<p>Ok here is my situation. I work for the school San Diego State University in California. I am having a hard time with my supervisor that gives us the hours and the place we work in. She isn’t my boss. Now my situation is my work schedule she has me working 4 hours on Wednesdays and 6.5 hours on Saturdays forcing me to take a lunch. I know for sure she did it on purpose because I can work more than 4 hours on Wednesdays and didn’t do that she wants me to waste more of my day which is pointless to work 6 hours take a half an hour lunch than work a little more I rather leave early. She is right however I changed my schedule to 6 hours on Saturdays and instead of 4 on Wednesday I put 4.5 hours. Yet she brings up the law that I am forced to still take a lunch at 6 hours. However I looked up into the California law and she is wrong. </p>
<p>“In California, an employer may not employ an employee for a work
period of more than five hours per day without providing the employee
with a meal period of not less than thirty minutes, except that if the
total work period per day of the employee is no more than six hours,
the meal period may be waived by mutual consent of both the employer
and employee.”</p>
<p>Since now I am working less than 6.5 hours if my boss (which I have 2) are ok with it I am not forced to take a lunch and can leave. Now I just want to verify this law still applys to work study? When I went to a community college I had work study and worked only 6 hours and never had issues with lunch. I know since I transferred to SDSU this lady didn’t like me for whatever reason always giving me a hard time. This is my last semester and I am fed up with her giving me the schedule and hours. What else can I do to help me out? She hasn’t responded since office is close on the weekend. Any advice of what I can do? Who is higher up than her? Who can I discuss this issue about? What other laws can I bring up?</p>
<p>Do you understand what the term “mutual consent” means? It may be the school’s policy, or your supervisor’s, that anyone working more than 5 hours take the meal break as proscribed by law so that there are no midunderstandings or complaints to the state Labor Dept. that they are in violation of that statute. I would just work the 6.5 or drop down to 5 if they hesitate to waive the meal period. It’s highly unlikely they’re going to make a special exception or change their policies at the request of a part-time work study employee in his last semester.</p>
<p>Ya I know what mutual consent means. But she just hands the hours and gets you the place to work and does payroll. I know my boss would be fine having me working 6 hours and leaving. She is giving me a hard time on purpose I have worked for many places and never had an issue. If so I know I can work 5 hours what about 5.5 hours without having much issues from her?</p>
<p>Good grief, is this really that big a deal? It’s a half hour, once a week. Since you’re about to graduate, you might as well get used to the fact that bosses get to tell you what to do, whether it seems reasonable to you or not. And employees who make a lot of trouble over minor issues don’t tend to be popular with employers, which can affect career paths. Just take the lunch period. Sheesh.</p>
<p>I might be making it a big deal but one reason is I drive 15 miles and to work 4 hours on Wednesdays I would prefer 4.5 and just work the rest of the Saturday all 6. She wants me to work 6.5 I don’t see the point of working 6 hours take lunch than work for half an hour more. If she would just put the .5 on Wednesdays I would feel much better going to work for 4.5 and doing the other 6 hours on Saturday. Also I don’t believe shes my boss I don’t even know why she sets my hours up she just sets a meeting to work for someone (library, computer lab, maintenance etc). My bosses are 2 (now they are my employers I believe since they tell me what to do not she so with them they would mutually agree with the schedule I have set) so with that said I was just mentioning it since I know she will bring anything up to once again not let me take the schedule I want. Also the 2 bosses I have have had issues with the lady itself because she seems to favor certain people because they always complain (the years I worked there). Why don’t they give you more hours yet we see this other work study’s every day working for this other person. </p>
<p>Another reason I didn’t want to work 5 hours on Wednesdays and 5 hours on Saturdays was because I have class the same day at 4 I wanted to work less Wednesday (I was going to go home to rest and freshen up I don’t mind the 4.5). Doesn’t work study try to work with your schedule? All the years since I started college my bosses always asked me “so whats your class schedule and what works best for you” (back in community college). When I got to the Uni I applied she always had me work her schedule which kind of pressured me somewhat. Also a reason I believe she doesn’t like me is she lies. One of the few lies was that Custodial department (that’s where I work at) time she said they (2 bosses I work for) wanted me early I asked both of them of what she told me they said no you can come any time you want when you can. </p>
<p>I hope this clears things up more. It might seem like a big deal, but its just she has something against me (out of all the places I have worked I have never had a complaint about my work always satisfied).</p>
<p>^
I highly doubt it (because Saturdays campus is empty and one of the bosses is there till campus closes). Monday through Saturday there is always something to do I never even finish since there is always something to maintain.</p>
<p>I understand what you’re saying now and that is an odd system they have set up! I’ve never heard of someone outside the department scheduling hours for work-study students though. Does she work for Human Resources? Perhaps your direct supervisors (or you) could just talk to someone a bit higher up the food chain. If not, perhaps the Student Affairs (or whatever they call it) could help you sort it out.</p>
<p>^
Ya I also find that system weird since she isn’t my boss but giving me the hours I should work? She just does the payroll and sends the direct deposit to the main campus I guess the information. She is inside administration (I am hoping this issue is resolved since I sent her that law from California) I was thinking calling the main campus and mentioning it to see who to talk to exactly that is higher than her. If nothing works out I will just work 5 hours each of those days.</p>
<p>Hopefully they do not have you work 6 hours THEN take a lunch break, the idea is to protect you by forcing employers to give you a lunch. Since campuses tend to have unions, there may be union rules which supersede the state rules and require breaks more often.</p>
<p>^
Thats what she wants me to do even if I work 6 hours she wants me to take a lunch. Well I hope she lets it go and lets me keep that schedule. Worst case scenario is I will just work 5 hours each days and from there on she can’t have any more excuses (which it seems that’s all she wants against me). Or 5 hours Wednesday 5.5 hours Saturday (I worked 5.5 this Wednesday because of a work order) and than emails me like mad saying you didn’t follow the schedule, but I had to stay extra for a work order.</p>
<p>You can talk to financial aid and all of the relevant people and ask if you can be accommodated. It could be an internal policy. But it doesn’t hurt to ask.</p>
<p>^
Ya I will check in with fafsa actually the guy that helped me do my fafsa when I got in is pretty straight forward he might know who to exactly talk to. I will update if things went smooth or responded with an excuse. Thanks for all the responses.</p>
<p>gpister…you are an employee. The only person who can resolve this scheduling issue is your boss. You need to talk to the boss. </p>
<p>I will tell you, even for work study jobs, some of the employers can and do set their own guidelines for the work hours. My DD worked a job that had to be four hour increments of work…not 3 1/2, not 5…FOUR…no exceptions. If a student couldn’t do that, they were not assigned hours for this position at all. </p>
<p>Please remember that you are the employee here, not the one in charge. I realize that this scheduling issue is bothering you…but you need to discuss it with the boss. If the folks decide that the hours are what THEY want you will have two choices…work those hours or find another job.</p>
<p>I hate to sound harsh but that is the way it is.</p>
<p>thumper is correct, and this is true not just of work/study jobs, but of jobs in general. You will find, when you get out into the work world, that you will be confronted with tasks you don’t like, rules that seem unreasonable, and people who are difficult to work with. It comes with the territory. It’s up to you to learn to adapt, work around, tolerate, and accept – or leave. You don’t want to get a reputation as a whiner, and this complaint definitely falls into that category.</p>