Former Employees Sue GameStop Over Security Checks

[vansau]

Former Employees Sue GameStop Over Security Checks

If you're going to impose mandatory security checks, make sure it doesn't impose on your employees' lunch breaks.

As someone who worked in retail, I can testify that things like bag checks are pretty routine when you head out for the day (or lunch, if you take your bag with you), but those usually take less than a minute. Based on a new lawsuit filed against GameStop, though, the security checks took longer than that and happened a lot more frequently, to the point of violating California state law.

The suit alleges that GameStop's mandatory security checks didn't allow for uninterrupted and/or unrestricted breaks. That's a problem when, according to state law, employers are required to provide a 30-minute break for a meal every five hours worked, as well as a ten minute break for every four-hour shift. According to GameSpot:

The allegations are rooted in GameStop's policy of conducting mandatory security checks of employees when they take meals or breaks. According to the complaint, hourly employees are not compensated for time spent undergoing these security checks.

The suit also makes a handful of other allegations stemming from uncompensated time spent undergoing security checks. These allegations state that GameStop has failed to adequately compensate employees for work shifts that exceed eight hours, as well as not providing accurately itemized wage statements.

The suit is seeking class status, as well as an hour's pay for each day during which adequate meal and rest breaks weren't provided, plus any other damages that the court determines.

Source: <a href=http://www.gamespot.com/news/gamestop-slapped-with-workers-rights-suit-6346464>GameSpot

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[Rawne1980]

I'm pretty sure it's possible to eat while bent over.

I don't think that huge bloke with his rubber glove and jar of vaseline will mind.

 

[Something Amyss]

I don't quite follow how they prevented uninterrupted breaks. Did they just pop in in the middle of lunch and say, "hi' NOW we're searching you?"

 

[Techsmart07]

being

I don't quite follow how they prevented uninterrupted breaks. Did they just pop in in the middle of lunch and say, "hi' NOW we're searching you?"

Most likely, they said "Oh, now you are leaving the store for food? Well, despite you not being on the clock, I have to check your bags for stolen stuff." It would be the beginning of the break, but, nonetheless, it interrupted part of the break. Once the employee is off the clock, the employee should not be forced by the employer to remain on premises, especially when they are given the minimum required break time by the government.

 

[Craorach]

My guess.. they don't allow you to factor your forced bag search into your break.. so, you get 30 minutes, but they demand you completely empty bags and maybe even pockets before you go. Which takes about five minutes, once you've gotten your bag, unpacked it, then packed it, and gotten the manager's time to do it.

That mean's your break is now 25 minutes.

 

[BeefSteak]

Well damn! If Gamestop guys are getting this they I had better start up a lawsuit against Toys 'R' Us. Worked there for a year and a half and never got a 10/15 minute break the whole time I was there.

 

[AstylahAthrys]

Really? It takes all of 30 seconds to get my security check, and I have a purse as well. Quit your bitching, dudes. Unless your boss was a complete asshole about it, it's no big deal. Video games are expensive and small, so they gotta be careful, you know? Also, if having a full 30 minutes was THAT important, they could always bring their lunch and forego the break bag check.

 

[viranimus]

Meh, moot point. It seems all too likely these people will just end up unemployed anyway. Be it for a shaken economy, or be it from being becoming an increasingly irrelevant industry thanks to publishers bending over backwards to cut out the them.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Working at a Maryland Gamestop, I don't recall them being too giving when it came to breaks either. When I was givin leave I just sat in the overstocked back room though. It was leaving that was always an ordeal, most of the time hours after my shift was to end.

 

[otakon17]

Honestly, I never had a real problem with security checks. We walked out of the store, we turned our pockets out and did the "sock hop". Now, the "sock hop" became standard because a customer(or former employee, my memory of this is a little hazy near 8 years gone) is when we hiked up out pants legs and showed our socks had no bulge to them.

