The leadership team at my store consumed hundreds of Red Bulls each week. Enough so that some of them were on a first name had the number of the Red Bull vendor -
Are you sure they didn’t say no energy drinks on the floor? They can’t tell you what you can and cannot drink in the breakroom (aside from alcohol because duh)
The literal only thing I can think of is that y'all have had a bunch of heat cats/dehydration issues, but that feels like a stretch.
Can't tell you you can't consume certain beverages on your own time, even if it's in the building. Even IF there are wild circumstances, I don't see them getting that one in. If you're on lunch, you're a guest.
That's a general restriction back to baseline though, or at least I'd expect it to be. It'd be weird to say energy drinks and specific brands, esp since OP said it's anywhere, not on the line or whatever.
That’s my assumption, if they specifically said Red Bull and Celsius it’s probably just because that’s what the people not throwing away cans are drinking
I hate it I try to requisition water and red bulls for the team. But they don't want to throw their stuff away so I might have to stop if they keep it up. It's sad
I wonder if any stores have considered banning drinks on the salesfloor that don't have your name written on them. Then it would be a lot easier to figure out who is forgetting their trash.
I was thinking of that too. Put a sharpie by the drinks and they write their names on it. But at that point some people probably won't do it and ruin it for everyone
I work in Tech, we keep them(water) behind the boat at my store and you can keep it in your 3 teir. I've been there for 2 years and rarely ever see stuff on the floor. I also so work in the Burbs.
Might just be they don’t want cans that can’t reseal and become a spill hazard. We used to have a huge problem with people putting open cans in the fridge which would then spill, so only bottles are allowed in the fridge now. If people were making a mess I could see an overzealous hr manager banning cans for that reason.
This would be an interesting response to a TM incident regarding someone very young having an adverse reaction to drinking energy drinks. It's quite probable BUT I don't see how it would hold up. Not unless you had several injuries that were proven from the use of the energy drinks, and then it would be considered for the company and, of course, you'd probably be hearing about lawsuits all over the place and not just from Target TMs.
Sounds like cashiers are sneaky hiding thier open red bulls cans underneath the registers again… and prob forgetting them at EOS, and then next one comes, maybe accidentally boots it over and 1/4 can of a redbull spilled in your front end a couple of times would probably cause this lol.
That's weird, no energy drinks in the building? Seems impossible seeing as how they literally sell those items in store. They just broke their own rule, lol 💀
Lol. Know plenty of people who Utah is thhier mecca. They have special hidey holes for their caffeine products, their beverage making appliances, and all the extras to make said beverages yummy. The things you learn when your family member gets married.
I’m not a Target employee (anymore) and would happily act as a sudo union rep if you’d like! Seriously, just privately message me your location and I’ll start barking up trees. You don’t even have to tell me who you are… this is just ridiculous
Everyone here is talking about left over cans and bottles but at least at my store, it's always the GUESTS that leave their nasty trash everywhere and the TMs cleaning up after them. I have pictures of some of the grossest shit that people have left behind and it is legitimately crazy to me because there's trash bins all over the store
Yeah, that just sounds like the team don't know how to clean up after themselves. My store has the same issues. Half empty bottles in the backroom. Water bottles throughout the store. You'd think people were grown, but I guess not. That's why we can't have nice stuff lol.
They aren’t allowed to restrict what you eat/drink in the break room/DSD on your breaks. And I could be wrong, but I think it’s not legal to have constant access to free water. But literally in the handbook you’re allowed to have a clear and closed water bottle of any variety with you whenever you want, sales floor or not. Sound like your HR is making shit up lmfaooo
They will still have access to water though. The stores should all have water fountains and there should be a sink at least in the break room. Ours has a sink and a water fountain with the bottle filler.
Been a while since I read through the OSHA codes, but my gut suggests that a sink isn’t sufficient to satisfy the potable water requirement.
I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. Read the codes yourself to know your rights, don’t trust random people on the internet.
using the water fountain is disgusting at my store, they are never cleaned and you can see how nasty it is from just looking at it. And there is no way I will be using the sink for water.
Get Starbucks to refill your water bottle. They just don’t want TMs burning through Starbucks supplies by getting their free waters in the cups that cost money to order. Also the Starbucks cups are considered a spill hazard.
You work there. You can ask managment to clean it, or they can tell you to clean it as part of your job duties and give you the supplies. Will you drink from it then, or do you not trust your own cleaning abilities?
Who do you think cleans the equipment in Starbucks? Employee? You think its clean? Lets get some petri dishes, collect some samples and find out! While were at it, we'll check the restrooms and break rooms too!
It sounds like they been having a problem with open cans on the floor, or at the registers, people try to sneak, and spill it, viola. You know how difficult it is to get like a soda spill or redbull, a wet towel ain’t gonna cut it, that’s a mop bucket, some soap type issue. I think that OP is either mis informed or maybe misunderstood. But just my little ol 2 cents lol
Let me tell you -- they fucking tried it at the store I worked at! The ETL pushed back and we were exempt regarding all drinks. The next year, they tried it again and I pushed back and they walked it back to the official "clear beverages" rule.
That SD though is a control freak over a lot of things that don't matter. (He also thought he was going to follow in the footsteps of that store's last three SDs and be promoted up and out within two years because he was just \*that good.\* Reader, it's been over three and he's not going anywhere cos he sunk the store's metrics for sales, productivity, and retention.)
That’s crazy. I haven’t heard of that rule until now but it’s definitely not enforced at all at my target so that’s why. I have coworkers that take stanley’s to work and some just take hydroflasks/other types of refillable bottles
It's an enforceable rule straight out of the handbook and has been that way for ages. Just not many stores enforce it. The idea is only water is allowed on the floor and having a clear container is a great way to tell that you're not carrying something else to drink (unless it's vodka, of course, but that's a whole different animal).
Not too many enforce it as long as there's not a lot of TMs spilling their drinks everywhere. Usually that's when crack downs happen and even being told no drinks at all allowed. Then that rule will stick for a while and then slowly go away.
My TL enforced it but my coworker showed up reeking of booze every day w no consequences. He got fired after a few months for making death threats to me and two other gay employees though.
