What Chipotle Employees Wish Their Coworkers Would Stop Doing

As far as fast food jobs go, one could probably do a lot worse than getting an hourly position at Chipotle. The average Chipotle employee earns around $15 per hour and is eligible for other benefits and perks, including quarterly bonuses, education assistance, and even free burritos, according to the Chipotle website. Workers can take sick days and vacation days. In addition, Chipotle employees are legally entitled to take breaks throughout their workday. 

According to Kronick, by law, Chipotle and other employers must allow employees to take one 10-minute rest break if they work for at least three and a half hours, or two 10-minute breaks if they spend at least six hours on the clock. Workers must be allowed to have an uninterrupted 30-minute meal break if they work five hours or more, as well as. The ability to take breaks during a long workday is essential for employees' health and well-being, so the fact that they are built-in is important. However, many Chipotle employees have one big complaint about these break times, and it might not be what you think it is. 

Some Chipotle workers have recently expressed their frustration over the fact that they often see coworkers working straight through their shifts, never stopping to take the 10-minute or 30-minute breaks they are entitled to. One employee was so exasperated by this behavior they made a post on the r/Chipotle subreddit, imploring their fellow workers to take their scheduled breaks. "Everyone please take your breaks and don't work off the clock!" pleaded u/flamboyantless, and their post was met with hearty agreement from other workers who see the same problems occurring at their Chipotle locations. "I keep telling the new hires 'don't work for free.' and they never. listen," agreed u/CautiousPermit3129. 

Others pointed out that by skipping breaks, employees are not only essentially working for free, but they are also interfering with management's ability to properly staff for each shift. "If the mgmt doesn't understand the staff levels to get the work done with normal loads they won't budget for staff additions," pointed out another user. So although being a hard worker is certainly an admirable virtue, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Chipotle employees work hard enough as it is, and they should be sure to take their legally mandated breaks to rest and recharge throughout their shift.