Newest SET member:

[Mayonnaise]

When I worked retail, a few years back, we had a bogus policy like this too. The only time clock was at front by the registers, and the break room was in the diagonal back side of the building... this was a big-box toy store, with employees in brightly colored vests that made us really stand out... we'd run into trouble not only on break, but coming in and out of work as we had to return our vests to the break room, and not allowed to change before clocking out, so we had to go to front of store to clock out... go all the way to back of store to change, then back to front of store where all the doors were to leave... it wasn't fair then, and it's not fair for Disney to do that to it's CMs now.

We didn't have a union at the big-box toy store... is there anything the CM Union can do about these new Regs?

[DisneyMom]

It sounds like many if not most of the cast members should get together to file a grievance regarding this policy.

[Zazu]

This same situation came to a head at Animal Kingdom where a combination of "cast zooming" (wearing our costumes home) and relocating the cast parking to a part of the guest parking causes every CM there to have to walk through guest crowds coming and going.

The Company responded to complaints by issuing a "clarification". Don't have a copy handy, but it essentially said that CMs who were recognized by guests on their time off were not required to answer questions, but were expected to be civil and to suggest where the guests might get their questions answered, usually by pointing out an on-duty CM.

Most CMs I know who are in this situation (myself included) take our nametags off when we clock out (and before we clock in), thus demonstrating that we are indeed off the clock, and incidentally making it more difficult for SGs to report us.

I've been late a number of times due to guest interactions ranging from a few questions to lost parents. Each time, my management has agreed that I made the right call and no action was taken against me. Hell, even the CMs who got frozen in position because I wasn't back on time tended to forgive me.

OTOH, had either group failed to support me at such times, I would most definitely started to redirect guests with a message like, "The Company won't let me answer your questions when I'm off the clock. I could get in trouble if I do."

... and I'd promplty put in for a transfer to some area that didn't have it's head up it's collective butt!

[Princess Susi]

When I worked retail, a few years back, we had a bogus policy like this too. The only time clock was at front by the registers, and the break room was in the diagonal back side of the building... this was a big-box toy store, with employees in brightly colored vests that made us really stand out... we'd run into trouble not only on break, but coming in and out of work as we had to return our vests to the break room, and not allowed to change before clocking out, so we had to go to front of store to clock out... go all the way to back of store to change, then back to front of store where all the doors were to leave... it wasn't fair then, and it's not fair for Disney to do that to it's CMs now.

We didn't have a union at the big-box toy store... is there anything the CM Union can do about these new Regs?

I would have never followed that policy. If it was just a vest, I would take it off as soon as I clocked out on the time clock and hide it so no one could see it. I am not *required* to wear their company clothes on MY time. And if they had a problem with it, I would direct them to my labor lawyer. It is just a way for employers to *own* you even more than then they already do.

I may have a problem going back to work after all this time off. I don't suffer fools gladly and I suffer their foolish policies even less, so I might find that retirement will force me into writing that book I have been threatening to write my whole adult life. :)

I like my freedom and not being told what to do by someone who wasn't even born when I was in college. I am afraid I would be turning in my costume or employee uniform the first day, depending on where I got a job!

Maybe it IS more fun to lie by the pool and take vacations all the time and stick with volunteer work with animals. They are grateful for everything you do for them and they don't talk back or order you around. Maybe I am just cut out to be a volunteer momma for all the shelter pup's and kitties! They love me as much as I love them! It is a mutual admiration society and full of face licks, purring and unconditional love. Now what boss is gonna give you that? ;)

Princess Susi, Protector of the Critters

[Zazu]

Maybe it IS more fun to ... stick with volunteer work with animals. They are grateful for everything you do for them and they don't talk back or order you around. Maybe I am just cut out to be a volunteer momma for all the shelter pup's and kitties! They love me as much as I love them! It is a mutual admiration society and full of face licks, purring and unconditional love. Now what boss is gonna give you that?

If my boss ever licks my face, Disney or not, I'm *outta* there! :p:

[Terrytunes]

Not the correct way to make a point. If I saw her I would have looked the other way, and if asked by a lead or manager, told them I forgot my sunglasses that day and was blinded by the sunshine. I'm more mad at the CM that turned her in. This CM is, after all, a fellow union member!!!!

