. I get time to chat with him in the morning.

Third Shift Guy: “[New Manager] yelled at me last night because I wasn’t answering the phone while I was on my lunch break. He kept calling back, and when I got off break, I answered his call, and he yelled at me that I need to always be manning the phones and that I can’t take a lunch break.”

Me: “That’s not okay. You’re allowed a thirty-minute, unpaid lunch break for an eight-hour shift. You don’t have to answer the phones or do anything. You can take a break. I’ll let him know he can’t say that. But, I would strongly suggest you speak to Human Resources about it so your side of the story is on record. It is illegal for them to tell you that you cannot take a break. We have a voicemail system in place to handle any missed calls while you are on break, you get email notices if any voicemails are left, and you follow up on them when you’re off break. We have a system in place.”

The guy from third shift takes my advice and speaks to HR about it.

Fast forward to a few hours later when the manager and lead tech’s weekly meeting takes place.

New Manager: “Who told the third shift guy to talk to HR about being told he can’t take breaks? We need the phones covered at all times.”

Me: “Doesn’t matter who spoke to him about going to HR. You cannot tell people they cannot take a break. That’s going to get you into trouble. Employees here that work eight hours receive a thirty-minute unpaid lunch break. All employees get that.”

New Manager: “He cannot leave the phones. Period. If he needs to use the bathroom, he’s got to run and use it quickly and get back fast. If he wants to eat, he needs to eat at his desk and answer any call that comes in. He cannot just leave the phones.”

Me: “We have a system in place to handle missed calls. You cannot tell employees they cannot take a break, period. There seems to be something about this that you’re not understanding. Have you ever managed people before?”

New Manager: “My managing experience is not the issue here. He cannot leave the phones. He cannot take a break.”

Me: “I’m just trying to keep you from getting fired because if this issue continues, that’s what is going to happen. Upper management will just wash their hands of you and be done with it if you wish to keep acting the way you are. You cannot tell someone they cannot take a lunch break. There’s nothing more to discuss. You clearly don’t understand the repercussions of your actions, and you aren’t willing to listen to someone that used to manage people so you don’t get fired.”

New Manager: “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

Me: “Fine. Be stupid, get fired. I tried to help you, but if you’re too ignorant and stubborn to take the help, then that’s on you. I’m done talking to you about this.”

[New Manager] sits there for a moment before saying anything.

New Manager: “You still shouldn’t have told them to go to HR. That’s the issue.”

Me: “Stop talking. You’re going to get yourself fired for saying stupid things.”

I didn’t work there much longer after that, and I heard that the new manager didn’t last in his position, but that’s not just on him; it’s also on upper management for not training him.