Whole Foods Cuts Paid Breaks From 15 to 10 Minutes for Thousands of Workers

[douglas9]

Eater logoWhole Foods Cuts Paid Breaks From 15 to 10 Minutes for Thousands of Workers

When the pandemic began last March, grocery stores across the country were pressured into giving their workers, who were classified as essential, some better protections. There was extra “hazard pay,” as well as paid sick leave and other benefits extended to part-time workers. But that all died around July, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continued (and continues) at record rates. Now, Amazon-owned Whole Foods — a chain that’s continually shown its disregard for workers — is allegedly making things even worse by limiting paid breaks from 15 minutes to ten.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/whole-foods-cuts-paid-breaks-from-15-to-10-minutes-for-thousands-of-workers/ar-BB1cIUYW?ocid=se

[samnsara]

1. they better install 2 more ladies restrooms!

[bleedingulcers]

2. This isn't uncommon....

When I worked for a Kroger-owned store, under a different name, our breaks were so short that it was physically impossible to clock out, get to a restroom, back to the time clock and then back to your department within the allotted time.

So we just walked off and went to the restrooms while we were on the clock. When you're treated like a work horse, you act like one...

These are huge, wealthy companies - they can surely afford to let their staff eat, or relieve themselves - without going bankrupt?

[Doreen]

5. Going to the bathroom was my first thought.

Better make sure you do not have to take a shit because that alone would put you over your break time.

Next comes taking 10 minutes from lunch.

[spooky3]

3. I hope the incoming admin will put good people on the NLRB

and enforce worker and union protection laws. WF needs a union.

[Alacritous Crier]

4. Amen!

[left-of-center2012]

6. I thought state laws regulated break time

I am retired now but back in the day state law required a 15 minute break after 2 hours work and a 30 minute lunch hour after 4 hours work.

Another 15 minute break would follow 2 hours after lunch.

[Bradshaw3]

7. But, wait, Bezos gives millions to charity

That's right millions. Therefore he is above criticism.

[Jirel]

8. There's a problem with the Whole Foods headlines about this.

The question that is never answered is, "As opposed to what other local supermarkets are doing?"

It's crappy as hell. We know this. But I also don't know whether the working conditions at Whole Foods are, as a whole, worse or better than at the other 3 chains I can easily access. Crappy as this is, I am very sure that they're better than at least one of the chains, possibly all 3.

I call this the SeaWorld Effect. PETA luuuuuuurves attacking SeaWorld. Why? Because it's an immediately recognizable, large corporation they can whip people up about. Never mind that most of what they say about SeaWorld is a lie. Never mind that if they actually cared about marine life, they'd be closing down our local for-profit aquarium, or any number of similarly abusive facilities with a heinous death rate around the country, or fighting a variety of dolphin kills and captures around the world. But no, no, attacking SeaWorld, a corporation that has a lot of flaws but also is EXPERT at caring for the animals in its care, and provides wildlife sanctuary, rescue, and rehabilitation services, is so much preferable because it's mediagenic.

So while I'll stand with the workers at Whole Foods, I find these shocked headlines less than useful in determining where the worst problems lie in grocery working conditions. Attacking Whole Foods is mediagenic. Attacking Whole Foods now that it's owned by Amazon is doubly mediagenic. But despite all that, is it still the place where a lot of grocery workers will flee too from even worse conditions in the other chains in the region? Possibly. It's not even worth the furor because of the argument, "Where Whole Foods goes, others will follow." No, they'll follow Target and Walmart, and also H.E.B. in this region, the 800 pound gorillas around here.

[douglas9]

9. Does Texas require employers to give employees breaks or lunches?

Texas labor and employment law has no general rule requiring breaks or lunches no matter how long you work. Because Texas lacks state specific laws on break and lunch periods, it defaults to federal law. Federal law also generally does not require breaks or a lunch period. An employee in Texas must receive a break or lunch if there is an employment contract specifically stating such requirements. Unless you are a union employee or have a contract then you are largely at the mercy of your employer’s discretion. Under the Affordable Healthcare Act, breastfeeding mothers must be given reasonable (but unpaid) break time for breastfeeding or expressing breast milk. Otherwise, breaks may be necessary as an accommodation to a disability or for a religious practice.

https://www.kielichlawfirm.com/does-texas-require-employers-to-give-employees-breaks-or-lunches/#:~:text=Texas%20labor%20and%20employment%20law,breaks%20or%20a%20lunch%20period.

[Jirel]

10. I know. Unfortunately, that's the problem.

A LOT of excess attention is given to Whole Foods, because it's the expensive chain and it was bought by Amazon, and it's easy to get people riled about it.

The problem is, I know for a fact that despite all their bad aspects and the worsening conditions since the buy-out, they're still the coveted place for grocery jobs here. That's a sad commentary. Are the other grocery workers in the huge chains here going to unionize? I doubt they'd even consider it.

I've been both a business owner and a manager in Texas, not in an industry where employees are expected to turn over constantly, like the grocery industry, but in the legal industry where people wrongly believe employees are treated far better. They really aren't. Some of the things I've had to go to bat about with our HR manager should never have been an issue.

I just dislike pointing fingers almost exclusively at the most mediagenic employers, when the reality is that they may be the least of the problem. If we're going to be serious about improving work conditions, we need to be talking about the employers with the largest number of workers in any given area. Especially ones like H.E.B. here, which is pretty much a sacred cow.