What part of "Off Duty" aren't you getting?

[laborcat]

My standard response to the "Do you work here?" when I'm off the clock is "Not right now I don't" or "When I'm clocked in and being paid for it, yes. I'm not being paid right now."

That's close to what I tell people as I'm leaving work... "Do you work here?" "Only when they pay me!" Actually I tend to use this whether on the clock or not... though if I AM working, I follow it up with "What can I do for ya?" or offer to get them someone else if I'm already off. I try to not be rude, but I really don't want to stay and help people more than a quick answer to a question. Otherwise, I get stuck with the person who needs their hand held while they choose their new apartment furnishings... sigh.

[CrazyCashierGuy]

This is why when I am off the clock I usually vacate my place of employment as quickly as possible OR, if I am planning to stay for some reason (or go by when I'm not working) I will dress in a uniform that makes it painfully obvious I am not on the clock.

Usually shorts and a baseball cap do the trick since I have never worked anywhere that allowed that as acceptable work attire.

It doesn't always work, but it seems to be pretty effective.

I made the awful mistake of shopping at my former employer for my tenure in Retail Hell, wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and shorts. Someone asked me if I worked there and if I knew where something was.....

...6 months after I had escaped. I don't even think I had stepped foot in there in the six months between my escape and that night.

[PepperElf]

I see that most of our examples in here are across the pond ^_^ I don't know how it is over there (read: check your local laws), but, in the US, this sort of thing should be easier to deal with ... Ya see, "allowing" someone to work off the clock is considered the same exact thing as *forcing* them to work off the clock in many places (this may be Federal -- I had good reason to research this a few years back). Check the laws where you are first, but if they fall in line with that standard, you can just say that you cannot help them because you don't want to break the relevant laws and get your boss in legal trouble.

at my last job, one of the rules we had - in writing in our employee packets - was that working off the clock was not allowed.

The only "free" work we were allowed to do was company-sponsored volunteer events.

[retailworker7]

I have had this happen to me to while I am shopping after work. If someone just wants to know what aisle some item is in I will answer their question. If someone has more specific questions I just let them know I am off the clock and I will find someone else to help them. My store has a lot of regular customers so if I let them know I am off the clock they will just go find someone else to help them. If someone has a quick question in the same area I am shopping in I will usually help them even though we are not supposed to work off the clock.

[cono1717]

See in our store were lucky if we get paid on the clock. To managers, us working off clock is seen as a free labour.

[lie-al]

I would so do that ALL the time, hoping the SC's during my shift become SC's when OFF my shift, just to give the same load of crap they gave me! Bravo for that!

[simplyanother]

I liked "No", to "do you work here". Especially after I've clocked out, have the damned phone in one hand, my keys in the other, am obviously not paying any attention to anyone...and just trying to get the fuck out.

Have had them come to the breakroom, and ask me questions "I know you're on break but..." "I'm not on the clock right now, Someone on the floor can help you".

Did that one time, and the guy waited around for me to be on the clock "What you only help people when you're on the clock?"

Well, yeah, dumbass. I don't work for free. Just close to it.

Had a customer need something from framing. The framing desk is right near the breakroom. I know dick about framing. And, if I'm in the breakroom, I am NOT working. One day, I was in there, on my phone, talking to...my mother, or something, about my kids--and I wasn't on the clock... I was leaning on the table, blah blah blahing, and this woman popped around the corner and started babbling at me. I said something like "you'll have to push the button"

And I got up, pointed around the corner and closed the breakroom door. And finished my conversation.

She complained that I was ON THE PHONE! And I closed the door on her!



Darn. lol