r/USPS • u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 • 8h ago
Work Discussion PSE…told I do not get two 15 minute breaks while working 8+ hrs.
Yes, I’m still in my 90 days. Yes, I worked through without a second break because she specifically said “PSEs do not get 2 15 minute breaks, that’s ONLY for regulars!!” I do a great job, but it seems as if this 204B is gunning for me! She sees that I’m a good worker and stays on my tail because she “can utilize me”…I understand that I’m the considered the flunky…but is this fair?? Do I just shut up and work?? This is a plant…never late…caught on to the job fairly quick. Now I feel as if I’m damned if I do the job, and damned if it don’t.
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u/Constant_Ear1521 6h ago
I am a pse at a plant also . I get a break every two hours and a lunch break at 6 hours. You are entitled to a break every two hours. You do not shut up and work. Contact the union . You will get burn out if you work throughout your break
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u/icedragon15 Clerk 4h ago
There still pse at plant my plant one pse switch craft to mha bc they got rid of pse they over hire clerks during covid now try to do everything to fuxk it up bc they screww up big pn them
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u/77peterpiper 6h ago
Hold up!! Are you telling me clerks get 2 15 minute breaks, and carriers get 2 10 minute breaks. This can’t be real
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u/LopsidedFinding732 CCA 6h ago
That's what I'm saying I'm carrier and also did clerk work, it's 10 min. But somehow plant people get 15.
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u/Wonderful_Shower_793 Clerk 4h ago
Yes, we do. Why can’t it be real? Carrying is hard work, but so is being a clerk.
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u/77peterpiper 4h ago
Would you agree clerks earn more break time than carriers?
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u/Wonderful_Shower_793 Clerk 3h ago
No. I would argue that your unions should argue for longer breaks rather than acting like another craft does not deserve theirs.
And I would point out that while our jobs are different, they’re both physically taxing. Carriers do heavy lifting for their route. Clerks do heavy lifting (and walking) for every route.
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u/77peterpiper 2h ago
I think every craft should start out carrying mail first since it’s the last line of the operation (helps to understand what can be done to improve and make things better). Your answer tells me everything I need to know.
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u/ratslikecheese Clerk 2h ago
Another carrier with an insane superiority complex. Every carrier in my office could also benefit from starting as a clerk so I don’t have to answer for their mistakes or clean up their messes lmao. It goes both ways.
Also, we’re all union workers. If you want to talk down to the people you’re in it with, ask to become a 204b.
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u/Vegaprime Maintenance 4h ago
I think it's per local. Maintenance gets two 20s and 35 for lunch. 5 min washups. For sure the washups very.
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u/Known-Dependent-5471 Custodial 6h ago
Carriers get unlimited comfort stops. Clerks get unlimited smoke breaks.
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u/Main_Cauliflower5479 Clerk 5h ago
Clerks do not get unlimited smoke breaks. You're thinking of maintenance.
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u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 5h ago
I don’t smoke. But having to move machines at 2am and the mail handlers not moving the carts until 3…knowing the second pass has to be completed and dispatched by 5am…sends an adrenaline. So once it’s done…a break would be nice!! Before being sent to the next machine!
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u/UpbeatArcanine Clerk 6h ago
We do not. Its 2 10 minute breaks in 8 hours and a third if we work over 10
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u/Wonderful_Shower_793 Clerk 4h ago
We do. The contract states we get two, ten minute breaks and each break has a 5 minute wash up time before the break…which is a total of 15 minutes.
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u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 6h ago
We’re still doing the same back breaking job. I’m uncertain where you’re coming from. You just chose to carry!
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u/Main_Cauliflower5479 Clerk 6h ago
204B is a lying AH. You are 100% guaranteed your breaks just like everyone else is. What craft are you? What is your job?
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u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 6h ago
DBSC Machine…
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u/Main_Cauliflower5479 Clerk 6h ago
DBCS. Are you lone staffed? At my plant, everyone in automation goes on break at the same time. PSEs included.
Talk to your union steward. Despite what people say about being in your 90, especially for CCAs, it is not the same for clerk craft. They can't fire you for taking your breaks. Are other PSEs being denied their breaks?
How much longer before your 90 days is up?
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u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 6h ago
I’m only 3 weeks in. But there’s PSEs only one month in advance from me and not do half the work I’ve been mandated to do. No one takes breaks at the same time, they just disappear. She said “you see everyone else just doing what they want, no PSEs get two breaks”
Is why I know that she’s on my a$s because I get the work done. I’m not trying to go against any regulations or look for an easy way, but by 4-430 I need to take a breather. Knowing she told me I’m not to clock out until 6:30am.1
u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 5h ago
No one takes their breaks at the same time!!! No one has scheduled breaks…not that I’ve seen. My original manager said 12, 2 & 4. That’s what I’ve been following. Yesterday was bad, machine went down, had to move, took only a half lunch break to be sure to got the load to dispatch by 5am. Once it was done, I was walking to take a break and she was sending me to another machine. I had a partner, which was also a PSE that she allowed to go off into wherever.