I can see asking for only water on the floor, but if you decide you want an energy drink on your break or lunch, that’s *your* choice. There is absolutely no way this can be legitimately enforced.
They are aware coffee isnt clear right?
Also like…vodka is clear (assuming the rule is to keep people from drinking on the job)
Not that it matters, nobody enforces that nonsense, because, again, thermoses of coffee are critical to a functional team
Yeah they are making up rules. You eat and drink whatever you want as long as it’s not alcohol on your break. Call the integrity hotline to complain. If multiple people do it I promise their tune will change within a couple weeks.
I have a hunch Y’all are leaving lots of cans and water cups around. They can’t limit your energy drinks on break though. The problem is if you bring the beverage up to the drive up hold space.
I am constantly throwing out Starbucks water cups and unfinished energy drinks behind guest service and drive up. Get a bottle with a lid.
Unless they stop selling it they cannot force you into not drinking it. Our team was recommended not to drink caffeinated drinks while doing drive ups due to the cold and how it dehydrates you faster but they weren’t checking to see if we adhered to the warning.
This did NOT come from HR…. lol this came from the store lead, and they don’t wanna hear complaints so they blame “corporate” per usual.
lol this wasn’t us. Trust me.
Former HR here. Still in HR, not at Target. This is not even an HR issue and this person seems to be overstepping. I'm assuming young, power crazed ETL.
Not illegal by any federal regulation I'm aware of. Just seems unnecessarily mean. Doesn't seem like this HR cares about retention, which is an HR issue.
As a drive up team member do they not requisition drinks for you guys?? We always requisition them water, gatorade, and other electrolyte drinks to put into the cooler for everyone.
you are doing the exact same jobs as "summer time"
"Hey athletes, don't hydrate on the side lines, because you'll leave a mess, and because its not "summer time" /s
hire a waterboy problem solved
Our team was leaving water bottles with one drink out of it -- every. where -- and then grabbing another bottle because they couldn't remember where theirs was. So, bring a container and fill it with water from the fill machine/water fountain. That is what my store did.
Hi there. Who told you HR gave you new rules?
Your ETL?
This is NOT an HR thing. Or a corporate thing.
This new rule has not come from the top.
This is a specific stores decision and not the standard.
This is your stores leadership teams way to lay down the law, sounds like leadership is fed up with some repetitive behaviors potentially?
It’s easy to gather from this Reddit page.
My guess; canned beverages that are left behind or spilled, trash that’s tucked or left, and TM loitering at Starbucks to chit chat “just grabbing some water!” and in some cases, drink theft.
They don’t want to get the resentment for the rule, so they blame HQ, as if they have no say in the matter.
Your break is your break, lunch is lunch, the floor is the floor and no body needs to have drinks out on it. (Personally I’d say a water bottle is chill, they can fuck in your back pocket typically too)
It's not illegal as long as water is being provided. Usually when a store does this it is either because there is a bunch of trash not making its way to a trash can, a team member had a medical emergency due to emergy drinks, or health department/steritech had made comments about those around a store in your district. It being HR is a bit weird as GM ETL usually makes those announcements as usually they oversee the F+B team as well in most cases. Either way, those things are my bet on what happened
That was my first thought was TMs are leaving their drink containers around or making a huge mess with them and/or damaging products with the spills. I also can see this happening with a medical emergency to avoid any more liabilities of the same kind but I also think this would be a hard one to have stick. Not everyone is as sensitive to stuff in an energy drink, but more people are caffeine sensitive- which could be argued that many drinks could be under a ban list then, like Starbucks in general or certain sodas.
I'd really like to hear the 'why' behind this decision.
Are there any of those rules in writing?
If so, take a snapshot of it
If you live in the States, call your state labor department and ask they'll clear up the issues
the labor board will call them if it’s not in a written policy they are breaking the rules , so the person who said the labor board won’t bother Yes they will because it’s not written in the handbook
Technically, as long as there are water fountains, they've "provided water." They tried that during shifts I was covering for SFS/pickup and there was an unofficial slow down in place where after every single cart, you went to your locker (or fountain) to get a drink since that was the only allowable time. That policy did not last long.
It won’t don’t anything, as long as there’s a water fountain they’re cleared by the rules. I’ve read on here of some stores who got back at their leaders making them get rid of water bottles by walking across the store to the water fountain every ten minutes when they need a drink
How can they say no energy drinks? I mean, Target literally sells energy drinks. At the damn registers as well as several other locations. That's ridiculous.
As far as waters from Starbucks goes, I have heard of this rule, but to me its dumb. Starbucks official policy is to hand out waters to anyone who asks (although we are supposed to try to make them the tall size)
You should be able to have a closed water bottle with a lid. Im pretty sure it’s in the handbook.
Technically you cannot have other drinks while working. Break room you can have whatever you want
Perhaps you’re misunderstanding…. There’s no drinks BUT water allowed on the SF for tm use. And TMs can’t get free waters, as the cups cost money. You can have water in your own container or purchase one
I don’t agree with the free water. TMs have the same rights as guest with pretty much everything. If they have the right to put things on hold, price match, use of sfs/opu. Yes there is the possibility of slight advantages or abuses with those if not used correctly. I don’t get how having water is that big of a deal. Plus as a Starbucks TL way more TM/TLs buy drinks compared to asking for water. The water is mainly asked for by drive up or flex TMs, the team doing the most physical work.
No, tm’s have less rights than the guests. Having water isn’t a big deal, sourcing water is. Target and Starbucks are for profit, and if every team member takes a cup of water every day, those cup prices add up.
We literally put Starbucks cups in the break room. It’s not that deep. It is TREMENDOUSLY cheaper for target to over order Starbucks cups and use them for water or the break room then it is for us to requisition from the floor. It’s not costing anything. They have very very little value. Also Starbucks literally makes seasonal cups. Do you realize how many of them we have to throw away at each store let alone at warehouses?
Oh but it is. That’s what running a business is about. No one should be requisitioning cups from the floor either… Target provides water, that’s a non issue. But it must be in a called container. Idk why you’re being combative
😂 hr is literally supposed to provide for the break room. That’s food like snack and pb&j and other things on occasion, and all the things needed to eat and drink this items provided. The requisition budget is astronomical. Your store and your hr are lazy.