This is a stupid rule and against California labor laws.

For some of the VP's it is only a 1-1/2 minute walk if we are not stopped. For others who have physical disabilities that make it difficult to walk and get around an esplanade full of guests, get through a proxy gate that has 3 strollers and 2 wheelchairs ahead of them, it could be up to a 4 or 5 minutes walk EACH WAY!!!!! Yes, that means that a 15 minute break can be all of 5 MINUTES!!!! A 30 minute lunch is now a 20 minute lunch. We can't go to the Inn Between or DCA Cafe in that time.

Well, I have to admit, I did go to the DCA Cafe the other night. Yes, I clocked out at the booth, booked it to DCA Cafe. My bookin' it is someone else's stroll. It took me 8 minutes to get there. I got to the cafe, used the facilites, washed my hands, ordered something already prepared (mac n cheese), literally wolfed my food down, made a phone call to my next day's carpool person, phone call to my daughter, and booked it back to the booth, clocking in 1 minute late. I would have been on time if I didn't have to stop to tie my shoelace!!!!!!!! Thank goodness there wasn't a parade, fireworks, closing time fighting the exiting crowds. Thank goodness a guest didn't stop me. When I got back to the booth I was red in the face, sweating, huffing and puffing. It took me 15 minutes to cool down.

The manger's answer to this: Next time bring your lunch. Yes, this is the answer that they gave to our Leads when it was on the table up for discussion!!! Well, that's good in theory, but that day I left church and went directly to work. I didn't have time to stop and get lunch, or I would have been late (I actually did stop at Subway, but there were 6 six ahead of me in line.) I didn't want my lunch sitting in my hot car while I was in church. It just wasn't possible that day.
I would like to know where the managers eat every day, and where they clock out. I bet, if they have to clock out, they use the time clock at the Inn Between or Westside. I think the rule should be that the Guest Services mangers should clock out at the ticket booth also. Give them 1 month of trying to finish their lunch in that time, but that won't happen.

TT

[glendalais]

I need a little clarification on this subject. I always thought that each location had an assigned timeclock/CDS terminal that you had to use when working there. What was the old policy vis-a-vis this? Did you have to use one particular clock, or could you just clock in anywhere?

We didn't have a union at the big-box toy store... is there anything the CM Union can do about these new Regs?

Heck, this new policy is in place because of the Unions, they wanted to reduce the hours you needed to work in order to get a lunch. They're not going to do anything about it.

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm filing papers to waive my lunch, I rarely get 8-hour (or 6 hour ones, for that matter) shifts, anyway, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

As to the CM mentioned in the first post. I can understand protesting the new policy, but it's just inappropriate, IMO, to drag the guests into it. They're not the ones setting the new labour policies.

[Terrytunes]

Most of us did sign the waiver to skip lunch, but that is only if we have a shift 6 hours or less. Durning the busy season we may be only scheduled for 6 hours (sometimes our shift is less than 6 hours), but in the morning the Lead will usually tell us they are lunching us because they can't predict if the park will be busy, if we will have to extend. If they need to extend us but didn't give us a lunch, they are in deep doo-doo.
So when we have to take a lunch, yes, we have to clock in and out on stage at the ticket booth. We cannot take our breaks inside the ticket booth by just closing our shutters and sitting quietly, reading a book or listening to our Ipod because we are still on stage in the ticket booth. To take our breaks and lunches we MUST leave the on stage area, which is a several minute walk.

TT

[BRWombat]

If my boss ever licks my face, Disney or not, I'm *outta* there! :p:

You're not fooling anybody, Z. ;) :D:

[EeyoresButterfly]

I'm glad that somebody turned them in. I am passionate about this company, and I'll be honest, I've never had much tolerance for griping. I don't what it's like out in California, but I'll admit there were things at WDW that I wish cold have been done differently, but I agreed to the job and I will do it the best that I can. It sounds like from other's descriptions that this is at least partially the union's doing, take it up with them. As another poster said, she does not need to take out her frustrations on the guests, there is nothing that irritates me more than bad show, especially for something as stupid as this. I hope somebody set her straight.