Time Bandits
Cast members nervous about new Disneyland system
Like people at most jobs, Disneyland cast members are on the whole resistant to change. But change can be especially unnerving at a place like the Magic Kingdom, which constantly preaches traditions and markets the timeless.
Remember the mass hysteria when Disneyland switched its venerable practice of “rotations” with the computerized CDS—Cast Deployment System (“The Virtual Lead,” 12/29/00)?
Or created parkwide panic by computerizing scheduling with the GEMS—Group Employee Master Schedules (“Cast Members’ Big Secrets,” 8/13/01)?
Or nearly caused a revolt when it replaced its time-honored costuming system with FasTrack (“Costume Foolery,” 10/23/01)?
Well, there was one last remaining system hanging on from prehistoric days—ETRS, the Employee Time Recording System, which electronically records employees clock in and clock out and send the information to payroll. “ETRS,” explained one Disneyland manager, “is an antiquated and hopelessly outdated computer program created in the 1980s to track and record the hours cast members work each day, which then gets sent to payroll and creates the paychecks each week. ETRS should have been replaced 10 years ago, but it was just so ingrained in every process Disneyland uses that it hung on for far too long.”
Several years ago, the Human Resources department formed a task force to find a better system to replace ETRS, one that better integrated with GEMS and CDS. Cast members must have known a change was coming soon as, over the past five months, over 100 time clocks began mysteriously appearing in almost every backstage work station, particularly in breakrooms and building lobbies.
For about the past 20 years, most cast members have had to “clock in” only as they arrived at and exited the park through an employee entrance. For the vast majority of workers that place is the check-in point called Harbour Pointe, located near the old Harbor House entry gate that was used in prior decades. Cast members scan their ID card, then walk to their work location and report for duty, usually with a lead or manager. Attractions employees also have to check in for their assignments, breaks and lunch with a CDS terminal. But most everyone else—custodial, foods, merchandise, guest relations, maintenance, security, and so on—was largely on the honor system.
That’s put Disney in a tenuous position, ever since a California law was passed in 2001 requiring employers to give a 30-minute, unpaid lunch break to anyone working at least six hours. It’s not that Disney doesn’t want to give the breaks; the company has rarely insisted employees work through their lunch period. It’s that, to protect themselves legally, they’ve got to be able to prove it.
Employees who do not receive their mandatory time off can sue for one-hour’s pay for every lunch break missed. In court, the entire burden of proving someone did receive a particular break falls on the employer. In the last few years, dozens of class-action suits have been filed against ill-prepared employers. And, six weeks ago, a jury awarded thousands of California Wal-Mart employees $172 million for not getting lunch breaks.
Under Disneyland’s new Accurate Time and Attendance system, cast members will still scan their ID cards to gain access to the park, but then also have to clock in once they reach their work station, and again when they go on and return from their lunch break. The first phase—clocking in and out for lunch—goes into effect February 19. A new system to formally assign and track the breaks will replace ETRS in April.
Workbrain is the name of the Atlanta-based company providing the scheduling and tracking software, although many cast members are referring to the entire new system as “Workbrain Time Recording,” perhaps because “Workbrain” sounds somewhat nefarious, like some evil scheme cooked up behind closed doors in the Team Disney Anaheim building.
Certainly many cast members see the added tasks as a further inconvenience. But the ones who will really have their schedules turned inside out are those who have been gaming the system.
Imagine a hypothetical cashier scheduled to work a 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. shift at the Plaza Inn. She gets to the park to swipe her card exactly at 9:00, but that’s still at the perimeter of the park; she still has to walk to the Plaza Inn, and she takes her time about it. As long as she doesn’t arrive egregiously late, her lead lets it pass. She also may take a few extra minutes for lunch or breaks. Although she’s set to work until 5:30, she’s released at least 20 minutes early. The time clock at Harbour Pointe will actually let her check out as early as 5:10. The extra “walk time” is intended for employees to use to walk to their car and possibly exchange their uniform.
[In earlier years, employees received just 15 minutes of “dress time” to change into their street clothes and return their costume, but the construction of Disney’s California Adventure—and resultant loss of the prime employee parking lot—helped the unions negotiate the extra five minutes and striking down the rule of making employees wait until the buffer time ended before they clocked out.]
It’s quite common to see groups of cast members, usually ride operators who’ve gotten a lucky bump from the CDS computer system, hovering around the exit clocks, waiting for the digital readout to reach the beginning of their walk time. Within seconds, they’re on a shuttle or hurrying to their cars to make sure they’re on the freeway driving home even before their shifts have officially ended.
Beginning Sunday, our hypothetical hostess will have to be inside the Plaza Inn no later than 9:00. The computer at the Plaza Inn will allow her to clock in for her shift up to five minutes early, but one minute late and she’ll automatically be flagged as tardy. Same thing with lunch. Same thing when she leaves her workstation for the day.
Old-timers may dread the change because they’ve been using the old system for so long. But it may be an even bigger eye-opener for cast members hired within the last five years, who may feel entitled to the extra 20 minutes of paid time at the end of each day and have no idea that they are supposed to be using it to visit Costuming and prepare for their next shift.
