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Thank you for your review of your time spent with us as a Guest Experiences Ambassador at Phoenix Zoo! We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the position and the benefits we have to offer.
We also appreciate your feedback regarding lunch breaks. Although we do not require our Ambassadors to take a 30-minute lunch break, work-life balance and thus, allowing time for our employees to re-energize is a top priority for our team. For this reason, the Guest Services and Experiences department implemented a procedure for Ambassadors who would like to take time away for a lunch, in addition to their two required 15-minute, paid breaks. All new hires receive this procedure during their training:
Because leaving a venue unattended to take a break is prohibited, a designated Breaker gives breaks as business dictates. If an Ambassador would like to take an unpaid 30-minute lunch, they first need to make sure that the Breaker covering their venue is aware of said request so they can adjust their break schedule. The Ambassador requesting the lunch must also clock out/in, using the “lunch out/in” options on their time clock. If they are not near a time clock, they may also notify a manager that they have taken a lunch and need to have their time card adjusted to reflect as such. The Zoo grounds are spread out across 125 acres, so it is strongly encouraged that Ambassadors bring their lunch, especially on our anticipated busy days - for which Ambassadors will receive notice, if planned.
Still, we realize that the time clock log in/out process was, at one point, a lengthy one. For this reason, Ambassadors are now only required to enter a short, personalized 4-digit code to access their time clock. This has greatly reduced the amount of time needed to clock in within the required 5 minutes.
Again, thank you for sharing your concerns about our lunch break policy. We hope that this clarification is helpful to you, especially if you choose to rejoin us next season!
