30 minute lunch break now official at Walgreens nationwide...

[DoctorRx1986]

Walked into work today and my store manager informed me that Walgreens is implementing a 30 minute lunch break for pharmacists chain-wide. Not just select stores/“pilot stores”. They are still in the process of thinking about the logistics and how it will be implemented but the company is following through with this . Attached you guys will find some images I captured regarding the breaks . It’s about time we have something working out in our favor especially now that we haven’t had a raise since 2016. What do you think prompted the company to move forward with this- lawsuits ? Revolving doors? We all know their motive is not their kind and benevolent hearts.

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[Ace41690]

Not to be a debbie downer but i think this is a terrible idea. First of all this is the first step of being changed to a 37.5hr week instead of 40 (i.e. paycut) but it will be spun as something that is positive. Second of all ive worked in one of the pilot stores and its horrible (if you have to close the pharmacy). There is a catastrophe waiting when you return

 

[Gombrich12]

Not to be a debbie downer but i think this is a terrible idea. First of all this is the first step of being changed to a 37.5hr week instead of 40 (i.e. paycut) but it will be spun as something that is positive. Second of all ive worked in one of the pilot stores and its horrible (if you have to close the pharmacy). There is a catastrophe waiting when you return

Their stock fell almost %13 today and they announced they would cut an additional $500 million on top of an already promised $1 billion dollars in cuts. You're probably right, I think WBA will lead the charge in lowering pharmacist compensation.

 

[confettiflyer]

There are states without mandated lunch periods? Geez.

 

[gwarm01]

There are states without mandated lunch periods? Geez.

Most states let you get away with basically anything if the employee is salaried. Apparently there are some pretty broad definitions of "salaried" out there.

 

[Xenophylia]

There are states WITH mandated lunch breaks? Geez!

 

[JustFillIt]

There are states WITH mandated lunch breaks? Geez!

Haha yea - that was my same thought

 

[Deja]

eh everyone at CVS works off the clock anyways

 

[BidingMyTime]

Sounds like a bad idea. The amount of work is still the same, and the same amount of people will be expected to do it. Now, everyone will have to stay over 30 extra minutes unpaid, to get that same amount of work done. Actually, since the technicians can't stay over unpaid (and can't work when the pharmacy is closed, at least in IL), then the pharmacist will most likely be working more than 30 extra minutes unpaid each day, to get the same amount of work done that they used to do in that paid 30 minutes. But hey, it beats getting laid off.

 

[Mr. Corporate Pharmacist]

This is a good move for the company. Regardless of cost control motives or political reasons, it is a step in the right direction to protect pharmacists' longevity and mental health.

We are conditioned to forgo breaks, not realizing how much less productive and compromised we are. If there is a policy in place, it will be easier to break away. There will be more excuses to rest than to work.

It's up to upper management to lead the change with the right mindset. I hear the cynics already.

I see it as thirty minutes to recharge, strategize, or leverage resources. The possibilities are endless. The time and opportunity to think differently, bigger, and outside the box is priceless IMO

 

[mentos]

Pharmacists complain about no lunch break.
Pharmacists finally get lunch break.
Pharmacists complain it's a bad idea.

What do you people want??

 

[BidingMyTime]

Pharmacists complain about no lunch break.
Pharmacists finally get lunch break.
Pharmacists complain it's a bad idea.
What do you people want??

Not all pharmacists have complained about no lunch break. The hospital I am at now makes us take lunch, but I liked it much better when we didn't have to. What you are hearing, the pharmacists who wanted lunch breaks are now happy that they can have them at Walgreens, and the pharmacists who have lunch breaks and see the problem with them are unhappy that lunch breaks are expanding. It's 2 completely separate groups of pharmacists, and of course, there is no pleasing everyone.

 

[confettiflyer]

Most states let you get away with basically anything if the employee is salaried. Apparently there are some pretty broad definitions of "salaried" out there.

There are states WITH mandated lunch breaks? Geez!

I forgot I live in bizarroland with mandatory hourly/mandatory lunch. There's even a subsection of regulation that dictates WHEN in your shift you must take a lunch.

 

[Adsum]

Pharmacists complain about no lunch break.
Pharmacists finally get lunch break.
Pharmacists complain it's a bad idea.

What do you people want??

Walgreens announces mandatory 30 minutes lunch break.

Walgreens announces 1.5 billion budget cut.

 

[TheBlaah]

Not all pharmacists have complained about no lunch break. The hospital I am at now makes us take lunch, but I liked it much better when we didn't have to. What you are hearing, the pharmacists who wanted lunch breaks are now happy that they can have them at Walgreens, and the pharmacists who have lunch breaks and see the problem with them are unhappy that lunch breaks are expanding. It's 2 completely separate groups of pharmacists, and of course, there is no pleasing everyone.

I agree. But, if lunches were paid, I'd be fine with them and I believe most of the other pharmacists in this camp would be too.

