Discussion
Asking for a friend, not that it matters as such
Place he works for has a 30 minutes unpaid lunch, for 4 years he has worked through his lunch and gone home that 30 minutes early so he makes it home to collect the kids from school in time.
He’s been told he has to now take the 30 minutes during the working hours, his argument is that the break is unpaid so he feels he should be able to take it or not.
Is this the case?
Place he works for has a 30 minutes unpaid lunch, for 4 years he has worked through his lunch and gone home that 30 minutes early so he makes it home to collect the kids from school in time.
He’s been told he has to now take the 30 minutes during the working hours, his argument is that the break is unpaid so he feels he should be able to take it or not.
Is this the case?
https://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/workingtime.ht...
said:
A worker is entitled to an uninterrupted break of 20 minutes when daily working time is more than six hours. It should be a break in working time and should not be taken either at the start, or at the end, of a working day.
Whether it's paid or not is irrelevant. How long is his work day? 
Yes, a H&S thing which although is for the benefit of the employee, it might not always seem like a benefit to some when it is enforced. A decent employer will enforce the lunch break because of the implications if something happens in the future. Say if an employee goes off with stress and says they hadn't taken a lunch break in years. Solicitors would have a field day, regardless of whether it was the employee's choice or not.
I have this problem at work and I am the one that has to tell people they can't finish early, despite not really agreeing with it.
My view is people would be a lot happier to take their lunch break if it was paid, but the hourly rate was adjusted so that you got paid the same per day.
My view is people would be a lot happier to take their lunch break if it was paid, but the hourly rate was adjusted so that you got paid the same per day.
They're being c**ts, plain and simple, probably someone has been whining about it and a new manager has taken it on as a problem to be solved (maybe one and the same person). They always start with timekeeping, because they control the records and can claim there's a bigger problem than there really is, play the hero, suck up to the boss, look good by making everyone else look bad, etc.
It probably spells the beginning of a new timekeeping regime, where they're going to start dragging people over hot coals for being 3 seconds late to work and all the staff will respond with "well I used to be flexible and work over to get stuff done, but now I'll work to the clock every day, f**k em".
It probably spells the beginning of a new timekeeping regime, where they're going to start dragging people over hot coals for being 3 seconds late to work and all the staff will respond with "well I used to be flexible and work over to get stuff done, but now I'll work to the clock every day, f**k em".
Flexible Working may be an option?
https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/applying-for-f...
One of my Reports now works 4 Days a Week
Another had some Family commitments for a while and finished 90 Mins earlier every Day
Reduced Hours and Pay for both.
The Employer can choose when a Break is, how long it is (Min 20 Mins) and if it is paid or not.
The New Supervisor is probably doing the right thing insisting he takes a Break from Work. Especially if it is a 10 Hour Day.
https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/applying-for-f...
One of my Reports now works 4 Days a Week
Another had some Family commitments for a while and finished 90 Mins earlier every Day
Reduced Hours and Pay for both.
The Employer can choose when a Break is, how long it is (Min 20 Mins) and if it is paid or not.
The New Supervisor is probably doing the right thing insisting he takes a Break from Work. Especially if it is a 10 Hour Day.
usn90 said:
He just wanted to know if work were being difficult or if there was an actual legislation being broken, that said he’s been doing it 4 years now and all the big managers knew about it.
Yes, they're being difficult, and they're probably using legislation as an excuse.......Like banning phones, and food/drink for anyone not working in an office (bench engineers in my case), they just say "health and safety reasons", which is utter nonsense. It comes down to A) seeing workers as untrustworthy and B) creating a false hierarchy between departments.
lyonspride said:
A) seeing workers as untrustworthy
Sadly some workers are untrustworthy. They will consider surfing the internet whilst eating a sandwich as "working through lunch" just so they can clock off early, leaving colleagues to pick up the extra work. It will be patently clear to their colleagues and their Manager that they're taking the mick, which is why Policies such as that referred to by the OP get enforced.Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff