Break time

37chief · Sep 25, 2017

Working at my factory jobs for 45 plus years, around 9:30 everyone stops to have a 15 minute coffee break. I still have the same time frame working in my shop, or around the house. I get the urge for a snake, and coffee about that time. Working on my tractor in the field, the only time I stop is to take a leak, or if something happens. I carry my lunch on my tractor. and around 11:30, (another factory time) I have a quick lunch. Between two breaks a day, BS time, smoke time, coffee in the shop anytime. Considerable production time is lost. Working as a maintenance mechanic if a piece of equipment goes down we were expected to work on it until it was going again, if that meant no brakes or lunch. I guess I was fortunate to work for some good companies. I retired from the Unisys (formally Burroughs) computer co after 36 years. I imagine that doesn't happen on auto assembly lines, or mechanics working flat rate. Time to get back to work, or the boss (wife) might fire me. Stan

Mike M · Sep 25, 2017

I've worked in different businesses parts departments over the years. I don't smoke. How many hours was I stuck working while others were out on smoke breaks ?

When I had my own repair shop at home how many hours did I spend writing work orders, ordering parts and doing book work that I could not rightly charge the customer for ? How many Saturdays and even on Sunday did someone stop by and I'd help them out ?
There are several independent car repair shops near me now. None are open even on Saturday. Sunday definitely not. 8 to 5 mon thru fri is all. I'm surprised people can get there during those hours ? I sure must of done it all wrong !

rrlund · Sep 25, 2017

Not singling out union shops,just telling a little story. One of the guys who worked for the New Idea dealer said he went to Coldwater Ohio to pick up a couple of new manure spreaders one time. He said they were painfully slow. Nothing could be lifted by hand,they had to use the overhead crane for everything. He said they had him all loaded except for two wheels and the break buzzer sounded. He said he could have just as well picked those wheels up himself and tossed them on,but nope. He had to wait through their 20 minute break for them to come back and set them on with the crane. He said it just about drove him nuts to watch how slow things went around there.

Phil9N3667 · Sep 25, 2017

I'm on vacation all this week, slept LATE this A.M., got up at 7:15, which is late for me. Fixed breakfast for me and the wife for our 35th anniversary, thank you very much!! Started getting our kitchen sink and cabinets out to put in new cabinets and dishwasher (our first!). Only breaks I took were potty and beer replenishment (past 4:30)! My current boss at work, defends his and a co-worker's right to smoke and kill efficiency of work being done (poor to start with), then bitc'es at me if I check the weather or YTMAG site for two minutes!! There's my rant for the week, got a lot of work to do to make the missus happy!! Y'all have a good week!!

Phil9N3667 · Sep 25, 2017

Forgot to mention, I totally agree with Mike M about working while smokers are out on break! That's the last of my rant!

37chief · Sep 25, 2017

I never smoked my self, that kind of bugged me also. Stan

greenmech · Sep 25, 2017

That's the trouble being retired you have to make your own breaks, sick time and vacations. Just don't know how I can get it all done now with out a good schedule. Ron Mn

Mike(NEOhio) · Sep 25, 2017

Randy's comment remembered me something similar. I was at the Marathon plant in Wausau helping the get a press running. We had a large die on the crane and their lifting rig was not suitable, it hung on a 15 deg angle. I went to get some blocking. Turned back and everyone was gone (break time) and the die was hanging there. Where I worked there were no coffee breaks and before they went smoke-free you were allowed to smoke "at your work station" for ten minutes.

thepumpguysc · Sep 25, 2017

I find myself doing the SAME THING Chief.. weather its the weekend or on vacation..
Up at 5AM, gotta have a break at 10 for 15-20 minutes.. lunch is at 11:30..
Funny how your body & mind get used to that schedule after 25 years..

pete 23 · Sep 25, 2017

Nothing like a good long coffee break. I started smoking because other mechanic they hired smoked and when he lit up , not a word. If I stopped to just rest my limbs for a minute, it was what is the matter. I did quit though, smoking that is, not coffee break. Boss's always complain about too long a break but never a word if you work an extra ten or fifteen minutes to finish up tightening those bolts so you wouldn't forget them. Breaks were off the customers time clock though.

RBoots · Sep 25, 2017

At my job I have a 15 minute break at 9 am, and a 20 minute lunch at 11 am. Sometimes I take a break if we're in a crew cutting trees, or working real hard. Usually by myself mowing roadsides, scraping gravel roads, or under a deadline running tack truck or hauling brine, I just work on through it. It's ok if you are with a crew to socialize with, but doesn't make much difference by yourself. I usually take a lunch because I'm getting hungry by then, but only if I can find a spot where no one will bother me. I have a few spots where the locals know I stop for lunch and will stop to chit chat, but won't call in on me for setting. You wouldn't believe how many people call in or stop to complain, wondering why I'm not working when they see a county scraper truck parked. Where else am I supposed to eat my lunch? I don't take a lunch in winter when plowing snow, I need to be moving at least 40 mph all day to get through my territory, which is required to be done by the end of the day.

Bret4207 · Sep 26, 2017

I had several people working for me back in the USMC. Had one female type Marine that wanted a smoke break about every 10 minutes. Apparently she'd gotten away with that in another shop she worked in. Didn't fly with me, she complained up the line until she hit a crusty old CWO4 that had been in the Corps when helicopters were new thing. I don't think what he called her would fly in todays gentler, more wussified world. :lol:

I never smoked and I never got those breaks the smokers did. Never seemed right to me either.

BarnyardEngineering · Sep 26, 2017

They don't DARE say a word about my internet behavior. Seems like half the people that work here anymore smoke, and they spend half the day outside smoking.

I watch them parade past my desk every 30-45 minutes headed outside for a smoke, and parade back 10-15 minutes later.

I could literally do nothing three days a week and outperform the lot of 'em.

olgentdc · Sep 26, 2017

good habits ,, this puter knowledge is tooaddictingand gets into my productive timje

Break time

37chief

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Mike M

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rrlund

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Phil9N3667

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Phil9N3667

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37chief

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greenmech

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Mike(NEOhio)

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thepumpguysc

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pete 23

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RBoots

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Bret4207

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BarnyardEngineering

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olgentdc

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