Unwritten "rules" at work

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

There is a set of rules at work we are expected to follow...then as you spend more time on the job you come to realize there are other "rules" that apply even if they are not written down. Here are a few examples:

- You can leave 5 minutes early if you like, you'll never be punished for it (At least I've never heard of anyone getting flack for leaving at 7:55 of an 8 hour shift)

- You are more than welcome to take a few extra minutes on your break (again they tell us do NOT go over 15 min then never police it if we do)

- The threat of a write up will rarely actually lead to one (I think they use it just as a scare tactic. Myself and several other employees have been pegged for write ups but nothing ever materialized).

- You can pretty much come in and leave whenever you like, so long as you make your 8 hours. (Center is open 7am-Midnight daily, as long as you make 8 consecutive hours at any point, for example 7-3, 9-5, 12-8, even if your actual schedule says 10-6, they really don't care. Although they tell you you're expected to stick to your schedule)

- You will NOT be fired if your sales numbers are too low. (It appears that as long as you are willing to show up most days and take calls, you have a job. I mean if you never sold a darned thing you might get booted, but even agents that don't sell much sell something)

- Hanging up on customers will not necessarily cost you your job (sure if you make a habit of it you will get canned, but they told us that ANY hang up on a customer, even if accidental, will get you fired on the spot. This is not the case, it's happened to me several times and I am still employed.)

I am sure there are more but that's all I can think off for now

[chops]

At the dealership, there was an unwritten rule saying that if you leave a beverage on the tables in the 'delivery module' (glass enclosed space where we bring cars in after they're bought and before the customer drives them away) it gets thrown out at the whim of the general manager. Usually only enforced when he's in a bad mood.

- You can leave 5 minutes early if you like, you'll never be punished for it (At least I've never heard of anyone getting flack for leaving at 7:55 of an 8 hour shift)

That's pretty much the case at the factory. Start/stop times (start/end of day and breaks) are marked by a buzzer. The end-of-day buzzer actually goes off at 3:25 when the shift technically ends at 3:30. The reason for this is so that people know when to run off their machines and tidy up before leaving; often times people start to punch out within one minute of the buzzer going off. I've only been docked once for this, but my job has never been in jeopardy in my combined 3+ years there.

[CreepyCarrie]

At my work, the unofficial rule is that if you want, you can leave as soon as someone from the next shift shows up, so long as all your stuff is done. So if they get there 20 minutes early, guess who gets to go home 20 minutes early?

You can take as many breaks as you want, as long as there's no customers and all your cleaning/stocking is done, you can pretty much sit on your ass and do nothing. Unfortunately, there's usually too many customers for anyone to do this, but it's pleasant when you get the chance to do it.

[Saydrah]

There is an unwritten rule at my new office that if you are willing to work through lunch, you have the power to demand most any snack you desire be stocked in the kitchen. I want S'mores pop tarts and mention that I'm putting in at least nine hours per day? I get S'mores pop tarts.

[ArcticChicken]

- You are more than welcome to take a few extra minutes on your break (again they tell us do NOT go over 15 min then never police it if we do)

I have one manager, ONE, that enforces the 15 minute rule. I am the only employee in my section that has never gone more than two minutes over (in fact most of the others take at least 20 almost every time) and who does she scold for being late? You guessed it, your friendly neighborhood ArcticChicken.

[RoLleRKoaSTeR]

You have to ask permission to get a camera, camcorder to assist a customer over the phone. You just can not ask to get it. You have to fill out a form and then someone will get you that device --- whenever.

"They" don't trust us.

[powerboy]

At work, if someone needs their lock cut off of their unit, we are too charge $30. Who ever cut off the lock, gets to keep the $30. Unless they are too cut their own lock. Also we can leave early and just put down that we worked the full time.

[MystyGlyttyr]

There's some rule about not building fires in the rooms without fireplaces...

[princess4life]

There is kind of an unwritten rule with us early morning shift people at my work.

If it is before 7 am and someone is asleep at there desk don't bug them. Anyone caught breaking this rule are to be flogged by the other employees

It helps out on those days when I have to work a concert that goes late the night before.

[The Gatekeeper]

You are required by law to take a 30 min lunch. If you require someone to cover for you, then you're slacking or up to something if you ask to have some one cover for you, and will have your nose rubbed in it like a bad dog, at some point in the future.

Yes I know it's illegal, I'm just feeling peevish and bitter today.

[retailwrkralum]

how about rules that change on a regular basis!

I currently work for a bank. The previous job I held at this bank, there was a rule about vacations. The boss didn't have a problem if 2 people (there were 9 in my dept) had off the same day (s) so long as you didn't do the same job. Fast forward a few months when I needed a few days off to go out of town for a wedding, one of the other ladies I worked with (who did not do the same job as me) was also off. I was told we could not have the same days off. I even challenged it by saying "Even though we do not do the same job???" hoping that would jog my boss's memory. But still, all I got was "you will just have to work that out amongst yourselves" This boss's philosophy: I like to change my mind / attitude everytime the wind blows. Fortunately I was able to work it out with the other coworker and she switched days with me so I could have the days off.

[theredbaron47]

1] Any food that is placed in the basket next to the fridge containing the refrigerated medicines is fair game for anyone.

2] The one pharmacist bought an iHome knock-off ( iCraig, I believe? ) and keeps it in the pharmacy. We listen to it constantly. No one minds as long as the lyrics are mild, and it's not too loud.

3] "If caught with opened food / drink / merchandise in our possession without a receipt, you will be terminated on the spot, no questions asked."

. . . yeah, not true. At all.

4] Smoke breaks ( on the clock ) are alright, as long as they are not abused. "Abused" generally means more than two per hour.

5] If there is no way for corporate to police it, it is generally acceptable under my laid-back store manager.

[crazylegs]

When my bosses bosses bosess boss comes in for a visit, you shouldn't be here!

[going gaga]

There's a unwritten rule that says we have to help other people cash up.
Even though we don't have a till ourselves,
cover their tills at least once a day,
don't get the required extra break and money to make up the time for we spend doing this after our shift is over.
Best of all don't actually have to do it at all , but will get a whole lot of sh#t if we don't.

There's also an unwritten rule that goes with this that the other supervisers think that this set up is ok.

Also that it's perfectly fine for them to skip off home, (even though they do get these perks) and leave us to do it, because they have more important things to do.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

At my store, there is no such thing as "time theft" or payroll fraud. Paid 15-minute breaks are as long as you want them to be, either 20 or 25 minutes, unless somebody is waiting for their break and starts asking where you are.

But since I'm on the morning stock crew and we all take breaks together nobody is ever waiting on us for their breaks.

The exception is unpaid lunch breaks where we have to clock in and out.