Haven't been getting breaks at work and need them

Question

I’ve rewritten this question several times as I’m having trouble phrasing it and will try to keep it short and to the point.

I recently started working as an auxiliary employee at a chain of government liquor stores. The normal person who trains people was on holiday and I’ve been told I wasn’t trained correctly.

One problem is I’ve been missing breaks. I know now that there is a schedule with each person's allotted break times. (I know this sounds silly but bear with me). Being auxiliary I work at several locations. I now know that the break schedule is always written on a document that is stored in the customer service area. But there’s a ton of paper work in this area (and the area is big with several desks) and I don’t think it's a good idea to rummage through the documents on the desk until I find the break schedule each day. If the break schedule was always kept in a certain spot or was one of the few pieces of paper in the area that would be different situation, but it’s not. I’m having trouble phrasing the question: what exactly should I ask? Should I say to the manager: “Am I correct in my understanding that the break schedule is always kept in the customer service area? Since there’s a lot of paper there, how am I supposed to find it?”

Also, it seems I only get one 15-minute break over a six-hour shift. How do I confirm this is true? So far they’ve been keeping me at the cash register the whole time and there’s always a line up so I’ve worked for 5 hours straight with no break, not even a small one (I know in most jobs there are intermittent opportunities for small downtown, like a program opening on a computer). I was thinking of asking the manager: “Is the expectation for me to work at the till with no breaks except for the scheduled one? What If I need to go to the bathroom or something?” I need more breaks than I've been getting.

Since I’m at different locations I often work with the different people and managers (in fact a single location often has several managers). It’s been extremely busy and I noticed I often finish my shifts without having the chance to speak with any of my coworkers. In my past jobs we usually decide for ourselves when to take our break so this is very different.

Answer 1

I’m having trouble phrasing the question, what exactly should I ask?

This isn't difficult.

When you enter the building, go up to your manager and say "Hi boss, how are you doing? Hey, what time is my break scheduled for today?"

Answer 2

I doubt that the breaks document is just on a random desk in the customer service area, especially if you still work in Canada (which you were in previous questions). In Canada, the law says that you need to get an unpaid break of at least 30 minutes for every period of 5 consecutive hours that you work. And if you're required to be on call during that break, you must be paid for that break.

Is there a bulletin board in your customer service area? As in a large piece of cork of whiteboard mounted to the wall that's usually full of documents. Generally speaking that's where official notices like this are usually posted.