Lunch time and breaks?

[LucyDodds]

Any employers out there? What's the legal stance on breaks and lunches when working an eight hour shift? I've been trying to find out and it's a bit ambiguous!

 

[Dinkydot]

Hi Lucy,

I was told that an employee is entitled to a 15 minute break every 4 hour's, and half an hour to an hour's lunch!!

HTH'S

Angie

 

[ADiva1]

Hi Lucy,

I was told that an employee is entitled to a 15 minute break every 4 hour's, and half an hour to an hour's lunch!!

HTH'S

Angie

Yes, this is correct.
However, I work in a salon and worked 10-5 yesterday, no lunch break, but I managed to swallow some lunch.
Then today 9-6 with no lunch but swallowed my lunch at some point - lovely!

 

[LucyDodds]

Hi Andrea, are you employed or self-employed?

 

[suzie49]

Last job I had full time it was 15mins paid break for every 4 hours worked and an hours lunch unpaid..hth..x

 

['chelle]

Eurpoean regulations (which take precedence over any UK regs) state that a worker must take a 20 min break after 6 hours. Of course there are different regs for vehicle drivers etc, but this 20 mins after 6 hours would apply to standard salon work.

 

[princesspugpug]

in australia its 30mins unpaid break for every 5 hours of work

 

[LindaC]

According to ACAS its a 20 minute rest break if the working day is longer than 6 hours

Acas - How can we help?

a good and informative site and you can even call them on the phone for any queries,

LindaC

 

[Peter Pan]

i get half hour lunch break (unpaid) but boss lets us off for a cuppa every now and again - i dont get an official break other than lunch whether im working a 4 hour or 10 hour shift, but as i said the boss lets us off with cuppas etc - she is the dogs - and doesnt mind any of is taking time out if its quiet - BUT if we dont get a break she gives us treats to make up for it, which in my opinion is better

 

[weenetty]

My boss recently informed me that she was not breaking the law by not marking in a half break for me everyday as because of the type of work we do we could have a day where we have an hour or two free (so you can eat at anytime) and then the next day you could be flat out and as she put it "its just compensation for getting a long break the day before"??? gets a bit annoying as im usually always busy and waiting till 4/5 for lunch is not on when you are using so much energy up through the day.

 

[Emily9]

Not quite sure how correct this is, but i had a problem at my last job where i was the only member of my department who was full time and i got half an hour break during the day and everyone else got an hour :irked: and i was told that if you are full time 9-5 you are entitled to an hours lunch and if you only get half an hour you are entitled to leave at 4:30 instead of 5!!

But when i worked in a hotel the rule of employment breaks was you could have a 20 minute break every 4 hours. Even though i did get paid for my breaks! But in another hotel we were entitled to 30 mins during an 8 hour shift which was in our contract although our line manager used to not mark down her breaks even though she was on a constant break! and when the rest of us hadn't even had a drink in 8 hours she used to mark on our time sheets, breaks we hadn't taken! (we didn't get paid for breaks btw) and when we brought the matter up she said by law she needs to show that we had a break(funny how she didn't need one)!!

 

[NailsXpress]

I work 45 hours a week over 5 days. I am only actually paid for 40 hours. We are supposed to have 2 x 30 min breaks a day. We dont get that though as we have to work our pants off. My hours are
Sun and Mon rest days
Tues 12 to 6pm
Wed 8 to 4
Thur 8 to 8 (yep 12 hours)
Fri 9 to 7
Sat 8.30 to 5.30

Usually on a Tuesday I only get one 30 min break.
The rest of the week is usually very busy and if I am lucky then I get two breaks. Albeit not 30 mins each though.
There have been several times now that I have only had one break in a whole day and not been able to get my lunch until around 3 or 4pm. By then I am of course starving and very tired. My right arm now aches on a daily basis. I even wake up through the night with it. This cant last for much longer. I am waiting for a friend to open her shop then I will be managiing it for her. The sooner the better.

 

[sknight]

20 mins undisturbed break every 6 hrs worked

 

[geeg]

A break??? What's that then?

The only time I ever took a break was if someone canceled.

I sometimes got 10 minutes somewhere to throw a sandwich down my gullet if I was lucky. My colleagues were the same. No one ever timed it ffs! You took it when you could get it and if you couldn't you didn't.

 

[xAnnaBannAx]

A break??? What's that then?

The only time I ever took a break was if someone canceled.

I sometimes got 10 minutes somewhere to throw a sandwich down my gullet if I was lucky. My colleagues were the same. No one ever timed it ffs! You took it when you could get it and if you couldn't you didn't.

omg language geeg! I cant imagine you saying that youve shocked me! :lol:

 

[tashastalons]

God im glad im not the only one that hardly has a break!
I think if you are employed by someone and getting an hourly rate you should definatly get a break, they are breaking the law if they dont!!!! as some days i never get a break and have to even quickly go for a quick wee while my clients nails are drying under uv light!
I am going selfemployed in july so wont really be bothered about a break as all the work i do is for my benifit!

Being a nail technician is a dream job for me but im not saying its always easy, back ach, arm ache and blurry vision are some off the down falls of the job so i think you should have a break for a stretch and fresh air atleast!

 

[geeg]

God im glad im not the only one that hardly has a break!
I think if you are employed by someone and getting an hourly rate you should definatly get a break, they are breaking the law if they dont!!!! as some days i never get a break and have to even quickly go for a quick wee while my clients nails are drying under uv light!
I am going selfemployed in july so wont really be bothered about a break as all the work i do is for my benifit!

Being a nail technician is a dream job for me but im not saying its always easy, back ach, arm ache and blurry vision are some off the down falls of the job so i think you should have a break for a stretch and fresh air atleast!

My husband would agree with you. He used to come into the salon and try to get all of us to a least move and stretch whilst clients were washing their hands etc.

I never had any side effects of sore arms. or blurry vision or back ache BUT I was very careful to always sit in a balanced way and make sure my arm was always balanced on the desk pad.

 

[spn01]

I agree, breaks, sit down lunch(away from nail table), what are these?:lol:

Train your clients well, they sometimes even bring you in a coffee - i know, i know, no eating, drinking or smoking at the nail table, but coffee!!! a quick skull down before you start is sometimes a must. It would be so rude of me to put it aside now wouldn't it

Oh the "glass of wine" at the end of the day is sooooooo heavenly. (somedays a bottle:lol

Work hard, Play hard