Break times at work. Is this even legal?

[HedgeyGedgey]

So i work nights in a sortation place for Amazon, working hours were 1:30 to 12:00. So 10hr shift, with 1 paid 30min break and 1 unpaid 30 break, not too bad. Now some bright spark has decided that we should only have 9hr shifts from 1:30 to 11:00. In doing so, we now only get 1 unpaid 30min break for 9hrs! Whats worse is they're giving this break at 4am! So you work 3hrs and get a break, then have to do the following 6hrs without stopping, no sugar and only water (which the managers say you can't leave your work station to fetch) is this illegal or just really really unthoughtful on the managers behalf? I now have to have food ready for my journey home or I'm really light headed with zero sugar in my system. Not great!!!

[craigjm]

The law is 20 minute break every six hours worked and can be paid of unpaid depending on what the contract says. In terms of time during the shift the law says that it shouldn’t be at the start or the end of the shift

[anonymous-user]

As you will find at this end of the market you are treated pretty poorly as long as the big corporations can make billions profits.

45 mins per 8 hour shift should be a minimum.

[Kiribati268]

craigjm said:

The law is 20 minute break every six hours worked and can be paid of unpaid depending on what the contract says. In terms of time during the shift the law says that it shouldn’t be at the start or the end of the shift

This. If you have at least a 20 min break for shifts over 6 hours that isn't taken at the start or the end of a shift, then it's perfectly legal.

Besides the breaks, personally, those shift times seem absolutely ste. Working until 11am on a night shift?! I've done 6am finishes on a night an that was enough for me.

I'd look elsewhere OP. Given your warehouse experience get your C licence and do some HGV driving work, much better.

[EarlofDrift]

It's 20 minute break every 6 hours. In my old place of employment they used to make people take lunches and breaks when they saw fit. So someone working a long shift from 9am to 8pm got a 15minutes break at 11am, then a lunch at 1am and no other breaks for 7 hours.

People complained but it was a case of, deal with it or leave.

I'm aware some people work 12 hour shifts and overtime with no break but it's not really on, and it's a sure fire way to a breakdown or burnout.

[Johnnytheboy]

I'd rather work a shorter shift with less unpaid breaks personally.

The whole unpaid breaks thing bugs me anyway.

[PorkInsider]

Kiribati268 said:

This. If you have at least a 20 min break for shifts over 6 hours that isn't taken at the start or the end of a shift, then it's perfectly legal.

Besides the breaks, personally, those shift times seem absolutely ste. Working until 11am on a night shift?! I've done 6am finishes on a night an that was enough for me.

This ^^

Nothing illegal, but those hours are shocking. I can't think of a worse shift than that!

I've worked nights myself in years gone by and 'proper' nights are bad enough, but starting work in the very early hours and working into the middle of the next day is just terrible.

I can't think why they'd do it as a pattern?

[anonymous-user]

PorkInsider said:

I can't think why they'd do it as a pattern?

Simple. The people working on these shifts pick the orders placed in the previous evening (even ones placed around midnight) for next day delivery. Poor bds

[PorkInsider]

mstrbkr said:

PorkInsider said:

I can't think why they'd do it as a pattern?

Simple. The people working on these shifts pick the orders placed in the previous evening (even ones placed around midnight) for next day delivery. Poor bds

Unless they don't crew up other working hours, or never rotate, there's still the opportunity to come up with a better pattern - even if that means 6hr shifts, or something like that, to avoid anyone who was working at 3am still being on shift at 11am which is awful.

[anonymous-user]

Johnnytheboy said:

I'd rather work a shorter shift with less unpaid breaks personally.

The whole unpaid breaks thing bugs me anyway.

when these rules were set they never expected the current workers to work like robots. Go to any of these types of work and the vast majority are eastern Europeans becuase it is good money compared to there home countries. it is pretty soul destroying and dehumanising how they treat the workers.

[whitesocks]

Amazon have never really been good to there workers have they?

[durbster]

whitesocks said:

Amazon have never really been good to there workers have they?

What? Haven't you seen the adverts? Everyone working there absolutely loves it.

[LukeBrown66]

Thing is most places try and treat their staff reasonably,

It is staggering that for a minimum 6 hours, (who ever works a shift that short for a day) you get only 20 minutes, that to me inhumane in the 21st century, no requirement for tea breaks or short breaks.

And some firms will uphold this totally, with buzzers, sackings for being late.

I have never thankfully worked for a firm like that and honestly would quit the same day if that stuff was forced on me.

But you do get firms that play it fine, saying things like in a 8 hour day a 10 mins break is almost our gift to you, so dont take the mick and you get your half hour lunch.

Whereas a lot of firms are happy even in an 8 hour day to allow or even demand 2 teas and a lunch.

And these firms come form all types, incomes, size etc.