New Tarrifs

[gcode]

We have a new HR guy who has put us on a strict schedule
It's not his fault, it's a reaction to California labor laws which  make it very easy to screw up
and find yourself in the middle of a class action law suit.
We must clock in no earlier than 5 minutes before our shift
We must take our lunch no later than 5 hours after our start time and it must be
no less than 30 minutes, no more that 35.
Demerits are awarded for violations, 8 demerits in a 12 month period is mandatory termination.
I have 1.5 demerits in 3 months.
I don't blame my employer for this stupidity. I blame the mercenary fools who govern this state.

[Newbeeee™]

We have a new HR guy who has put us on a strict schedule
It's not his fault, it's a reaction to California labor laws which  make it every easy to screw up
and find yourself in the middle of a class action law suit.
We must clock in no earlier than 5 minutes before our shift
We must take our lunch no later than 5 hours after our start time and it must be
no less than 30 minutes, no more that 35.
Demerits are awarded for violations, 8 demerits in a 12 month period is mandatory termination.
I have 1.5 demerits in 3 months.
I don't blame my employer for this stupidity. I blame the mercenary fools who govern this state.

Some of this is absolute batshit crazy.
You should be allowed to clock in at any time, providing you clock out when leaving site.
Lunch break - I understand. BUt it's just a break. If you don't want to eat, you don't have to eat. But it's a rest break. To stop work.
Violations leading to mandatory termination is the craziest BS of them all. As a manager or an employer, it should always be up to me if termination is required.

@neurosis this is where gov overreach is totally out of control.
And 10bucks says the twats who came up with this, are office-monkey-job-for-lifers who would never have any demerits, because work, is the last thing on their mind.
And another 10bucks says they're lifers on the goobermint cheese, because none of them would last 5 minutes in the real world.

[neurosis]

Some of this is absolute batshit crazy.
You should be allowed to clock in at any time, providing you clock out when leaving site.
Lunch break - I understand. BUt it's just a break. If you don't want to eat, you don't have to eat. But it's a rest break. To stop work.

We have similar rules, but not as strict. The reason the rules were put in place here, was an employee threatened to sue the company because they asked him to work through one of this breaks one day to finish a job he was working on.

Nearly every similar rule that has been put in place at our shop had something to do with threats from an employee.

We're small so we don't have an HR department. I don't know if that info makes a difference but it could be relevant.

[Jeff]

Heavy tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are the main culprit here

I call bullshit. They've been raising prices on consoles on a consistent basis. It's a money grab and nothing else.

[CNCAppsJames]

California has a law requiring corporations with revenues of more than $1 billion to report their greenhouse gas emissions.

That isn't even the tip of the iceberg in that shithole.

[gcode]

And 10bucks says the twats who came up with this

This comes out of the California legislature which is infested with trial lawyers and union goons.
These laws are written to make them nearly impossible to comply with, thus paving the way for class action lawsuits
that enrich trial lawyers.
and
the union goons who's only goal is the unionization of every job in the state.

example
many grocery and home improvement stores have added self service registers, trying to rein in costs a bit.
there is currently a law winding it's way through the legislature requiring each self serve register to be manned
by a (union) helper to ensure the shopper has a pleasant experience.

[CNCAppsJames]

Have you ever worked in a sweat shop? Some bosses need regulation.

Yes I have. And I voted with my feet.

I don't need no fuckin nanny state or nanny union turd burglar regulating my life.

[mkd]

We have a new HR guy who has put us on a strict schedule
It's not his fault, it's a reaction to California labor laws which  make it every easy to screw up
and find yourself in the middle of a class action law suit.
We must clock in no earlier than 5 minutes before our shift
We must take our lunch no later than 5 hours after our start time and it must be
no less than 30 minutes, no more that 35.
Demerits are awarded for violations, 8 demerits in a 12 month period is mandatory termination.
I have 1.5 demerits in 3 months.
I don't blame my employer for this stupidity. I blame the mercenary fools who govern this state.

I 💯 blame your employer coming up with draconian threats in response to idiotic government.

[neurosis]

It's a money grab and nothing else.

It could be, but that's one of the unintended consequences of tariffs. Greedflation. This was predicted due to what happened with appliance pricing during Trumps first term. Implement tariffs, and US companies started raising their prices to match the tariffed appliances. I posted a link to an article that showed two US steel companies raising prices just because they can. Either way, it's the customer who gets screwed.

There has been a wave of headlines in the last month showing all the things that are starting to see tariff related price hikes. 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/21/business/prices-economy-back-to-school-tariffs

[gcode]

I 💯 blame your employer coming up with draconian threats in response to idiotic government.

It will take a while to train the new HR guy, meanwhile he is getting some of the shitbirds and malcontents
under control

[Incogneeto]

It will take a while to train the new HR guy, meanwhile he is getting some of the shitbirds and malcontents
under control

You mean The Old Guys??

And how do you get a .5 demerit??

[Newbeeee™]

The reason the rules were put in place here, was an employee threatened to sue the company because they asked him to work through one of this breaks one day to finish a job he was working on.

Surely the convo was Fred, can you please.... and if he said no, that's it.
Or did they say you have to, in which case he fired back with legal threats?

[neurosis]

Surely the convo was Fred, can you please.... and if he said no, that's it.
Or did they say you have to, in which case he fired back with legal threats?

It was a long time ago (90's) but if I remember correctly, the person was asked, but it was implied that the boss wasn't going to be happy about it if they refused.

There was another case not long after where the shop owner had a company meeting during lunch and the employees were required to attend. The boss bought lunch, but some of the employees were pissed that they didn't get to go smoke their afternoon doobie. That also didn't go over well.

These things never bothered me coming up in the trade, but then again, I was the guy programming on my own time so I could learn and win a seat at the programming table.

[gcode]

You mean The Old Guys??

no, it's young guys ... no shows, chronic absence on Mondays and or Fridays
2 hour bathroom breaks, work is optional attitude etc etc

They recently busted a ring of guys who were leaving early.
One guy would stay and clock everybody out and they'd take turns being the duty clock out guy
That was a good day... three shitbirds killed in one day.... with video evidence to prove their crimes.
There won't be any scumbag lawyers crawling in the door with threats of illegal termination lawsuits.

[mowens]

No call no show absence and time card fraud are about the only things guaranteed to get you fired.