Safelite Solution’s business model is to keep the majority of employees at 30 hours per week. This means they do not have to pay for healthcare or benefits. This does not keep them from finding workers in an economy when most people are simply grateful to have a job. When call volume rises, they offer extra hours, which many people volunteer to work. Even if an employee picks up extra hours and is working full time, they are still categorized as parttime, thus receiving none of the benefits of being fulltime.
During the last Safelite Townhall meeting I attended, an employee brought up the point that he clocked in 5 minutes before his shift every day and this was not reflected in his paycheck. VP Brian O’mara deftly sidestepped the question and never addressed the fact that employees were not being compensated for time earned. Five minutes may not seem like much, but it quickly adds up. Not to mention the fact that Safelite determines eligibility for promotions, raises, and even time off based on a system of what are called “occurrences”. If an employee clocks in, even a second late for a shift, they are considered late. In order to avoid the possibility of being even a second late, and incurring an “occurrence”, many employees clock in a few minutes early- unknowingly donating their unpaid time to Safelite.
While I was employed at Safelite, management instituted a bathroom break rule that required employees to ask if they could use the restroom, then return to their station to log out. Later on that day, one was required to submit their bathroom times. This is totally redundant, not to mention demeaning to an adult.
My first manager was a pretty good supervisor. He encouraged critical thinking and treated me with respect. He was promoted to Assistant Call Center Manager. I have nothing positive to say about the manager who replaced him as my supervisor. She encouraged rule adherence over logic or good customer service.
There is a lack of consistency and communication between managers. Managers frequently have different procedures and protocols about how calls should be handled. This is a major issue when calls are monitored and graded. If a CSR asks one manager how to handle a situation or answer a question, and then does as instructed, and the call is graded by a different manager who has a differing opinion, the CSR will receive a poor grade. These grades determine eligibility for promotions, time off, and compensation increases.
Lest one think I am some disgruntled ex-employee who wasn’t able to adhere to the strict rules and regulations, let me clarify that I never had a personal issue with times or restroom breaks, etc., although I witnessed many people who did. Eventually, I left for another position where I felt valued and respected, something I never felt at Safelite.
I understand the need to have strict rules and standards in a large corporation, but I believe that Safelite’s business practices are unethical and demeaning to employees.