But I doubt it will be paid for Walgreens outside of maybe California.

 

[Thoughtfulsinner]

I agree. But, if lunches were paid, I'd be fine with them and I believe most of the other pharmacists in this camp would be too.

But I doubt it will be paid for Walgreens outside of maybe California.

I've never heard of a pharmacist at a chain punching out for lunch. Hence, they are "paid."

 

[PharmDminus]

I've never heard of a pharmacist at a chain punching out for lunch. Hence, they are "paid."

the walgreens lunches will be unpaid

 

[Thoughtfulsinner]

the walgreens lunches will be unpaid

So all the Walgreens pharmacists who take lunch during overlap now have to punch out?

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

So all the Walgreens pharmacists who take lunch during overlap now have to punch out?

Umm yeah...about that overlap...

 

[TheBlaah]

So all the Walgreens pharmacists who take lunch during overlap now have to punch out?

If I were Walgreens, I'd just automatically take out 30 minutes of your paycheck. Why risk having employees "forget" to clock out for lunch.

 

[PharmDminus]

So all the Walgreens pharmacists who take lunch during overlap now have to punch out?

stores with overlap may not be closing

 

[hye345]

I've never heard of a pharmacist at a chain punching out for lunch. Hence, they are "paid."

At both CVS and Walmart (In California anyway), I've punched out for lunch break, hence not gettign paid for them. Now, Walmart does pay something like $25 per meal period, but that's outside regular hourly pay.

 

[JustFillIt]

Pharmacists complain about no lunch break.
Pharmacists finally get lunch break.
Pharmacists complain it's a bad idea.

What do you people want??

This is actually a good question. I think the ability to take an uninterrupted lunch along with the workflow being uninterrupted also would be what we want as a whole.

I have found that stores that are open 9-9 have the best overlap, usually from 1-5. But then, most of the time I would rather not take a lunch anyway because my coworkers do not maintain the same speed and consistency as I do.

 

[grumpyRph]

omg just TAKE YOUR FREAKIN' LUNCH BREAKS PEOPLE!

your brain needs energy in the form of calories from food. you're not gonna be thinking straight with no food and like time to prepare said food. if you work for a chain, can't you be fired anyway for NOT taking your lunch breaks? if you think the work will pile up when you get back then you need to re-examine your work flow and how your coworkers work.

ok granted i do live and work in california. but even in nebraska, they were more lax about WHEN you could take a lunch break but still the pharmacist freakin' left for a half hour to eat something. like my god. GO EAT! LOOK AT YOUR PHONE! CALL A FRIEND! just get out of the pharmacy your company LETS you and mandates that you do.

 

[JustFillIt]

omg just TAKE YOUR FREAKIN' LUNCH BREAKS PEOPLE!

your brain needs energy in the form of calories from food. you're not gonna be thinking straight with no food and like time to prepare said food. if you work for a chain, can't you be fired anyway for NOT taking your lunch breaks? if you think the work will pile up when you get back then you need to re-examine your work flow and how your coworkers work.

ok granted i do live and work in california. but even in nebraska, they were more lax about WHEN you could take a lunch break but still the pharmacist freakin' left for a half hour to eat something. like my god. GO EAT! LOOK AT YOUR PHONE! CALL A FRIEND! just get out of the pharmacy your company LETS you and mandates that you do.

Ummm. No

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

something working out in our favor

lmao.
I can't wait to see how horribly this goes.

 

[Xenophylia]

Funny....lunch breaks sound like a good thing, yet everyone is wondering how they will spin it into something horrible. Go pharmacy!

 

[Stella14]

When I was at wags we would take our 2 -15 minute paid breaks as a 30 minute paid “lunch” and would still leave after 8 hours.

 

[projektreverb]

So from what I heard, it’s only if you’re a 12 hour shift at a 9-9. Any other store it’s only if there is some time of overlap. They also have suggested time slots. Anyone hear the same?

 

[lane one]

This is a good move for the company. Regardless of cost control motives or political reasons, it is a step in the right direction to protect pharmacists' longevity and mental health.

We are conditioned to forgo breaks, not realizing how much less productive and compromised we are. If there is a policy in place, it will be easier to break away. There will be more excuses to rest than to work.

It's up to upper management to lead the change with the right mindset. I hear the cynics already.

I see it as thirty minutes to recharge, strategize, or leverage resources. The possibilities are endless. The time and opportunity to think differently, bigger, and outside the box is priceless IMO

Whoa. Did you hear the cynics saying to take it easy on the koolaid?