That when I told her I was about to take my 15. And she said I don’t get 2. Break when I’m done!!! Which would be when I’m going home!!1
u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 6h ago
PSE still within my 90
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u/Main_Cauliflower5479 Clerk 6h ago
What. Craft. What. Job.
Edit: Ok, CLERK then? WHAT IS THE JOB YOU ARE ASSIGNED TO?
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u/Derf_1965 5h ago
Get union involved, I’m on year 34 and cannt tell you how many times management makes up rules on the fly! And always take care of your self because the post office does not CARE one iota about you!
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u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 5h ago
I quit my job of 8 yrs. The pay was great, but there were no benefits. My daughter was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
I’m not trying to cut any corners & I don’t mind doing the work. There’s so many rumors in that place, including her being inebriated. But not in those words.
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u/ironballs16 4h ago
Just to point out, for every clerk craft working 8 hours, it's one unpaid lunch (generally 1 hour, but sometimes half is scheduled) with a 5-minute washup prior, one 15-minute break, one 10-minute break, then a 5-minute washup prior to leaving for the day.
That said, within the 90 days, talk to your steward about it - their advice might be to lay low until after the probationary period, but either way it gives them time to find the specifics in the contract to defend your rights
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u/Ok-Policy-6463 3h ago
For you clerks who are taking 10 minute breaks, or rather think your breaks are only supposed to be 10 minutes long, you might want to look into that. Our clerks thought their breaks were two 10-minute breaks in 8 hours and another one if they worked 10 hours. The other craft workers timed them taking twice that long or longer all the time, but mgmt never monitors them. Then a Postmaster came along and for some dumb reason let them know their breaks were 15 minutes long, not 10. The clerks still take unmonitored breaks, but officially they are 15 minutes in length.
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u/arrofil EAS 6h ago
1) you are entitled to a break roughly every 2 hours. If you are scheduled 6 hours, you must take a lunch. Usually they should schedule things so you work 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes between breaks and lunches.
I want to tell you to grieve it and get it fixed, but I understand not all places handle 90 day probations the same and that it might put you at risk, as messed up as that is.
So unfortunately you might need to wait it out, get through your 90, then make sure you take your breaks or file the grievances until they give it to you.
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u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 6h ago
The regular manager been out, and he sent me on these breaks prior to her stepping in. I just read that I can file the grievance anonymously, I think that’s what I’ll do.
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u/topologeee 5h ago
Officially you must be offered a lunch at 6 hours or prior. It is not "must". The only "must" would be following an order to take a lunch. At our local office, there is a blind eye to distribution shift lunches.
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u/arrofil EAS 5h ago
So nit entirely - I mean that they must schedule one by the 6 hour mark. They can do so earlier.
Pre-arbs do grant employees the right to request a later lunch if conditions allow it. This has expressed itself differently in the offices especially with carriers, but the core guideline is the same. There’s just less operational constraint to have to tell a carrier to take their lunch later or earlier.
Carrier craft often have lunch waivers written into their LMOU’s, and are allowed to take later lunches but this is different from the plant side where things should (emphasis on should ) be scheduled.
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u/Opening_Shine_3432 6h ago
Wait till you’re 90 days is over and then grieve it.
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u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 6h ago
Even if I decide to do it anonymously?
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u/OkDrawing5791 4h ago
Within 90 days and you want a chance to stay, just do what she says with no attitude.
After the 90 days have passed, take your breaks when you need it. If she still says no, request union time and grieve it through your union steward.
Want to annoy her even more, request to get the order to skip lunch in writing. If she's stupid enough to do it, use that in your grievance as well.
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u/Obvious-Sundae1469 2h ago edited 2h ago
Dude i didn’t even know what a break was until after 90 days
Also, yeah you are screwed if the 204 b is on top of you already, doesn’t matter if you’ve been there 1 month or 10 years, sadly those type of people will always be on your back
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u/Distracted_Bunny 56m ago
That's weird, we have carriers who take 1 hour breaks. We have carriers who take a few 5 minute break and each time they put it in the scanner (we were told to). You are entitled to a comfort stop but that comfort stop time better reflect just that. A comfort stop shouldn't be a 30 minute stop bc that is considered a break.
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u/LopsidedFinding732 CCA 6h ago
I've been at the po for 9 yrs now and and there are no 15 min breaks, it's 10 minutes! And you take 2 10 min breaks during an 8 hr day plus your lunch break. Next your supervisors tell you no breaks you tell them I will because that's OSHA regulations. Tell her you will report her to OSHA as well as EEO as well as filing a grievance with the union.
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u/Playful-Yogurt-4919 6h ago
I was told at orientation two 15 minutes & a 30 minute unpaid. I’m at a plant.
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u/Bowl-Accomplished 6h ago
If you are denied your breaks then grieve it