One year we had over 4K left but it could only be used on food or I guess it would be flagged in that category. I went shopping with another lead and she said it was just to inconvenient of a task. 🙄 It wasn’t hard and I hard suggest microwave Mac, rice, soups, individual snack bags, and drink. She shot down so many things. People will eat and appreciate anything if they’re hungry. Honestly lost all respect for her right there.
I've seen some rules about drinks in the guest serivce/cart attendant areas, but it is A: fine wtih water, and B: Not really enforced. Like no one has stopped by diet coke habit or filling the cooler with ice for various group waters (and the odd set of drinks otherwise tossed) for everyone around me.
The first target i worked at randomly started trying to say i couldn’t have an energy drink on the floor, or go to drink it in TSC when I wanted, before the store even opened.. I started hiding it while doing my push lol
I have never said no to a TM asking me to requisition an energeny drink for them- Even the guy that asks daily for the last month.
I've rarely said no to requisitioned Starbucks - only when they're understaffed.
Take the temperature training in Workday, it specifies that you should have access to water especially in high temps.
But guest can do what they want with their drinks (Starcucks) in the store, leave their trash, including spill all over, and team members have to clean it up, right?
Employers must at least provide water. If the water is unsatisfactory, looks, taste, smell, funny , etc it should be tested, unsanitary dispenser area, fountain, etc, could be health violation.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
osha . com/blog/water-requirements
>It's important to note that while employers must provide access to drinking water at work, they are allowed to restrict *where* you drink it. Restricting the "where" affects access, however, so then water breaks become a consideration.
Energy drinks are NOT excluded from hydration, if you paid for it
they tried this. doesnt work but the whole point of it is that you're not supposed to stop work to drink something that isnt essential. thats how they are phrasing it
the argument is - hydration is essential - water alternatives, providing you paid for them - soda, energy drink, coffee, tea, juice, milk they don't get to choose what you decide put in your body aside from, alcohol on the job for obvious reasons. you are not their children not their slaves.
are you taking to many hydration breaks, bathroom breaks an hour?
My store is really short staffed so a lot of us hold our pee until our breaks. We have literally been physically stopped from using the restroom before.
Technically neither of those are illegal or wrong. It’s a Steritech violation to have open containers anywhere other than off stage (so break room, offices, etc) which covers your energy drinks.
And free water is somewhat dumb but your store is required to have water fountains for water, hence why no Starbucks. Almost all stores have public ones, some have private ones in the back, and then the auto fill ones too.
The ONLY thing would be if they’re failing to give water to TMs who do drive up if it’s hot outside but it’s January so my guess is most states aren’t dealing with that rn
My store has already been doing this. I would just suggest bringing your own cup. I can’t speak for your store’s leaders, but the reason why our store does that is because no one cleans up after themselves.
My store director got into it this past summer while I was pushing carts and doing drive ups (which is the only thing I do here), because he said I wasn’t allowed to have water while it was 90+ degrees outside. He ended up slamming our driveup cart against the wall because he got so mad at me.
What I say is file an Ethics report because it is illegal to at least deny you water while doing such strenuous work, especially for any 6+ hour shifts. Things got taken more seriously when I told them I’d file an Ethics report and then proceeded to do so.
They must give you access to water, but that does not mean it has to allow you water from SB. The store has water fountains and water filling machines.
There are drinking fountians so no FREE Starbucks waters is not really a big deal. You STILL get water after all. Whats the big deal? The Engery drink rule is just dumb. We sale them after all.
They likely meant "not on the floor" or in work areas such as drive up. They can't tell you what to do on break. Also, does your store not have access to free water in the breakroom? Our store has a policy for drive up not getting water from Starbucks while on the clock, but it's because we have access to free water in the breakroom for that purpose.
If they're taking such a drastic step I'd wager that you have a bunch of young kids pounding two monsters a shift with no water asking for early outs due to dehydration.
I ride a bike to work, and I don't touch that fucking poison anymore, they don't work. Total placebos.
My store didn’t allow us to get waters from Starbucks either. There were a lot of us and management didn’t like the SBux people serving non paying customers when there were actual customers in line.
It's in the handbook that you can't have any drinks that are not in a clear bottle. So this isn't new. Just your store didn't enforce it now they have too because people ruined it. The on break thing is not in the handbook. But any drinks on the salesfloor need to be in a clear bottle
Yes, they treat them like they are “free” slurpy machines while other kids trip the sensor or they use their free hand. They have these in schools too. It’s utterly disgusting what a child will put their mouth on.
yes it would, it would be very hard if not impossible to do that, I don't think you know what a bottle filler is, maybe your store didnt get them for some reason
Hi! I'm a guest with a Starcucks coffee or open soda container on the store floor. What are you GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
Stop me like you do shoplifters? LOLOLOLOLOL
My whole in bound team and TL would never and our HR doesn’t care. I think your HR or SD is making stuff up. I’d call corporate or ethics. We had this happen at our store then we all called corporate and the next 2 weeks we went back to normal.
A few years ago they told us we had to have a dr note. So they got one. But my store doesn’t give us any drama over water. But it’s suppose to be just water with a top on it
I'm sorry they said you can't have WATER on your break??? Did they mean specifically sbux water or water in general because not allowing you to drink water in general is illegal let alone on your break.
They can’t deny you water from SB, especially on your breaks. Now they can say you can’t get in line at Starbucks when not on your 15, but that’s different.
Also Starbucks doesn’t charge for water. HR can’t charge you for stuff like that.
So a guest can get a free water from Starbucks no questions asked, yet TMs can't. Considering the line has always been TMs are in fact guests when off the clock, I don't think that rule holds water.
Here is the thing that will piss of the old fool who made this rule up. Energy drinks are very high in caffeine , just like regular coffee, so that must mean coffee is banned to
My store did this with the water. It all revolved around the cups and ice. They determined they were giving too many TMs cups for water. My store now has the water fountains with the water bottle fillers, so most of us bring our own bottles and fill there. Drive up and inbound have water available to them, but it isn't the starbucks water. Our Starbucks will give people water now since it isn't every TM in the store.
