Has anyone else had a problem with Cigna not scheduling your legally entitled rest breaks? I have had many conversations with my manager about this, and they continue to not give me rest breaks. I have filed a complaint with my state's BOLI 6 months ago, and they have not investigated yet. Am I the only one?
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Unpopular response. I also work on the phones in the call center on medical and have for over 12 years. I get scheduled breaks and a lunch based on my hours worked. I take my break close to them it’s scheduled based on when I’m finished with my call and my schedule is adjusted for adherence as I can’t disconnect a call mid way through. Not sure if you’re just not getting them scheduled or you’d prefer to have a break when you want it vs when it’s scheduled. If for some reason you’re not getting breaks schedule you need to tell your supervisor and they need to have it corrected. If they don’t you need to report them to your hr leader.
TAKE YOUR BREAKS and LUNCH as allowed by law in your state.
Don’t be taken advantage.
You need to submit a ER Assist Ticket. This seems wrong and illegal. I'm confident your Senior Leadership is unaware… this is a huge Labor Law risk
I am the OP. I work in US employer in the call center. I am not willing to say more than that. Why I don't take my breaks when they are not scheduled, is adherence metrics. If I don't meet my adherence metrics, I don't get my SIP bonus. I need that money, and I earned that money. If you take a break that you are not scheduled for it affects your adherence. You will not get your bonuses and you can be put on a PIP. I know I shouldn't, but I trust gas station sushi more than I trust this company to operate ethically. I don't quit because I may be laid off any day now. Thank you for the tip on the EEOC, I will try that. Hopefully it goes somewhere, it seems like no one is really looking out for the American worker. We have all these "rights" and "protections". But all of that is nothing if no one actually enforces the laws, which is the issue I am running into.
When I started in the call center as a B1, no one scheduled my breaks - I took them. On the phones we would put ourselves in a certain code showing we were on break. Took my two 15-minute paid breaks and 30 minute unpaid lunch (as per state labor law where I lived).
Moved to a different department (off the phones in claim) as a B2 and they only allowed us two10-minute paid breaks. I questioned it and was told that's the way it was. I just left it alone.
Over the years as I moved into new positions and higher bands- depending on the manager - breaks were either encouraged or they didn't care if you were chained to your desk.
Through this experience I learned to be my own advocate. Regardless of who my manager was, I took my breaks - not how my manager defined them, but how the law defines them.
Not eating at my desk, not walking around on my headset staying on back to back calls where I can't even use the washroom, not apologizing for taking a break or making an excuse to take a break.
If I miss a call because I haven't had the chance to take a lunch - so be it.
A real break is standing up and walking away, and doing what I want for my legal breaks and my UNINTERRUPTED LUNCH (by law).
I don't care who pings me when I'm on break, they will have to wait until I am back at my desk and working before I respond.
It's a little thing I like to call self-care including taking care of my mental health and physical health.
Follow the advice given above and remember, when you work for these large corporations, you're not a person but a number to them. That's it.
Be your own advocate.
Document it and call the EEOC.
What department are you in?
Take your breaks and give them the phone number of employment/labor lawyer. Just look up the number of any of them in your area, pick a number for one. Tell them to call them with any problems
Take your breaks as allowed by law.