is this fair?

[pillrxxx]

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hi im currently a tech at cvs. sometimes after closing we stay about 30 minutes or so for cleaning and restocking etc. the pharmacist tells us to punch out even tho we are still there cleaning, etc. he told us that he has no hours to give that's why we have to punch out...

can someone give me some advice on what to do? i don't want to loose my job or anything by speaking up about this situation.

thanks 🙂

 

[MyTalon4U2NV]

do it while the store is slow... before close... thats what we do.

that way you dont have to stay after hours and the job gets done

 

[UNMorBUST]

Never work off the clock. What would happen if you got hurt while not punched in? Yea that would be bad.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

No, and it's not legal either. However, I've had many jobs where this kind of crap was expected.

 

[owlegrad]

hi im currently a tech at cvs. sometimes after closing we stay about 30 minutes or so for cleaning and restocking etc. the pharmacist tells us to punch out even tho we are still there cleaning, etc. he told us that he has no hours to give that's why we have to punch out...

can someone give me some advice on what to do? i don't want to loose my job or anything by speaking up about this situation.

thanks 🙂

First: It is absolutely unacceptable for your pharmacists to work you off the clock.

Second: This kind of stuff happens all the time.

If it is once in a great while I suggest that you shrug it off. If it is constant (or it really bothers you to do it even occasionally) then adress the issue with your pharmacist. Ask him what you need to do to get the work done on the clock. Make it clear that working off the clock is unacceptable. Also it is against company policy, but I doubt that point will help you much. One other thing to consider though. Do you ever stay on the clock while not working? Like do you ever go back and eat something without clocking out? I think you know what I mean. If so you may want to think about it as canceling out.

 

[Momus]

Report his ass to DoL... or just leave and tell him to stock the vials, and empty the trash himself

 

[MountainPharmD]

It is not fair or legal. Your pharmacy manager is a douche bag. Just because CVS sucks and does not give him enough hours does not mean you have to pay for it. Once you clock out go home.

 

[jinga]

I worked for free for the independent I worked at because I loved it.


NEVER EVER EVER work for free for CVS. They are probably liquid and can afford to pay you the extra half hour. If it's happening frequently, I'd look elsewhere.

I had a construction boss who handled our paychecks etc... I never even saw my hours; he took care of it. I'm sure I got shorted often. I chose not to return to work for him. It's important to stand up for yourself; however, it's difficult not to appear whiny in some situations.

 

[dwein2007]

See if your pharmacist can tap into the pharmacy tech extern program at any local schools, where students that need hours to become licensed will work for free. Also, summer work school programs are also good for free labor. Your pharmacy gets the free labor it needs and the students get the valuable experience and possible job referrals. Sounds like a good trade to me.

 

[owlegrad]

See if your pharmacist can tap into the pharmacy tech extern program at any local schools, where students that need hours to become licensed will work for free. Also, summer work school programs are also good for free labor. Your pharmacy gets the free labor it needs and the students get the valuable experience and possible job referrals. Sounds like a good trade to me.

Unless I am badly misunderstanding your post, you are suggesting that the OP should figure out a way to make it possible for his boss to replace him with free labor? That could easily be the worst idea I have ever heard.

 

[kdt110]

Like other posters stated, you shouldn't work off the clock. That is not only unfair but that is also illegal.

 

[MountainPharmD]

I think you need not to scare about your job it will remain safe. You should tell him it all clearly and with good politeness he will definitely help you. If you are able for the job, you will get the better.

What? This one is for the hall of fame.

 

[npage148]

Illegal and wrong. Contact your HR manager and tell them, I'm sure they love to hear about it. Also mention if it's not corrected tell them you are contacting the Dept of Labor. Whistleblow away!

 

[Its Z]

This has to be a troll.

 

[Ilikechemicals]

There were/still are a few people (techs and pharmacists) working off the clock ocassionaly at my CVS store. When the area supervisor found out about this he was not too pleased. I would imagine this unoffical rule of working off the clock at CVS is one made up by type A pharmacists and not an expectation of corporate.

However, when they slash tech hours for a 3rd time this year I'm not sure how all the work will get done without off the clock work.

 

[J ROD]

I would not clock out and work. I know I dont when I stay 15 min over trying to get the day ready for the next day or I have a few drive thru customers left over.

I have a HR degree and worked in it for 4 yrs. It is illegal and the company can get into alot of trouble. It is probably the pharmacist's idea so I would just tell him that it is not legal for me to clock out.

