Just remember that I started my meat cutting career back in the 1960's and these reflections are mine only. I started cutting meat in a small Mom & Pop store. Nobody took breaks, we were given a half hour for lunch that's it. When I left the minor leagues so to speak to take a job with a major league company back then, A & P there were no unions. The first store I worked in was in Stratford, Conn. a brand new store with a 10 man crew. Because I was new, the meat dept. manager would send me to a donut shop to pick up 2 dozen of donuts for a quick coffee break. There were never any set break times. We did get an hour for lunch, (which I thought was to long). So as I proceeded in my 12 year career with A & P I was not a real advocate of breaks. Actually when I was promoted to First Cutter I would feel guilty even if I was forced to take a break.
I am not saying my attitude was correct.The fact is that I often felt guilty taking a breaks as I thought it was wasting valuable working time. I am just saying that this was the way I was schooled in the meat cutting business.
Please share your opinions and thoughts about "taking breaks". Thank you.
Usually I don't need or want a break. I'm not tired or hungry. I can eat a snack while working if I get hungry. I come prepared and have something handy. Even in shops that don't allow food or drinks. BTW, it's strange that you cant have food around food. For example, a person in produce couldn't bring a banana or apple to work, a deli person couldn't bring a ham sandwich. You wash all the equipment with water, but you can't have a bottle of water.
If you're union, and I am, there's a contract giving you probably one break for each 4 hours worked. The break will be at least 10 minutes. Longer in some cases. If you have that in your contract, there's no reason to feel bad about taking the break. I do dislike when people take a break when there's lots of customers in a full service shop. If I was to be given a check right now for all the breaks I missed over the decades, it would be a pretty big one.
Lately, I've been taking a 70 minute lunch. That's a lunch and break combined. I love that extra 10 minutes for lunch. But I don't usually need to stop in the middle of a job and take a break simply because I'm entitled to it.
OTOH, the company never comes up to non management employees and hands them an extra 5 or 10 dollars, "just because". They don't go an extra effort for us.
The federal government gives nice breaks. Some chains virtually no breaks and some we had okay breaks. I like breaks, especially with good folks to learn more about the trade from. However, those guys are dinosaurs, nearly extinct.
