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Topic: Are 15-minute breaks required by law?
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ceti
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7851
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posted 01 May 2006 05:06 PM
quote:
Chalk it up to the neocons and the end of the competition between capitalist and socialist countries; they don't feel the need to match the past social policies of the former socialist countries.
Damn it, I want the Soviet Union back... I need my break!  quote:
Russian police spokesman, Viktor Biryukov, said trade unionists marched peacefully through central Moscow calling for a "social state," according to Itar-Tass news agency.A smaller group of Communist Party supporters marched from Lenin monument on October Square to their usual rally spot at the Karl Marx statue. They chanted "Putin resign!", "Our Homeland is the USSR". BBC News
From: various musings before the revolution | Registered: Jan 2005
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slimpikins
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9261
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posted 01 May 2006 07:25 PM
Prowsej, it sounds like you are getting screwed over at work. Might I reccomend contacting a Union? If the other workers there feel as you do, maybe a Union is what you need. That way, you would have some control over things like wages, hours of work, shift scheduling, rest periods, and the like through negotiating a collective agreement, that would cover those issues. I am a member of UFCW, and I like it, but don't take my word for it. Check out other Unions as well, like the Teamsters, SEIU, Steelworkers, and the CAW.
From: Alberta | Registered: May 2005
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Fidel
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 5594
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posted 01 May 2006 08:31 PM
quote:
Originally posted by prowsej:
Thanks for confirming that: I didn't think that Home Depot would get the law wrong, but I wanted to check anyways. So, I guess when they force me to buy my own safety equipment on my own buck (like steel-toed shoes) and provide no compensation, then they're in the clear too.
I'm with N.Beltov. As far as I know, no more than five hours at a time without a 30 minute food break. And if you can't take two 15's, well, it just goes to show what they think of the workers. ETA: Keep this in mind and never forget: English coal mine owners used to require children, and some as young as four and five years old were on record as having been down in the pits, to buy company candles at inflated prices. The poor little buggers worked twelve hours and had no real breaks and no suppers. Imagine the rats coming and stealing your bread and cheese in the pitch dark and coughing on coal dust all day. Your joints ache by the time you're twelve from pulling coal tubs all day long in the dark. By GOOM! Stand up for your rights, laddy! [ 01 May 2006: Message edited by: Fidel ]
From: Viva La Revolución | Registered: Apr 2004
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Fear-ah
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6476
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posted 01 May 2006 08:54 PM
quote:
Originally posted by prowsej:
I got a job at Home Depot recently. During my training weekend, they said that they will always give us an hour of unpaid lunch time when we are working an 8-hour shift because it is required by Ontario law.
If they are giving you full-time shifts, shut up...it's precisely that type of complaining that your 'group leader' is suppose to note at assessment and will get you knocked down to mostly P/T or worst. With shithole 'gigs' like that, it's basically a decision to work there...if your complaining already about 15 minute breaks, then it ain't a good fit and you should probably keep looking. Could be worst...you could be getting less hourly wages by being employed, instead through a temp agency, and then being assigned to work at Home Depot and complain about 15 minute breaks!! Quit while your ahead...
From: Vancouver | Registered: Jul 2004
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Anti-Totalitarian
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 5438
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posted 01 May 2006 09:10 PM
From the Ontario Employment Standards website:What does the law say about coffee breaks? An employee must not work for more than five hours in a row without getting a 30-minute eating period (meal break) free from work. The law does not require an employer to provide any breaks in addition to this eating period. However, if the employer does provide another type of a break, such as a coffee break, and the employee must remain at his or her workplace during the break, the employee must be paid at least the minimum wage for that time. Source
(go about halfway down the page) Unfortunate, isn't it?
From: somewhere in subspace | Registered: Apr 2004
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Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560
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posted 01 May 2006 09:36 PM
prowsej, it sounds like you're really getting screwed over. A minimum wage job that makes you buy your own uniform and equipment? That really sucks.The problem with trying to organize in a job like that is that people are often only in it for the short term, like a summer job, and the results don't come in the short run. It's a nasty catch-22 - if you don't need the job that badly, or you're only going to be there a short time, it's not worth the incredibly hard work of organizing, but if you do need the job badly and are afraid of getting fired, then organizing can feel pretty scary. I often look back on my bakery days, though, and wish I had tried to get my co-workers to unionize. I think most of them wouldn't have gone for it, though. Most of them were against unions because they claimed that unions chase away jobs. It was hard to believe that they thought our boss couldn't afford to give us more than six bucks an hour at the time when he had a huge house, a cottage, a car and an SUV. But there you go.
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001
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oldgoat
Moderator
Babbler # 1130
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posted 01 May 2006 11:43 PM
Damn little!ok, just kidding. I'm something called a community case manager with the Canadian Mental Health Assoc. in Toronto. I carry a caseload of about 16-18 people who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bi-polar, major depression,that sort of thing. (note I'm not saying they have it, but they wear the diagnosis) my teams specialty is working with Scarboroughs multicultural community. What I do is a lot of supportive counselling, assistance with life skills, helping with issues like isolation, sometimes full concierge services, and a lot of advocacy with government and mediating on behalf of my clients with a hostile world. Someday ask me about the ODSP. My wonderful team consists of two Tamil workers, an Afghani and a Somali. I'm the token white guy. Oh yeah, my team leader is from south London. Diagnosis aside, I find I'm dealing with a lot of post traumatic stress stuff and immigration adjustment issues.
From: The 10th circle | Registered: Jul 2001
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Who?
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 12171
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posted 02 May 2006 10:51 AM
Where I work it's required you get a 15 minute breakfor anything under 6 hours. Anything between 6 and 8 hours and you can take an unpaid half hour and a fifteen or two paid fifteen minute breaks. Nine hours (ex 8-5) and it's required you get your hour break and two fifteens throughout the course of the day.I live in NS and I believe it's the law as I don't think this company would give it to you if they didn't have to  Do the labour laws vary from province to province that much? [ 02 May 2006: Message edited by: Who? ]
From: Eastern Canada | Registered: Feb 2006
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Fear-ah
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6476
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posted 02 May 2006 11:37 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Who?:
Do the labour laws vary from province to province that much?
Nope...best thing to do is elect a social democratic party who will upon the first day of their new mandate make all these changes to bring a basic level of fairness and dignity to the average worker. Should be pretty easy as many many social democrats come from the union movement, social work, universities, so they have their ear to the ground as far as the averag worker goes...in fact many at one time in their youth for a brief period vaguely remember those kinds of jobs.
From: Vancouver | Registered: Jul 2004
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Summer
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 12491
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posted 02 May 2006 04:40 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Reason:
Wouldn't said requirements for safety equipment be considered a tax deduction? I am pretty sure they are, but then I am no tax wiz (hence the nasty gram I got from CRA this year lol). Keep your receipts, and hopefully someone here can tell more on this then I.
You'd think so wouldn't you...The Income Tax Act is really, really restrictive as to what employees can deduct from income. They can deduct "supplies that were consumed directly in the performance of the duteis of the office of employment and that the officer or employer was required by the contract of employment to pay for". Unfortunately, clothing, even uniforms, do not meet this definition. See http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tp/it352r2/it352r2-e.html#P58_7226 under supplies. It's quite ridiculous really, as if a Home Depot employee is going to wear their uniform for anything other than working at Home Depot...but they could if they wanted to.
From: Ottawa | Registered: Apr 2006
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