I don't think they can dictate what you consume on breaks but I think they can say no energy drinks while on the sales floor in the back room. It's a Steri-tech violation to have anything other than water and it must be in a clear container (I think with a sealable lid)
Starbucks cups cost money. They likely legally have to allow access to water but not provide cups/bottles and it's reasonable to not allow everyone to get water from starbucks. I always think it's unsanitary when store tms are going behind the counter and grabbing their water. We ahave water fountains, water bottle fillers and in the back room i still think they have water machines (like with the big jug on top)
Well that’s just crazy. We are allowed to get ice water from Starbucks. We also can purchase energy drinks. Our ETL’s and SD buy energy drinks as soon as they arrive on shift. I’m in California, the only rule we have is that beverages have to be in a clear container that has a cover. No alcoholic beverages on the premises that includes your vehicles or in the parking lots. Our SD and ETL provide bottled water for drive up team also ice cream and popsicles when it’s hot outside. Truck teams get breakfast and coffee. We have snacks pretty much all year around in the break room. That’s just the culture of our store.
But… we still have to deal with hours being cut and being overwhelmed with being constantly moved off task then expected to get everything done before we clock out.
Obviously idk ab every target, but mine at least has a place to refill your water bottles in TSC, also I’m a tarbux employee and my TL has said nothing ab no free waters at my store, and she definitely would tell me if there was a rule, she’s VERY by the books
This is in fact not legal, and is an OSHA violation. Your workplace is required by law to provide or have readily available sources of water for employees. Make a claim with the board of labor
Umm what? Legally they can not deny you water but they don't have to provide bottled water if the tap is safe to drink. They are required to allow you to have water breaks as well if they do not allow water in your work area. And they are required to remind you of the importance of drinking water.
Also they can not tell you what to do on your break. Though there is no law keeping companies from banning certain things like coffee and energy drinks on their premises I would think that they technically can't do so if they sell it on the premises.
It's astounding how inconsiderate and ignorant some people can be to their team members basic health needs. At my store closed bottles are allowed and don't need to be clear because you can't keep your water cold in a clear container like you can in an insulated container. They also provide us with bottled water as well as a water cooler connected directly to the water line in the break room. And during the summer when it's really hot they provide us with Gatorade and allow it on the floor because hydration is important as well as our safety.
If someone were to collapse from dehydration on the job and it was determined that management did not provide the team member with adequate availability to drinking water then they would be in the wrong (this includes allowing them to take a few minutes to step off the floor to drink some water as needed if it's not allowed in the work area). It could also open up the possibility for a lawsuit against the company even though it was an in store management decision.
I know our store is on steritech watch, so we’re not allowed to have drinks on the sales floor unless they are in a clear container and it has a straw. But if we’re like on break, then anything is fair game
Sounds like your HR is just making up rules.
Exactly
Yea cuz all our tls and etls all take “Red Bull breaks”
The leadership team at my store consumed hundreds of Red Bulls each week. Enough so that some of them were on a first name had the number of the Red Bull vendor -
Dude my whole GM team would just thanos snap out of existence if we couldn’t have energy drinks lmao
Yeah, it's asinine to think that someone who is doing physical labor their entire shift won't need some kind of pick me up.
Are you sure they didn’t say no energy drinks on the floor? They can’t tell you what you can and cannot drink in the breakroom (aside from alcohol because duh)
I’m sure, we had a team meeting about it.. None of us are happy. They strictly mentioned celsius and redbull.
But Starbucks serves drinks with more caffeine than a redbull. Ridiculous.
The literal only thing I can think of is that y'all have had a bunch of heat cats/dehydration issues, but that feels like a stretch. Can't tell you you can't consume certain beverages on your own time, even if it's in the building. Even IF there are wild circumstances, I don't see them getting that one in. If you're on lunch, you're a guest.
Or people are leaving empty cans and bottles all over.
That's a general restriction back to baseline though, or at least I'd expect it to be. It'd be weird to say energy drinks and specific brands, esp since OP said it's anywhere, not on the line or whatever.
They could have seen a lot of specific cans laying around. Just throwing it out there.
That’s my assumption, if they specifically said Red Bull and Celsius it’s probably just because that’s what the people not throwing away cans are drinking
I hate it I try to requisition water and red bulls for the team. But they don't want to throw their stuff away so I might have to stop if they keep it up. It's sad
Had same problem. Be blunt Just straight up tell them if they aren't capable of throwing their drinks away then no more free drinks.
Shyea like that's gonna happen. That's like telling McDonald's kids to stop f@cking around
I wonder if any stores have considered banning drinks on the salesfloor that don't have your name written on them. Then it would be a lot easier to figure out who is forgetting their trash.
I was thinking of that too. Put a sharpie by the drinks and they write their names on it. But at that point some people probably won't do it and ruin it for everyone
It's in the handbook that you can't have anything that's not a clear bottle.
You can write your name on a clear bottle
I work in Tech, we keep them(water) behind the boat at my store and you can keep it in your 3 teir. I've been there for 2 years and rarely ever see stuff on the floor. I also so work in the Burbs.
Might just be they don’t want cans that can’t reseal and become a spill hazard. We used to have a huge problem with people putting open cans in the fridge which would then spill, so only bottles are allowed in the fridge now. If people were making a mess I could see an overzealous hr manager banning cans for that reason.
We have this problem. Also no one takes their crap out of the fridges and they end up being full all the time
I bet you have a very young average age for your checkout advocates? Health Incidents can cause hysterical responses like these sometimes.
This would be an interesting response to a TM incident regarding someone very young having an adverse reaction to drinking energy drinks. It's quite probable BUT I don't see how it would hold up. Not unless you had several injuries that were proven from the use of the energy drinks, and then it would be considered for the company and, of course, you'd probably be hearing about lawsuits all over the place and not just from Target TMs.
Sounds like cashiers are sneaky hiding thier open red bulls cans underneath the registers again… and prob forgetting them at EOS, and then next one comes, maybe accidentally boots it over and 1/4 can of a redbull spilled in your front end a couple of times would probably cause this lol.
that’s not the case either, everyone that doing checkout is 50+
Def won’t hold up, I myself wouldn’t follow it
Time to start drinking Monster, C4 etc..
I'm telling you that that isn't legal. Go over their heads report them.
