So apparently we either have some very hawk eyed managers lately, nosy customers, or just plain irked co-workers. That inspired our mini huddle tonight in the back of the Deli. Apparently(and they've told us this before), we can't have personal items in the dept.(aside from our fleece jackets for the freezer, but must be hung up on a hook), no putting said fleece jackets under tables, and no bottles of water(must have a twist top) unless you have a Dr.'s note to have it. But everything else is meant to go up in our lockers upstairs. And for folks going on smoke breaks, they have to clock out so they AREN'T stealing time from Kroger.
All in part, so that we stay on the right side of Eco labs, health dept., and the managers. Which I understand more than enough of what they are talking about. As there are tons of folks with purses tucked away in cabinets and coats going under tables at times. However, I have to wonder how common are these problems in other stores? I mean are they riding us harder cause we are a market place? Or cause other divisions are having common issues with this?
P.S. I always drop my lunch box and purse off in my locker when I first come into work. And just take my jacket with me. When I'm on closing though, I do take a thermos of vanilla protein drink with me though. As I don't have time to take any of my breaks. And that is akin to my "dinner" for the night. And it's not like I have it sitting out in plain sight all the time(although I did it tonight after I took it out of the cooler for a bit) as I was drinking it in between labeling some cookies and printing sliced bread labels. But once I finished, I put it back in my jacket pocket.
I'll admit to not typically being a rule breaker. But I think I will keep bringing my thermos with me in my pocket though. Will have to call someone over from Deli to watch the counter for me. So I can do a half a second break to drink it. But yea, I don't think I can give up my thermos when I'm on closing.
This is an example of why Kroger is such a wicked, corrupt company. They have an arrangement with Ecolab (formerly just a company that sold poisonous chemicals) to do their health and safety "audits" for them, and the Ecolab rep goes around and checks that there aren't any bottles of water, soda cans/cups, etc in the deli prep area......supposedly because bottles of water (or other beverages) can be knocked over while someone is working in a food prep area, thus the slight chance of 'contamination". Think about how cruel and stupid that is. Many times, when it gets very busy in the deli, it gets hot, you get thirsty, and the lockers and/or breakroom (with the employee refrigerator) is about (what seems like) a city block away, on the other end of the store, up a flight of stairs. It's Cruel and Unusual punishment if you abide by their stupid rules. Meanwhile, all the employees in the Front end (cashiers, customer service) chug-a-lug soda and water bottles right in front of customers when they get thirsty..........they can do it because they are not preparing food. But they are still handling all kinds of things that may have germs on them.... produce, packages of meat that might have a trickle of blood on the underside, all kinds of stuff. Even handling money, credit cards, coupons, all of which may be infested with all kinds of bacteria.
There is so much hypocrisy and stupidity in the Ecolab audits, it makes me crazy!
Ecolab audits are so stupid. Now we have safety topics in the deli and in the bakery and if we don't know what the current huddle topic is, we get a minor violation on the audit. What the heck does that have to do with cleaning chemicals is beyond me.
Also don't put bottles of glass cleaner on the table where your scale printer is, in the bakery, when you don't even put food anywhere near that table, it could "potentially" be a food prep area and therefore you cannot have the bottle there. Ridiculous.
This is an example of why Kroger is such a wicked, corrupt company. They have an arrangement with Ecolab (formerly just a company that sold poisonous chemicals) to do their health and safety "audits" for them, and the Ecolab rep goes around and checks that there aren't any bottles of water, soda cans/cups, etc in the deli prep area......supposedly because bottles of water (or other beverages) can be knocked over while someone is working in a food prep area, thus the slight chance of 'contamination". Think about how cruel and stupid that is. Many times, when it gets very busy in the deli, it gets hot, you get thirsty, and the lockers and/or breakroom (with the employee refrigerator) is about (what seems like) a city block away, on the other end of the store, up a flight of stairs. It's Cruel and Unusual punishment if you abide by their stupid rules. Meanwhile, all the employees in the Front end (cashiers, customer service) chug-a-lug soda and water bottles right in front of customers when they get thirsty..........they can do it because they are not preparing food. But they are still handling all kinds of things that may have germs on them.... produce, packages of meat that might have a trickle of blood on the underside, all kinds of stuff. Even handling money, credit cards, coupons, all of which may be infested with all kinds of bacteria.
There is so much hypocrisy and stupidity in the Ecolab audits, it makes me crazy!
Well ain't that some ****. As our break room is freaking all the way upstairs and even if we do have an elevator to beam you up there in a few mins. It still sucks, that I have to go all the way back to my locker and my lunch box to get a drink of water. Or if not that, some folks use some of the plastic containers and fill it with water from the faucet and drink from that through out the day. Which I think is even worse than what they believe about water bottles. And just makes me think back to my point about us just having a mini fridge in the dept. for just the employees. You have your name on your stuff. Put it in there and just go in the back to get a couple of sips off of it. And then put it back and keep it moving. As I repeat, with us, being down to one closer a night, you hardly have time to go on breaks in the first place. And now you have to die of thirst too, ugh.
Ecolab audits are so stupid. Now we have safety topics in the deli and in the bakery and if we don't know what the current huddle topic is, we get a minor violation on the audit. What the heck does that have to do with cleaning chemicals is beyond me.
Also don't put bottles of glass cleaner on the table where your scale printer is, in the bakery, when you don't even put food anywhere near that table, it could "potentially" be a food prep area and therefore you cannot have the bottle there. Ridiculous.
Now that is really a new one in regards to the glass cleaner. As we have two scale printers. One that actually is on a food prep table and near one of our slicers. And then one across the room and behind/across the way from the table where the cake decorator works. But that table is so small in the first place. At least on top, since they have the scale printer, and the whole set up for the day glow stickers and so forth up there. Taking up so much room. So our glass cleaner(when we can find it) usually ends up underneath the prep tables along the side, or back around or near the sink somewhere or other. But I hate it not being in one general spot with the trash bags. Always a pain in the ass trying to clean up and can't find what you need.