Suffice to say, this took all of a minute or so. However, I feel that this should not count on your break. I had that kind of problem when I worked in a warehouse loading trucks. Food and drink(except bottled water in the summer) was not allowed in the work area, we had 15 minute breaks every 3 hours, and a half-hour lunch at the mid-point of the shift(12 hour shift). However, the break room was a good 5 minute walk from the loading dock(it was a big warehouse), so in reality you only got a five-minute break and a 20-minute lunch.

I think the biggest problem that I had when I worked at Gamestop was the direct deposit system they had. If you didn't have a bank account, it was deposited into a debit card handled by the finance company that did payroll. And they charged you for EVERYTHING. I once lost 20 dollars out of my paycheck because on top of the ATM fees, it was charging me a dollar for every transaction. EVERY transaction, even canceled ones or just checking my balance. So, I thought I was withdrawing all my money when the amount I had was actually 1 dollar less. It canceled, I tried again and it charged me another dollar. After the first time of going through that crap, I had a bank account quick.

 

[VanityGirl]

IS that GameStop or the manager in charge's fault?
Security Checks are simple and quick, maybe someone's being a douchebag. I bet some manager is going to be fired soon.

I think the biggest problem that I had when I worked at Gamestop was the direct deposit system they had. If you didn't have a bank account, it was deposited into a debit card handled by the finance company that did payroll. And they charged you for EVERYTHING. I once lost 20 dollars out of my paycheck because on top of the ATM fees, it was charging me a dollar for every transaction. EVERY transaction, even canceled ones or just checking my balance. So, I thought I was withdrawing all my money when the amount I had was actually 1 dollar less. It canceled, I tried again and it charged me another dollar. After the first time of going through that crap, I had a bank account quick.

Yeah that's lame. They're using a new system that does Visa Cards now, not those crap cards they had before. Basically though, if you get a bank account, you can transfer all the money from your card to your bank without a fee of any sort. That's what I heard anyway.

 

[Amnestic]

Unless your boss was a complete asshole about it, it's no big deal.

Former Employees Sue GameStop Over Security Checks

You say it's not a big deal, but protecting workers rights to proper breaks is important. Too many companies think it's fine to just gloss over such things, mostly because their employees are ignorant as to what they're legally entitled to.

 

[Kinokohatake]

Really? It takes all of 30 seconds to get my security check, and I have a purse as well. Quit your bitching, dudes. Unless your boss was a complete asshole about it, it's no big deal. Video games are expensive and small, so they gotta be careful, you know? Also, if having a full 30 minutes was THAT important, they could always bring their lunch and forego the break bag check.

I was popping in to say the same thing. And as a manager for Game Stop, there is only one way all of the missing store material goes missing and that is the employees. And other managers. As such it is necessary.

 

[AstylahAthrys]

Unless your boss was a complete asshole about it, it's no big deal.

Former Employees Sue GameStop Over Security Checks

You say it's not a big deal, but protecting workers rights to proper breaks is important. Too many companies think it's fine to just gloss over such things, mostly because their employees are ignorant as to what they're legally entitled to.

I work at a Gamestop, and my coworkers are some of the nicest people I know, especially my manager. :|

 

[Amnestic]

I work at a Gamestop, and my coworkers are some of the nicest people I know, especially my manager. :|

From the stories I've heard, I'm willing to put money on your case being the exception. My friend worked at a Gamestop and her manager was a complete cockweasel.

 

[Nargleblarg]

Unless your boss was a complete asshole about it, it's no big deal.

Former Employees Sue GameStop Over Security Checks

You say it's not a big deal, but protecting workers rights to proper breaks is important. Too many companies think it's fine to just gloss over such things, mostly because their employees are ignorant as to what they're legally entitled to.

I work at a Gamestop, and my coworkers are some of the nicest people I know, especially my manager. :|

Agreed, not all of us are crazy; high fives to a fellow employee.

 

[Johnson McGee]

Why did impulse have to get taken over by these nincompoops? It was my favourite non-steam digital distributor.

 

[Craorach]

I have a better solution for Gamestop, stop hiring dishonest people, concentrate not on "how good a saleman is this person" and rather on "how honest, trustworthy and hard working are they".. immediate dismissal, as should be the case in any company, for anyone actually caught stealing and stop treating your other staff (and customers) as thieves.