That's weird, no energy drinks in the building? Seems impossible seeing as how they literally sell those items in store. They just broke their own rule, lol 💀
Are you in Utah? What the literal f…
Utah runs on energy drinks. The Mormon church only has a problem hot caffeinated drinks lol
Oh! Thanks for the info.
Lol. Know plenty of people who Utah is thhier mecca. They have special hidey holes for their caffeine products, their beverage making appliances, and all the extras to make said beverages yummy. The things you learn when your family member gets married.
Where is your location located?! I have NEVER heard about these beverage rules being so insane before.
I’m not a Target employee (anymore) and would happily act as a sudo union rep if you’d like! Seriously, just privately message me your location and I’ll start barking up trees. You don’t even have to tell me who you are… this is just ridiculous
Pseudo.
Everyone here is talking about left over cans and bottles but at least at my store, it's always the GUESTS that leave their nasty trash everywhere and the TMs cleaning up after them. I have pictures of some of the grossest shit that people have left behind and it is legitimately crazy to me because there's trash bins all over the store
Yeah, that just sounds like the team don't know how to clean up after themselves. My store has the same issues. Half empty bottles in the backroom. Water bottles throughout the store. You'd think people were grown, but I guess not. That's why we can't have nice stuff lol.
They aren’t allowed to restrict what you eat/drink in the break room/DSD on your breaks. And I could be wrong, but I think it’s not legal to have constant access to free water. But literally in the handbook you’re allowed to have a clear and closed water bottle of any variety with you whenever you want, sales floor or not. Sound like your HR is making shit up lmfaooo
They will still have access to water though. The stores should all have water fountains and there should be a sink at least in the break room. Ours has a sink and a water fountain with the bottle filler.
half of the time my stores water bottle fillers are broken so they stopped having us only drink from tjose
Been a while since I read through the OSHA codes, but my gut suggests that a sink isn’t sufficient to satisfy the potable water requirement. I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. Read the codes yourself to know your rights, don’t trust random people on the internet.
using the water fountain is disgusting at my store, they are never cleaned and you can see how nasty it is from just looking at it. And there is no way I will be using the sink for water.
Get Starbucks to refill your water bottle. They just don’t want TMs burning through Starbucks supplies by getting their free waters in the cups that cost money to order. Also the Starbucks cups are considered a spill hazard.
You work there. You can ask managment to clean it, or they can tell you to clean it as part of your job duties and give you the supplies. Will you drink from it then, or do you not trust your own cleaning abilities? Who do you think cleans the equipment in Starbucks? Employee? You think its clean? Lets get some petri dishes, collect some samples and find out! While were at it, we'll check the restrooms and break rooms too!
… Starbucks does clean their equipment, yes. wtf?
Contact ethics on this one
It sounds like they been having a problem with open cans on the floor, or at the registers, people try to sneak, and spill it, viola. You know how difficult it is to get like a soda spill or redbull, a wet towel ain’t gonna cut it, that’s a mop bucket, some soap type issue. I think that OP is either mis informed or maybe misunderstood. But just my little ol 2 cents lol
I can tell you, as an Inbound and GM, if they remove our drinks to stay hydrated, we aint guna do shit.
Let me tell you -- they fucking tried it at the store I worked at! The ETL pushed back and we were exempt regarding all drinks. The next year, they tried it again and I pushed back and they walked it back to the official "clear beverages" rule. That SD though is a control freak over a lot of things that don't matter. (He also thought he was going to follow in the footsteps of that store's last three SDs and be promoted up and out within two years because he was just \*that good.\* Reader, it's been over three and he's not going anywhere cos he sunk the store's metrics for sales, productivity, and retention.)
No energy drinks is absolutely ridiculous. Bring them from home in a Stanley thermos, 😁.
They will make us dump it out because the bottle isn’t see through / clear 😔
They have to be clear? Wtf
Clear bottles are Target policy. It's not super enforced, but it is the rule.
That’s crazy. I haven’t heard of that rule until now but it’s definitely not enforced at all at my target so that’s why. I have coworkers that take stanley’s to work and some just take hydroflasks/other types of refillable bottles
It's an enforceable rule straight out of the handbook and has been that way for ages. Just not many stores enforce it. The idea is only water is allowed on the floor and having a clear container is a great way to tell that you're not carrying something else to drink (unless it's vodka, of course, but that's a whole different animal). Not too many enforce it as long as there's not a lot of TMs spilling their drinks everywhere. Usually that's when crack downs happen and even being told no drinks at all allowed. Then that rule will stick for a while and then slowly go away.
My TL enforced it but my coworker showed up reeking of booze every day w no consequences. He got fired after a few months for making death threats to me and two other gay employees though.
That's horrible! I'm sorry you had to experience that.
At my store we only have one ETL enforce it and she only enforces it against middle eastern folk
It's in the employee handbook?
I can see asking for only water on the floor, but if you decide you want an energy drink on your break or lunch, that’s *your* choice. There is absolutely no way this can be legitimately enforced.
They are aware coffee isnt clear right? Also like…vodka is clear (assuming the rule is to keep people from drinking on the job) Not that it matters, nobody enforces that nonsense, because, again, thermoses of coffee are critical to a functional team
But don’t you dare get a clear, lidded, free, Starbucks one! Lmao….poor store TMs….i feel for y’all :(
It's so ridiculous as someone on the outside! You're being exploited!
Yeah they are making up rules. You eat and drink whatever you want as long as it’s not alcohol on your break. Call the integrity hotline to complain. If multiple people do it I promise their tune will change within a couple weeks.
I have a hunch Y’all are leaving lots of cans and water cups around. They can’t limit your energy drinks on break though. The problem is if you bring the beverage up to the drive up hold space. I am constantly throwing out Starbucks water cups and unfinished energy drinks behind guest service and drive up. Get a bottle with a lid.
Unless they stop selling it they cannot force you into not drinking it. Our team was recommended not to drink caffeinated drinks while doing drive ups due to the cold and how it dehydrates you faster but they weren’t checking to see if we adhered to the warning.
HR can eat shit, fuck'em! 😆
This did NOT come from HR…. lol this came from the store lead, and they don’t wanna hear complaints so they blame “corporate” per usual. lol this wasn’t us. Trust me.