 

[Sine Cura]

These states (and Washington DC) have regulations addressing pharmacist or pharmacy staff rest periods (those states with *** by their name do not address pharmacists specifically) according to this document:

Alabama
California
Florida
Massachusetts
Mississippi ***
Montana
North Carolina
New Jersey
Oregon ***
Tennessee
Vermont
Washington DC

If you work at a single-coverage store and have to close and are mid-tier volume like 1800-2000 a week, you probably are going to be significantly behind on weekdays if you have to take a meal break but who cares. Customers are excessively entitled to have unfettered pharmacy accessibility and scripts somehow magically completed 10 minutes after their office visit is done (what about insurance and in-stock status, not to mention the order not being FUBAR by the prescriber?), despite them going to clinics that shut down for lunch and that make you wait 1+ hour in the waiting area for scheduled visits.

Don't like it, go somewhere else. LOL

 

[Mur7ay]

I work at Walmart and we’ve always had thirty minute breaks.

 

[Mr. Corporate Pharmacist]

Whoa. Did you hear the cynics saying to take it easy on the koolaid?

Sipping all day, errday

Try some 🙂

 

[Dr Wario]

Sipping all day, errday

Try some 🙂

Be careful, CVS brand Koolaid has high fructose corn syrup and will give you cellulite. (I told my old DL this who was really into his body).

 

[Mr. Corporate Pharmacist]

Be careful, CVS brand Koolaid has high fructose corn syrup and will give you cellulite. (I told my old DL this who was really into his body).

I agree, too much leads to gluttony. That's why I sip.

 

[d2rx]

Sounds like a bad idea. The amount of work is still the same, and the same amount of people will be expected to do it. Now, everyone will have to stay over 30 extra minutes unpaid, to get that same amount of work done. Actually, since the technicians can't stay over unpaid (and can't work when the pharmacy is closed, at least in IL), then the pharmacist will most likely be working more than 30 extra minutes unpaid each day, to get the same amount of work done that they used to do in that paid 30 minutes. But hey, it beats getting laid off.

So how does it work in Walmart? All Walmarts close for 30 minute lunch break right? Does it affect the work load? Maybe a little.

 

[confettiflyer]

I didn't know a little 30 minute lunch, already done by thousands of pharmacists across the country, generated so many words above

 

[owlegrad]

I didn't know a little 30 minute lunch, already done by thousands of pharmacists across the country, generated so many words above

Eh, I bet there are many thousands of more pharmacists that don't take a proper 30 minute lunch across the nation. So for them it is a pretty big deal. I am surprised there are not more words about it. 😉

 

[Lnsean]

It's not that people don't want a lunch break; they want one without strings attached like any normal human being, which will be unlikely. There will be some silly games with these big $ss corporations for sure. For those of you working in states where this has been mandated all along, of course what's the big deal right?For me, I don't remember the last time I was able to eat lunch at work. Oh and that overlap some of you guys are talking about? That's also gone in my district, and I am betting it will be gone chain-wide soon.

 

[M0df]

This 30 minute break thing hasn't trickled down to Rite Aid stores transitioning into Walgreens... yet. I might have missed the memo though.

Word on the street is that for those Rite Aid stores, as they become fully integrated Walgreens stores, there will be plenty of interesting changes.

- Shorter shifts instead of 12-13 hour shifts. Obviously, you might be working 5 days a week to get those hours now instead of your current schedule.
- Management is saying there will be an overlap. How will it be created?
- Expanding base hours for PIC/staff. PIC will see their base go up more though. Great right? No so fast.
- They will add hours but not increase the 'yearly' salary for pharmacists. In effect, they are lowering hourly salary (making pharmacists work extra 3-10 (?) hours every 2 weeks.

That is my understanding on future changes. Pharmacists who are working at Rite Aid stores already fully converted, feel free to jump in to deny or confirm these.

 

[jackbauer1]

When does this start?

 

[nextyearrx]

When does this start?

When does this start at cvs???

 

[Mambo#5]

There are states without mandated lunch periods? Geez.

You know this.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

When does this start at cvs???

Pffft.

 

[BC_89]

Surprised not even one person has at least mentioned what they eat or would it if promoted (or demoted) to having a lunch break....

I’m thinking subway

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Surprised not even one person has at least mentioned what they eat or would it if promoted (or demoted) to having a lunch break....

I’m thinking subway

It would be 3am. My only option would be Wawa. Which isn't a terrible option to have.

 

[princeafrica]

Does that mean I as the tech can get two breaks if the pharmacy has to close? 😀 Potentially 3 breaks lol 😀

 

[BidingMyTime]

Does that mean I as the tech can get two breaks if the pharmacy has to close? 😀 Potentially 3 breaks lol 😀

I'd assume you would have to take your unpaid lunch at the same time as the pharmacist.

 

[Thoughtfulsinner]

I used to take a 10 minute dump break each day at work. Nothing better than getting paid to sit on the porcelain.

 

[owlegrad]

I'd assume you would have to take your unpaid lunch at the same time as the pharmacist.

Honestly I think that sounds very efficient. Everyone goes on lunch at the same time and the pharmacy doesn't have to deal with running lunches throughout the day.