Many cast members realize the new system may cut into their “travel time.” Some are fearful that the human element is being removed from the process. An understanding lead may have let pass a cast member running a minute late because he was stopped by a needy guest.
Some cast members said they received little reassurance from their managers, who were “extremely confident” the new system will work, despite being “barely able to answer half the cast members’ questions.”
Others were critical of the 16-page manual distributed to each cast member. “The language was like they lifted it right out of the state or federal manuals on work regulations,” said one employee. “The booklet does not mention about possible disciplinary action for constantly clocking earlier than five minutes before or after five minutes at shifts end. ‘Consistency’ and ‘ask your lead/manager’ are sprawled throughout the text. The quote on the cover: ‘Most recently, we implemented consistent procedures for attendance and scheduling, while setting and communicating Cast Member expectations. We have seen very POSITIVE RESULTS from your efforts. Over the recent holiday period, YOU were clearly committed to working your scheduled shifts, resulting in a better experience for both Guests and Cast Members.’ Someone must have serious delusions. You know of all the conflicts that went on during the holiday season with the cast member shortages.”
Granted, the timing does seem a little awkward. Disney’s tightening of its attendance and discipline requirements last year threw staffing into a tizzy, and now another clamp down begins a month before a major labor contract expires amid increasing calls for a strike.
“The changes are certainly notable, but nothing really draconian or unconventional,” a manager insisted. “The bottom line is, as long as you are on time and ready to work, there won’t be a single problem for you. But if you’re used to skirting around the rules, playing your lead against the time clock, and driving home while still officially ‘on the clock’ during your 20-minute walk time, then this will be bad news for you.”
Black Marks
Another problem cropping up behind the scenes is the increase in backstage graffiti. Windows, restroom mirrors, benches, and tables have all received unauthorized etchings.
Cast members alternately place the blame at low morale, too much turnover, and a lower caliber of employee being hired. One employee said he believes the graffiti “is directly related to the hiring practices of the resort. When the resort paid good wages, and were fussy on who they hired, we did not have these problems. But since we are hiring anybody that is breathing, this ugliness has shown up.”
Frontierland Ice Cream Parlor
The menu at the Golden Horseshoe is supposed to be undergoing a change in the near future. According to one source, out will be the fried food options prepared by the adjacent Stage Door Cafe. In their place will be sodas, phosphates, and ice cream treats.
End of the Line
Disney lost several of its brightest lights last year, including two animators that were very kind and generous to me over the years, Joe Grant and Vance Gerry. Yet, when the ones you’ve lost are in their 80s and 90s, it seems a little easier to be more thankful for the time you’ve spent with them, rather than mourn the days ahead without them.
The same can’t be said for the two 50-something-year-old ride operators Disneyland lost over the last few weeks.
On January 10, Kim Cummins, who had turned just 50 a month before, died of cancer. Most anyone who’s worked Pirates of the Caribbean over the last 30 years knew—and adored—Kimmi (link to her dedication page). Brash, sarcastic, sometimes bawdy and always fun, Kimmi began her park career in 1976 as a hostess at the Mile Long Bar, but soon transferred to Attractions. Stories about Kimmi became legend.
More than anything, Kimmi told it straight-up. Back in the mid-1980s, during one of Michael Eisner’s early visits to the park, his family was being “backdoored” on Pirates. Eisner’s wife, Jane, trying to make small talk, asked the hostess on the unload dock, “How are you, dear?” Kimmi responded, “I’ve got a terrible headache!” The entire Eisner executive tour came to a grinding halt and Mrs. Eisner would not get in the boat until she fished some headache pills out of her purse that her Beverly Hills doctor prescribed for her, and Mrs. Eisner scolded the managers accompanying the tour that “you should let that girl go home!” Kimmi beamed with pride.
Fortunately, Westside park management is entirely composed of former Westside ride operators, who all grew up alongside Kimmi. They have been able to persuade Imagineering to name one of the Pirates boats after her. The boat has been painted with “Kimmi” stenciled near the front, and should be dropped in the flume some time this month. Quite a turn of events, seeing the company memorialize an hourly employee.
Then, on February 4, Jim Dacey, the “tennis dentist” (link to his practice’s Web site), suffered a fatal heart attack while playing tennis. Jim was one of Disneyland’s many long-time part-timers, working at the park from the mid-1960s until the mid-1970s, going to school the whole time. He finally graduated from USC Dental School in 1978.
One of his wilder buddies, Jim Pruitt, recalled, “Jim started out in Tomorrowland and slowly worked his way backwards in time ’til he got to Frontierland. He was an Honorary member of the Red Handkerchief Club because he liked to do all the things that went along with the Red Handkerchief in the early days—play cards, drink and chase women. He was the epitome of persistence; he never gave up on anything including women. He had married for the third time about a year and half ago to Kathleen who he had met playing tennis. He was a fun guy to be around, and his enthusiasm for life was contagious.”