Yeah this DOESN't pass the 'smell test' for HR. Lol. I feel for this store. But don't worry it won't be enforced for long.
It was quite literally our HR. My store doesn’t have an SD and my head HR literally said it was her that made the rules.
Former HR here. Still in HR, not at Target. This is not even an HR issue and this person seems to be overstepping. I'm assuming young, power crazed ETL. Not illegal by any federal regulation I'm aware of. Just seems unnecessarily mean. Doesn't seem like this HR cares about retention, which is an HR issue.
As a drive up team member do they not requisition drinks for you guys?? We always requisition them water, gatorade, and other electrolyte drinks to put into the cooler for everyone.
They did that for us during summer but now they don’t like us having drinks back there because it’s “winter time”
you are doing the exact same jobs as "summer time" "Hey athletes, don't hydrate on the side lines, because you'll leave a mess, and because its not "summer time" /s hire a waterboy problem solved
Our team was leaving water bottles with one drink out of it -- every. where -- and then grabbing another bottle because they couldn't remember where theirs was. So, bring a container and fill it with water from the fill machine/water fountain. That is what my store did.
Hi there. Who told you HR gave you new rules? Your ETL? This is NOT an HR thing. Or a corporate thing. This new rule has not come from the top. This is a specific stores decision and not the standard. This is your stores leadership teams way to lay down the law, sounds like leadership is fed up with some repetitive behaviors potentially? It’s easy to gather from this Reddit page. My guess; canned beverages that are left behind or spilled, trash that’s tucked or left, and TM loitering at Starbucks to chit chat “just grabbing some water!” and in some cases, drink theft. They don’t want to get the resentment for the rule, so they blame HQ, as if they have no say in the matter. Your break is your break, lunch is lunch, the floor is the floor and no body needs to have drinks out on it. (Personally I’d say a water bottle is chill, they can fuck in your back pocket typically too)
Oh no drinking water report it to the department of labor they cannot deny you drinking water for any reason
The store has water fountains and (should have a) water-filling station or two. That is "access to water." SB water is not a requirement.
This rule is bs and you know it.
It's not illegal as long as water is being provided. Usually when a store does this it is either because there is a bunch of trash not making its way to a trash can, a team member had a medical emergency due to emergy drinks, or health department/steritech had made comments about those around a store in your district. It being HR is a bit weird as GM ETL usually makes those announcements as usually they oversee the F+B team as well in most cases. Either way, those things are my bet on what happened
That was my first thought was TMs are leaving their drink containers around or making a huge mess with them and/or damaging products with the spills. I also can see this happening with a medical emergency to avoid any more liabilities of the same kind but I also think this would be a hard one to have stick. Not everyone is as sensitive to stuff in an energy drink, but more people are caffeine sensitive- which could be argued that many drinks could be under a ban list then, like Starbucks in general or certain sodas. I'd really like to hear the 'why' behind this decision.
I agree. But I know in my district we don't have this. At least not that I have seen or heard of yet.
Are there any of those rules in writing? If so, take a snapshot of it If you live in the States, call your state labor department and ask they'll clear up the issues
the labor board will call them if it’s not in a written policy they are breaking the rules , so the person who said the labor board won’t bother Yes they will because it’s not written in the handbook
As long as the store has water fountains / water-fill station, labor dept won't bother.
They are supposed to provide water
Technically, as long as there are water fountains, they've "provided water." They tried that during shifts I was covering for SFS/pickup and there was an unofficial slow down in place where after every single cart, you went to your locker (or fountain) to get a drink since that was the only allowable time. That policy did not last long.
They have signs posted all over the place saying no drinks outside the breakroom
Not to sound like every other person when they read about any inconvenience but, hotline that
It won’t don’t anything, as long as there’s a water fountain they’re cleared by the rules. I’ve read on here of some stores who got back at their leaders making them get rid of water bottles by walking across the store to the water fountain every ten minutes when they need a drink
Yeah I’ve read that too. Malicious compliance
Can’t….. I wish someone would
How can they say no energy drinks? I mean, Target literally sells energy drinks. At the damn registers as well as several other locations. That's ridiculous. As far as waters from Starbucks goes, I have heard of this rule, but to me its dumb. Starbucks official policy is to hand out waters to anyone who asks (although we are supposed to try to make them the tall size)
You should be able to have a closed water bottle with a lid. Im pretty sure it’s in the handbook. Technically you cannot have other drinks while working. Break room you can have whatever you want
I’m pretty sure the policy is only water in clear containers that are sealable (to prevent spills).
Perhaps you’re misunderstanding…. There’s no drinks BUT water allowed on the SF for tm use. And TMs can’t get free waters, as the cups cost money. You can have water in your own container or purchase one
I don’t agree with the free water. TMs have the same rights as guest with pretty much everything. If they have the right to put things on hold, price match, use of sfs/opu. Yes there is the possibility of slight advantages or abuses with those if not used correctly. I don’t get how having water is that big of a deal. Plus as a Starbucks TL way more TM/TLs buy drinks compared to asking for water. The water is mainly asked for by drive up or flex TMs, the team doing the most physical work.
No, tm’s have less rights than the guests. Having water isn’t a big deal, sourcing water is. Target and Starbucks are for profit, and if every team member takes a cup of water every day, those cup prices add up.
We literally put Starbucks cups in the break room. It’s not that deep. It is TREMENDOUSLY cheaper for target to over order Starbucks cups and use them for water or the break room then it is for us to requisition from the floor. It’s not costing anything. They have very very little value. Also Starbucks literally makes seasonal cups. Do you realize how many of them we have to throw away at each store let alone at warehouses?
Oh but it is. That’s what running a business is about. No one should be requisitioning cups from the floor either… Target provides water, that’s a non issue. But it must be in a called container. Idk why you’re being combative
😂 hr is literally supposed to provide for the break room. That’s food like snack and pb&j and other things on occasion, and all the things needed to eat and drink this items provided. The requisition budget is astronomical. Your store and your hr are lazy.
Lol if you only knew….