Also, most days we get things you mentioned done in the slow times. Just try and coordinate better. Also, it takes a pharmacist that wlll do tech duties and not just stand there as a check machine.

My pharmacists do whatever it takes and have refilled the plastic bottles before and sweeped and took out the garbage. It takes a team approach to even survive with the cut in tech hrs these days.

 

[type b pharmD]

you could make an anonymous report to corporate.. but then the pharmacist would likely be disciplined and that could suck if he or she is a cool person. the fact that you're exposing the company to civil and criminal liabilities would put corporate squarely on your side.

 

[dwein2007]

Unless I am badly misunderstanding your post, you are suggesting that the OP should figure out a way to make it possible for his boss to replace him with free labor? That could easily be the worst idea I have ever heard.

You misunderstood it. I'm asking that his boss to replace the illegal act of free labor by the employee with the legal act of free labor by the extern. It's obvious that there isn't enough staff to do all the things that need to be done throughout the day and yet budget restrictions does not allow the hiring of anybody else. My idea has the ability of breaking the impasse.

We use externs all the time at my pharmacy and they are life savers, esp with a frigid pharmacy budget like we have. And just to be clear, they do not replace any hired hand. They cannot point of sale, take calls, compound, or fill without supervision. They do jobs like stock prescription bottles, otcs, and vials as well as customer service and cleaning so the hired employees have more time in their day to do the tasks at hand.

 

[Sparda29]

Nope, don't work if you're not gonna be paid. I was told to clock out once by my ex-supervisor at CVS. I told her, "sure, if you wanna pay me out of your pocket".

 

[Old Timer]

hi im currently a tech at cvs. sometimes after closing we stay about 30 minutes or so for cleaning and restocking etc. the pharmacist tells us to punch out even tho we are still there cleaning, etc. he told us that he has no hours to give that's why we have to punch out...

can someone give me some advice on what to do? i don't want to loose my job or anything by speaking up about this situation.

thanks 🙂

This is illegal. Tell the PIC it is illegal. If you want to stay and help, I have no problem with that. But I'm pretty sure slavery was abolished. There are **** load of labor laws that says what he/she is doing is illegal.

 

[UNMorBUST]

I think you need not to scare about your job it will remain safe. You should tell him it all clearly and with good politeness he will definitely help you. If you are able for the job, you will get the better.

Soooo, What are you trying to say??

 

[diastole]

You could try the devious, passive aggressive approach. Carry a little notebook with you and when the pharmacist asks you to work off the clock, take it out and write the date down and the time you clocked out. When you finish your work, again take out the notebook and write down the time you finished down to the minute. Let the pharmacist see what you are doing. If he asks about it, say you are doing it to protect yourself just in case you have a workplace accident or something. If the pharmacist knows you are documenting his illegal behavior, he is probably going to stop doing it. And he probably won't retaliate because he has reason to fear that you could take that information to people who won't look kindly on that behavior.

Or you could just tell him that you won't work off the clock and save the trouble.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

I would not clock out. Yes I'll ring that one straggler customer up or take out the lone garbage bag after i've just punched out, but If I am asked to stay for a considerable length of time later, I expect to be paid.

That being said, I don't see how this can't get done during the slow hours of your workday, and more-so why it takes 30 minutes to clean and restock a pharmacy. Instead of calling your Pharmacist out on the free labor, give them some considerations to prevent you from having to stay after in the first place.

 

[owlegrad]

You misunderstood it. I'm asking that his boss to replace the illegal act of free labor by the employee with the legal act of free labor by the extern. It's obvious that there isn't enough staff to do all the things that need to be done throughout the day and yet budget restrictions does not allow the hiring of anybody else. My idea has the ability of breaking the impasse.

We use externs all the time at my pharmacy and they are life savers, esp with a frigid pharmacy budget like we have. And just to be clear, they do not replace any hired hand. They cannot point of sale, take calls, compound, or fill without supervision. They do jobs like stock prescription bottles, otcs, and vials as well as customer service and cleaning so the hired employees have more time in their day to do the tasks at hand.

Alright, I guess this could be a good idea. I still wouldn't suggest to my boss anything he/she could use as a way work me less, but I suppose it's not as bad as I first thought.

If you don't mind me asking, what do they learn? I mean stocking script bottles and cleaning, yahoo! Sign me up !

And what do you mean by "without supervision"? Does that mean the pharmacist has to stand and watch over their shoulder? I didn't think anyone can fill prescriptions "without the pharmacist's supervision" so I am not sure what you are getting at here. I am trying to understand what you are saying but I don't think I am getting it. If they aren't allowed to do the work of a tech, how do they learn to be techs? And what kind of customer service do they do if they cannot ring people up?

