AT&T: Out To Lunch

Workers for AT&T in Indiana claim in a lawsuit that they are forced to endure odd and punitive lunch break restrictions such as a ban on napping after eating a ham sandwich.

According to a class action suit filed by 11 employees against AT&T Midwest, the telecommunications company has forced technicians to endure “heavy restrictions” on their unpaid lunch break or risk discipline.

According to the suit, employees allege the telecom company allows them to eat packed lunches in vehicles during unpaid lunch hours but not spend the remainder of the lunch break reading newspapers,  napping, or using personal computers or music players in vehicles. Workers also are barred from idling vehicles for air conditioning or heat during lunch.  Manhole workers must stay and guard the area during lunch break; they cannot go more than one-half mile from one assigned job to another for lunch or face discipline.

Of course, AT&T denies this, but they have shown quirks in the past, and the tendency to go way out of line on how their employees behave outside of work.

On an unpaid break, workers should be to do what they wish, within reason.  I do understand the manhole issue, but I would think it would be up to the company to provide the alternative, not a burden to be placed on the worker.

To tell someone they can't run their air-conditioning or heat in their car is ridiculous.  Trying to enforce such policies would be an utter waste of resources.

Ma Bell, you're killing me here.