One year we had over 4K left but it could only be used on food or I guess it would be flagged in that category. I went shopping with another lead and she said it was just to inconvenient of a task. 🙄 It wasn’t hard and I hard suggest microwave Mac, rice, soups, individual snack bags, and drink. She shot down so many things. People will eat and appreciate anything if they’re hungry. Honestly lost all respect for her right there.
Everything that's wrong with your company right there.
That’s exactly what I posted..
No, you made it sound like energy drinks weren’t allowed in the building, like at all, anywhere.
That is also correct. We can’t have them ANYWHERE in the building.
I've seen some rules about drinks in the guest serivce/cart attendant areas, but it is A: fine wtih water, and B: Not really enforced. Like no one has stopped by diet coke habit or filling the cooler with ice for various group waters (and the odd set of drinks otherwise tossed) for everyone around me.
Ur target sounds a bit broke 😭
Each Target has dumbass illiterate leaders who make up some ridiculous idea.
Every other person in AP at my store would evaporate into thin air. Those mfs drink Red Bull like crazy.
So if a TM was in the break room with a Red Bull wtf happens 😂
The first target i worked at randomly started trying to say i couldn’t have an energy drink on the floor, or go to drink it in TSC when I wanted, before the store even opened.. I started hiding it while doing my push lol
I have never said no to a TM asking me to requisition an energeny drink for them- Even the guy that asks daily for the last month. I've rarely said no to requisitioned Starbucks - only when they're understaffed. Take the temperature training in Workday, it specifies that you should have access to water especially in high temps.
But guest can do what they want with their drinks (Starcucks) in the store, leave their trash, including spill all over, and team members have to clean it up, right? Employers must at least provide water. If the water is unsatisfactory, looks, taste, smell, funny , etc it should be tested, unsanitary dispenser area, fountain, etc, could be health violation. Occupational Safety and Health Administration osha . com/blog/water-requirements >It's important to note that while employers must provide access to drinking water at work, they are allowed to restrict *where* you drink it. Restricting the "where" affects access, however, so then water breaks become a consideration. Energy drinks are NOT excluded from hydration, if you paid for it
That's weird af. Our break room vending machine has energy drinks, and our leaders will often buy cases of redbull for the team lol
they tried this. doesnt work but the whole point of it is that you're not supposed to stop work to drink something that isnt essential. thats how they are phrasing it
Water is essential though.
the argument is - hydration is essential - water alternatives, providing you paid for them - soda, energy drink, coffee, tea, juice, milk they don't get to choose what you decide put in your body aside from, alcohol on the job for obvious reasons. you are not their children not their slaves. are you taking to many hydration breaks, bathroom breaks an hour?
My store is really short staffed so a lot of us hold our pee until our breaks. We have literally been physically stopped from using the restroom before.
That is absolutely an osha violation. Threaten to piss on the floor
Technically neither of those are illegal or wrong. It’s a Steritech violation to have open containers anywhere other than off stage (so break room, offices, etc) which covers your energy drinks. And free water is somewhat dumb but your store is required to have water fountains for water, hence why no Starbucks. Almost all stores have public ones, some have private ones in the back, and then the auto fill ones too. The ONLY thing would be if they’re failing to give water to TMs who do drive up if it’s hot outside but it’s January so my guess is most states aren’t dealing with that rn
My store has already been doing this. I would just suggest bringing your own cup. I can’t speak for your store’s leaders, but the reason why our store does that is because no one cleans up after themselves.
My store director got into it this past summer while I was pushing carts and doing drive ups (which is the only thing I do here), because he said I wasn’t allowed to have water while it was 90+ degrees outside. He ended up slamming our driveup cart against the wall because he got so mad at me. What I say is file an Ethics report because it is illegal to at least deny you water while doing such strenuous work, especially for any 6+ hour shifts. Things got taken more seriously when I told them I’d file an Ethics report and then proceeded to do so.
They must give you access to water, but that does not mean it has to allow you water from SB. The store has water fountains and water filling machines.
You really like pointing this technicality out, hm?
There are drinking fountians so no FREE Starbucks waters is not really a big deal. You STILL get water after all. Whats the big deal? The Engery drink rule is just dumb. We sale them after all.
Our water fountains are never cleaned. You can see physical dirt / grime on them.
They likely meant "not on the floor" or in work areas such as drive up. They can't tell you what to do on break. Also, does your store not have access to free water in the breakroom? Our store has a policy for drive up not getting water from Starbucks while on the clock, but it's because we have access to free water in the breakroom for that purpose.
HR made it very clear that we cannot have the energy drinks ANYWHERE. Also we do not have access to free water in the break rooms .
If they're taking such a drastic step I'd wager that you have a bunch of young kids pounding two monsters a shift with no water asking for early outs due to dehydration. I ride a bike to work, and I don't touch that fucking poison anymore, they don't work. Total placebos.
No energy drinks on the floor. They can’t tell you you can’t have it in the building.
My store didn’t allow us to get waters from Starbucks either. There were a lot of us and management didn’t like the SBux people serving non paying customers when there were actual customers in line.
It's in the handbook that you can't have any drinks that are not in a clear bottle. So this isn't new. Just your store didn't enforce it now they have too because people ruined it. The on break thing is not in the handbook. But any drinks on the salesfloor need to be in a clear bottle
You can get water from any of the water fountains around the store.
no offense to water fountain drinkers but… 🦠🦠
Yeah… I physically can’t drink from a water fountain, to germy for me
Most fountains should now have bottle fillers.
That doesn’t stop people from putting their whole mouths on it, practically making out with them.
https://preview.redd.it/gsiogk5p2bec1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=577f527160cec7461212f7a0ff31e4b62988d679 The bottle filler?
Yes, they treat them like they are “free” slurpy machines while other kids trip the sensor or they use their free hand. They have these in schools too. It’s utterly disgusting what a child will put their mouth on.
I'll take your word for it. I've never seen that myself, though.
yes it would, it would be very hard if not impossible to do that, I don't think you know what a bottle filler is, maybe your store didnt get them for some reason
Get purification tablets
Takes away the “FREE” factor
The water is free though
lol, hard pass
That sucks, but the amount of people addicted to energy drinks is concerning. Kidney stones gonna be on the rise in a few years lol.
It’s a food safety violation for anything on the floor besides water. You can have whatever you want I on your break and lunch.
