Lunch Entitlement

[scoobysoo]

If I work from 8 - 4:30 what am I entitled to in terms of breaks?
Cheers
xx

[Eve]

A 20 minute break for each 6 hour shift.

[dot.hawkes]

I work 9-5.30 5 days a week and I have an hours unpaid lunch and 2x 20 minute paid breaks morning and afternoon, anmy of my staff that work more than 7 hours are entitled to the same.

[Buenchico]

As Jenna1978 has indicated, the only legal entitlement to a break (for adults) is that, if your shift exceeds 6 hours, you must have one 20 minute (unpaid) break:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/Employment/Employees/ WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/WorkingHoursAndTimeOffA rticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=10029451&chk=pR1H4%2B

Chris

[scoobysoo]

Many thanks x

[dot.hawkes]

That is the total opposite to most retail srores i know of, Every Debenhams store give full time staff an hours inpaid lunch and two 15 mins paid breaks. So do all concessions that are in there, in my previous jobs it has been the same for decades. Do you not mean paid breaks? As that is a different thing.

[Eve]

That's the maximum you're entitled to, anything else is discretionary on who you work for.

There may be different guidelines for certain jobs though eg call centre workers.

You could try asking ACAS...http://www.acas.org.uk/.

[dyli795]

Hi Jenna1978, how are things in Siberia 1904?. I'll garantee you a 25per cent rise and you can start tomorrow!
How's that?

[dyli795]

O.K. Come on some body, prove me wrong. Hey, here's your chance!
I'm telling YOU, every 4 hours you work you get a 15 min break. [ or, if you like, work for eight hours with a half hour meal-brake inbetween]

[Eve]

oooh dylie794, i do confess i though that was the position myself but the net failed me, we used to have a 15 min break per 4 hours in the good old days when i was a checkout chick/deli babe at somerfield.

i'll go and have another look as it's a bit nippy here in siberia ;)

a 25% rise sounds good though you may have wanted to ask what i do first though ha ha :)

[Eve]

Well i've checked the DTI, HSE and ACAS but no joy...

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=11 35

http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/workingtime .htm

http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/employment-le gislation/working-time-regs/index.html

it doesn't seem to be covered by the Working Time Regs :(

Looks like we're all off to Siberia...maybe Al Gore has a point!

[Dassie]

I think you'll find breaks differ with different companies so refer to your contract employment conditions however LEGALLY you must take a MINIMUM of 20 mins after being at work for 6 hours.

[dyli795]

You can assume the way it was in the good old days is still true today, and legaly one is not to be expected to work continuously for more than four hours without a 15 min. break. Now you are owed for four and a quarter hours work.
and so on, etc. - To accept or stipulate some other arrangement with your employer may be possable, but could, in some circumstances of employment law, get a bit ambiguous I think.
But anyhow forget all that ! To address your original question scoobysoo, it isn't rocket-science is it ? You've got an eight and a half hour day there. (Eight hours work plus a half hour in the middle for lunch) I'm assuming you're allowed to have a brew in the morning enabling you to slow down to a stop for five minutes or so ; unless you are depended upon to attend a conveyor belt that just does not stop ! If your employer thinks that is a reasonable working condition I'd suggest you leave Siberia 1904 and find another job, simple as.