Based on my experience you should focus on: 1. Establish Clear Break Policies: Develop and communicate clear guidelines that outline the duration, frequency, and scheduling of breaks. Ensure these policies are aligned with labor laws and organizational standards. 2. Promote Fairness and Flexibility: Balance staff needs with operational demands by implementing a fair rotation system for break times. This might involve staggering breaks to maintain coverage while ensuring everyone gets their entitled rest periods. 3. Facilitate Open Communication: Encourage employees to express concerns and preferences regarding break times openly. Hold regular meetings where staff can discuss and negotiate optimal break schedules together.

"As long as we work for someone else, the company’s customers are our top priority." This is the key message. Everyone has the equal break time, but with some sort of arrangement. In retail warehouse operations (B2C), hourly productivity is critical to ensure customer orders are processed on time before the logistics pickup time. Back when I was at Blibli.com’s warehouse, I implemented staggered break schedules within the team, especially when promotion time. This approach ensured continuous hourly productivity, allowing priority orders to be processed without delay, following the FPFO (First Priority First Out) principle. Of course, this arrangement respects urgent needs and religious obligations.

Understand the root cause of the dispute and listen carefully what the people in the field are saying. Adjust the break schedule accordingly by trying to address the people’s needs without disrupting operations . Communicate the plan by clearly state the rules and ensure that everyone understands it. Apply the adjusted schedule and get feedback from the people while monitor the Operations KPIs. Repeat the cycle to fine tune the new break schedule. Measure the impact on people performance.

Resolving conflicts around break times in a warehouse setting requires balancing fairness with operational efficiency. Here’s an approach to handle this: Understand the Root Cause: Meet with each party individually to understand their concerns. Are some team members taking longer breaks? Are break times disrupting workflow? Understanding the core issue will help address specific concerns. Set Clear Guidelines Create a Break Schedule Encourage Flexibility with Coverage Use a Break Tracking System Promote Open Communication Address Consistent Issues Privately Model and Reward Team Cooperation