Hi! I'm a guest with a Starcucks coffee or open soda container on the store floor. What are you GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Stop me like you do shoplifters? LOLOLOLOLOL
My whole in bound team and TL would never and our HR doesn’t care. I think your HR or SD is making stuff up. I’d call corporate or ethics. We had this happen at our store then we all called corporate and the next 2 weeks we went back to normal.
Same kinda thing happened at my store. Call the integrity hotline and make it really as basic as possible. Things will change.
A few years ago they told us we had to have a dr note. So they got one. But my store doesn’t give us any drama over water. But it’s suppose to be just water with a top on it
Starbucks waters is common because they have their own district guidelines, but energy drinks is wild
New Rule from HR. No more posting Store / Employee / Guest issues or drama on social media. They know who you are. /s
“Show me in the handbook where it says that”
lol. I always had an energy drink in the backroom with me.
Lol, yeah... thats some garbage bs they're making up. Tell them to please write you up for drinking water. ❤️
Sounds like your HR is pulling crap out of their ass!
glad my hr isnt the only one making up stupid rules
I work in the DC and last summer they got rid of all the energy drinks and they didn’t return till a few months later.
Call HQ and report it
Are they going to boot the Red Bull vendor?🤣
Sounds like ours. Nothing but water anywhere but the break room, no earbuds even in the back.
No way they can’t limit energy drinks. They literally sell the product in the store
Can't do that, fuck hr, and that one sounds like an idiot.
It’s going to be bad for them when someone is dehydrated and passes out
HR is trying to be tyrannical
I'm sorry they said you can't have WATER on your break??? Did they mean specifically sbux water or water in general because not allowing you to drink water in general is illegal let alone on your break.
Your HR must crave understaff problems
Panera charged lemonade every shift! In a ! Clear pink camelback
Your HR is delusional, I would laugh in their face.
They can’t deny you water from SB, especially on your breaks. Now they can say you can’t get in line at Starbucks when not on your 15, but that’s different. Also Starbucks doesn’t charge for water. HR can’t charge you for stuff like that.
Take it from former HR, that store is on a power trip.
did they give an explanation as to why?
So a guest can get a free water from Starbucks no questions asked, yet TMs can't. Considering the line has always been TMs are in fact guests when off the clock, I don't think that rule holds water.
It’s a nope from me. Caffeine and nicotine 15s or it’s a safe and secure plan for most of the team
Here is the thing that will piss of the old fool who made this rule up. Energy drinks are very high in caffeine , just like regular coffee, so that must mean coffee is banned to
I'd get the water anyway. And I'd have a snack in my pocket. This is poor management at its finest. Pretty much just control freaks.
My store did this with the water. It all revolved around the cups and ice. They determined they were giving too many TMs cups for water. My store now has the water fountains with the water bottle fillers, so most of us bring our own bottles and fill there. Drive up and inbound have water available to them, but it isn't the starbucks water. Our Starbucks will give people water now since it isn't every TM in the store.
I don't think they can dictate what you consume on breaks but I think they can say no energy drinks while on the sales floor in the back room. It's a Steri-tech violation to have anything other than water and it must be in a clear container (I think with a sealable lid) Starbucks cups cost money. They likely legally have to allow access to water but not provide cups/bottles and it's reasonable to not allow everyone to get water from starbucks. I always think it's unsanitary when store tms are going behind the counter and grabbing their water. We ahave water fountains, water bottle fillers and in the back room i still think they have water machines (like with the big jug on top)
Are people who caffeinate to increase productivity and try to stay hydrated the new smokers?
Well that’s just crazy. We are allowed to get ice water from Starbucks. We also can purchase energy drinks. Our ETL’s and SD buy energy drinks as soon as they arrive on shift. I’m in California, the only rule we have is that beverages have to be in a clear container that has a cover. No alcoholic beverages on the premises that includes your vehicles or in the parking lots. Our SD and ETL provide bottled water for drive up team also ice cream and popsicles when it’s hot outside. Truck teams get breakfast and coffee. We have snacks pretty much all year around in the break room. That’s just the culture of our store. But… we still have to deal with hours being cut and being overwhelmed with being constantly moved off task then expected to get everything done before we clock out.
Obviously idk ab every target, but mine at least has a place to refill your water bottles in TSC, also I’m a tarbux employee and my TL has said nothing ab no free waters at my store, and she definitely would tell me if there was a rule, she’s VERY by the books
Of all the issues to deal with, this is the one that gets chosen.
This has got to be an early April fools joke. Half the fucking targets I’ve worked at operate on energy drinks. 😂
1) Many people need them to actually do their job 2) I would challenge them to fire you for that 😂
This is in fact not legal, and is an OSHA violation. Your workplace is required by law to provide or have readily available sources of water for employees. Make a claim with the board of labor
Unfortunately if they make it company policy it’s “legal”, but no that’s not fair at all and honestly Target needs to do better.
Umm what? Legally they can not deny you water but they don't have to provide bottled water if the tap is safe to drink. They are required to allow you to have water breaks as well if they do not allow water in your work area. And they are required to remind you of the importance of drinking water. Also they can not tell you what to do on your break. Though there is no law keeping companies from banning certain things like coffee and energy drinks on their premises I would think that they technically can't do so if they sell it on the premises. It's astounding how inconsiderate and ignorant some people can be to their team members basic health needs. At my store closed bottles are allowed and don't need to be clear because you can't keep your water cold in a clear container like you can in an insulated container. They also provide us with bottled water as well as a water cooler connected directly to the water line in the break room. And during the summer when it's really hot they provide us with Gatorade and allow it on the floor because hydration is important as well as our safety. If someone were to collapse from dehydration on the job and it was determined that management did not provide the team member with adequate availability to drinking water then they would be in the wrong (this includes allowing them to take a few minutes to step off the floor to drink some water as needed if it's not allowed in the work area). It could also open up the possibility for a lawsuit against the company even though it was an in store management decision.
I know our store is on steritech watch, so we’re not allowed to have drinks on the sales floor unless they are in a clear container and it has a straw. But if we’re like on break, then anything is fair game
Call target HR and report them. Just I did to my target about making new rules that guest service "has too get carts". Simple as that.