 

[orthomyxo]

That's complete bull. I work at a Target pharmacy and one of the first things they tell you is to NEVER work before you punch in or after you punch out.

 

[DrPepsi]

Out of all the years I've worked in a pharmacy, the last thing I always did before I left was clock out. I really don't understand why "pillrxxx" isn't leaving when he/she clocks out, it almost boggles the mind why someone would clock out then work some more then leave. I certainly wouldn't put my seat belt on while I'm in the middle of traffic and I wouldn't clock out and continue to work.

I don't know what to say for advice...grow a spine? Sounds mean but I don't what else I can say besides "follow the law".

 

[diastole]

Alright, I guess this could be a good idea. I still wouldn't suggest to my boss anything he/she could use as a way work me less, but I suppose it's not as bad as I first thought.

If you don't mind me asking, what do they learn? I mean stocking script bottles and cleaning, yahoo! Sign me up !

And what do you mean by "without supervision"? Does that mean the pharmacist has to stand and watch over their shoulder? I didn't think anyone can fill prescriptions "without the pharmacist's supervision" so I am not sure what you are getting at here. I am trying to understand what you are saying but I don't think I am getting it. If they aren't allowed to do the work of a tech, how do they learn to be techs? And what kind of customer service do they do if they cannot ring people up?

If your site isn't interested in teaching, please don't do that to anybody. I'm doing my IPPE summer at a place that seems to be in it for the free labor. They have me fill all day long, eight hours a day. A trained monkey could do what I do and I have to be there for six weeks. I think I'm stuck in some hazing ritual and the worst part is that I'm going to be a complete idiot next year because I'm hardly learning anything at all. I will be able to fill though.

At my other IPPE site during the school year, they had a pharm tech extern for a few weeks and she got to do everything a pharm tech does. She learned to do the in window, outwindow, drive thru, filling, phones, etc. That was valuable experience. She even got to ring people up while I was not allowed because the school rules said I can't handle money. Her experience was a lot more valuable than restocking bottles and cleaning. That sounds even worse than what I'm doing for eight hours a day.

 

[Sparda29]

If your site isn't interested in teaching, please don't do that to anybody. I'm doing my IPPE summer at a place that seems to be in it for the free labor. They have me fill all day long, eight hours a day. A trained monkey could do what I do and I have to be there for six weeks. I think I'm stuck in some hazing ritual and the worst part is that I'm going to be a complete idiot next year because I'm hardly learning anything at all. I will be able to fill though.

At my other IPPE site during the school year, they had a pharm tech extern for a few weeks and she got to do everything a pharm tech does. She learned to do the in window, outwindow, drive thru, filling, phones, etc. That was valuable experience. She even got to ring people up while I was not allowed because the school rules said I can't handle money. Her experience was a lot more valuable than restocking bottles and cleaning. That sounds even worse than what I'm doing for eight hours a day.

That sucks. I'm at an IPPE at a Geriatric hospital. We fill but we're also doing vancomycin troughs, CrCL calcs, Epogen reviews, and going with the clinical pharmacist for a few hours daily to review the charts.

 

[diastole]

That sucks. I'm at an IPPE at a Geriatric hospital. We fill but we're also doing vancomycin troughs, CrCL calcs, Epogen reviews, and going with the clinical pharmacist for a few hours daily to review the charts.

That sounds pretty cool. Mine is supposed to be a retail IPPE but somehow I got a non-retail site. I asked for an independent pharmacy and I thought that retail was implied with that request since everyone is supposed to do retail this summer but I guess not. I asked for that because I thought the pharmacists would be happier than in a chain and they are. I'm the miserable one because I'm doing the job nobody else wants to do all day long. 🙁

 

[confettiflyer]

yeah that's illegal, in fact...i got a bunch of settlement checks in the mail because of class action lawsuits against CVS. i never worked off the clock, that's just dumb...your pharmacist needs a backbone if things just aren't getting done within their allotted time.

Either that, or your staff needs to be more efficient.

Or just find a job somewhere else (ie not retail hell).

 

[Ackj]

Nope, don't work if you're not gonna be paid. I was told to clock out once by my ex-supervisor at CVS. I told her, "sure, if you wanna pay me out of your pocket".

Off the clock work and under the table pay? Legally, this seems about par for your suggestions.

Not that I didn't get paid out of the register at the end of my shifts when I worked at an independent. 😉