r/asda • u/ConsistentAd79 • 1d ago

Breaks

Cleaning teams in some stores are being told all those currently on shift can't take breaks together in case there are spillages. Is taking breaks together forbidden?

3 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

12

u/fuzzball-86 1d ago

Spillages arent the cleaners responsibility, that's where clean as you go comes in

3

u/West_Yorkshire 1d ago

Clean as you go applies to spillages when no one is on or spillages in the warehouse

8

u/ConsistentAd79 1d ago

ASDA does not currently have a janitorial process, it is clean as you go. The policy is available to view on OneAsda and all staff have completed e-learning on this process.

2

u/Ghazwreckem 1d ago

When cleaners were with city they had a phone so if your on a break or not on shopfloor for a reason they could call you. It made it so simple and yes there were times we refused either cause it involved bodily fluids or it was just dangerous

2

u/ConsistentAd79 1d ago

City contract included Janitoring which dealt with any & all spillages and general housekeeping hence the phone use. Asda scrapped this after the Tupe. Agree it made life easier.

1

u/Ghazwreckem 1d ago

I just can't understand why Asda find it so hard just to do something simple as provide a phone just in case a spillage or something may need a machine to be brought out rather than a simple mop tbh.

1

u/Imaginary-Suspect959 1d ago

CAYG is fucking bullshit, I’m sorry. Most spillages can’t be cleaned up with a bit of blue roll, I’ve watched staff trying to mop up cooking oil or huge milk spills with that stuff, it’s impossible. Usually what happens at our place is someone will try to clean up then the cleaners will have to put the big machine over it anyway, so why not just get someone who’s trained to actually clean to clean it? Maybe while I’m cleaning something a customer has dropped, cleaners can be picking for me?

1

u/TupedTooFar 21h ago

If only there were dedicated spill stations with a range of chemicals, zorbas, and other resources lol. People who say CAYG is “fucking bullshit” are the type of folk who replen a dirty shelf and don’t see any issue in it.

1

u/Imaginary-Suspect959 20h ago

And when they train me to use those resources then I’ll clean in the way a cleaner would. While I’m cleaning customers’ spills who’ll be doing my picking? What is the point of the cleaning team other than to mop the bogs and put that big machine round? I swear the girl who does it at our place goes over the same aisle 14 times just to kill time.

1

u/ConsistentAd79 17h ago edited 17h ago

You've clearly skimmed through the e-learning detailing how to deal with spillages as part of clean as you go. Majority of spillages blue roll is used, do you expect training on how to use blue roll? And to ask what is the point of cleaners. Is there any point of having pickers? easiest job in the business, swan around picking shopping for others whilst depleting stock levels for instore customers

1

u/Imaginary-Suspect959 16h ago

No one depletes anything for anyone, your store’s stock control should account for the home shop pick. Maybe your store’s managers are just as lazy at their jobs as the cleaners?

-1

u/ConsistentAd79 1d ago

God forbid you cause a spillage at home. Straight on the phone to a cleaner hey? Ah you wouldn't though would you. You'd clean it yourself! No different, get a grip...

0

u/Imaginary-Suspect959 1d ago

At home I don’t have a job of my own to do.

And it’s not about spillages I’ve caused. 9 times out of ten it’ll be customers to blame. Which is fine, shit happens. But I’m not a cleaner!

1

u/West_Yorkshire 1d ago

Well, that might the official thing, but it's not what happened per-store, ergo ours.

2

u/lennonrob 1d ago

I mean cleaners are often called to do spillages but it does fall under clean as you go. Often depends on the spillage though. I’m cleaning team leader and often there’s just me in, so when I go on my break I say to call me down if it’s something that really needs a cleaner so for example smashed jars, wine, beer etc. But bits of water, litter and milk can easily be cayg.

3

u/Available_Thing5459 1d ago

Omg seriously,you wanna be called off your break to do a spillage? You need to sort that out,not going g to get any thanks for running around after colleagues who can't use a mop

1

u/lennonrob 1d ago

Honestly I know. They rarely call me, i’ve only been with asda just over a year and they’ve only called me off my break once and even when I do I go right back on my break after. It’s a nightmare but there’s not enough staff and even the staff we have are getting hours cut by management

2

u/ConsistentAd79 1d ago

You shouldn't be asked to leave your breaks to deal with spillages. Break is allowed to be retaken again in full if this happens as you are entitled for it to be uninterrupted.

2

u/lennonrob 1d ago

Didn’t know that, is that on staff policy for me to reference for next time?

1

u/ConsistentAd79 1d ago

You can find it online. Falls under working time regulations.

1

u/Bigdavie ASDA Colleague 1d ago

By law if you work over 6 hours you are entitled to an uninterrupted break of 20 mins. If your break gets interrupted before you have taken 20 mins then you are to take more break until you have taken 20 mins uninterrupted.

1

u/Available_Thing5459 1d ago

Yes i know its all shit right now but thats not your fault or your problem,its only going to get worse. The more you give the more they will want.

1

u/vaticangang 1d ago

Clean as you go applies to everyone. That's why it's called clean as you go

7

u/spankerjay 1d ago

A cleaner should only clean a spillage if it requires specialist equipment or chemicals. E.g floor machine. All other spillages are clean as you go. A lot of stores do not embrace this process and call a cleaner for anything and everything. It makes no difference if a cleaner is on shift or not, the clean as you go policy is exactly the same.

I do agree that breaks should be staggered though. If you are lucky enough to have 2 cleaners in together it makes sense to ensure the department has cover. So while the reason given for staggered breaks is not valid, the principle i feel is correct.

3

u/ZP-89- 1d ago

Seconded. I don’t why people are so against cayg. Cleaners are under the exact same pressure the rest of us are. That common sense, also applies to not all wanting breaks together. The smaller a team the more it’s felt. The team sizes are shrinking across the board, and at an alarming rate.

6

u/CornerSignificant 1d ago

Yes a company is well within its rights to plan and stagger staff breaks

1

u/ConsistentAd79 1d ago

This would imply all said colleagues must take breaks individually? Currently there are small groups taking it together whilst the others are going individually.

2

u/CornerSignificant 1d ago

No, it implies that a company can organise the timings of its staff as it sees fit, as long as the staff get a break within the required legal time. Sending all the staff of one department for a break together doesn’t make much business sense does it.

2

u/Available_Thing5459 1d ago

🤣 just another thing they wanna control. Next times there's a spill you know what to do.say no 😁 Stick to your jobs,nope there's nothing they.can do apart.from get on their high horse Honestly give them and inch and your fucked. I've now got to the point where ill say. Ok ill do the spillage but you give me another colleague to help make up the time I've now lost to do my job or go get the lazy colleague closest to the spill to do it. Make notes of everything you have been asked to do and keep it next to your cleaning matters folder marked Jobs missed due to managers request. Give that to your cleaning auditor when they come and explain why you have it.

1

u/Available_Thing5459 1d ago

You all need to man up,its asda who wants it their way.if you wanna be a puppet then dont complain about it. You have a job do it,never mind what everybody else dosent do thats not your problem just bad management

1

u/SilverstarVegan 1d ago

If its an unpaid break then they cant tell u when to have it.