Tea breaks at work

G

Greeneye

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I work in the civil service and have been told I can have one fifteen min break in the morning and my lunch and no other breaks. I argued if I am in work at eight in the morning and leave at six in the evening I should be able to have a 15 min afternoon break, but I was told I was not, Union Rep, no help in this matter. Anyone shed light on this, it does not seem right to me.
 
I can take a break for a half and hour or two hours but usually I take on half an hour.
 
I can break from half an hour to two hours, but I usually break for just half an hour.
 
You poor thing - imagine not being allowed to put your feet up and having a wee cup of tea in the afternoon. My heart bleeds for you. You'll not get a huge deal of sympathy about your predicament....
 
Most places would be 15 + 30 + 15


Strange they are offering 2 hours for lunch , but been so stingy on the breaks.
 
Here's the law on the matter:

Rests and intervals at work.
12.—(1) An employer shall not require an employee to work for a period of more than 4 hours and 30 minutes without allowing him or her a break of at least 15 minutes.

(2) An employer shall not require an employee to work for a period of more than 6 hours without allowing him or her a break of at least 30 minutes; such a break may include the break referred to in subsection (1).
 
How can you have the option of 2 hrs for lunch. That sounds more like a hobbie than a job. I wouldn't know what to do with 2 hrs off at lunch that would require alot of sh^te talk.

You sound over worked alright, you should request a week off.
 
This has got to be a wind up?
Two paid tea breaks a day plus lunch !!
 
Where I work we get a 10 minute teabreak in the morning...an hour for lunch and a 10 minute teabreak in the evening. Private company. Hours are 9-5:30.
 
Tea breaks

I cannot access the replies to my message, have to contact admin, please bear with me and thanks for replies.
 
Greeneye said:
I work in the civil service and have been told I can have one fifteen min break in the morning and my lunch and no other breaks. I argued if I am in work at eight in the morning and leave at six in the evening I should be able to have a 15 min afternoon break, but I was told I was not, Union Rep, no help in this matter. Anyone shed light on this, it does not seem right to me.
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Ignore the begrudgers. What are the other employees getting? A short tea break in the afternoon is appropriate in most CS/PS settings. I assume the 2 hr lunch break is on flexi time?

Slim
 
We're allowed a 15 minute teabreak and an unpaid lunch-break of between 30mins and 1hr 45 mins.
When i worked in a callcentre our breaks were 15min paid + 30/45min unpaid +15min paid

Did you ever hear of a stretch break? It's when you get up from your desk, walk around a bit, or go to the bathroom, or grab a cup of coffee to take back to your desk.. No one is going to yell at you for taking 5 minutes in the afternoon!

If you are doing unpaid overtime you can take as long a break as you like! Otherwise you really shouldn't be complaining.
 
Since you posted this during official work hours, you are obviously taking your own informal breaks. Maybe get a flask and have your own cup of tea.
 
Maybe I am not making myself clear here, I work a nine hour day and get a 45 min break in total, if I want to take a two hour break I have to work up that time as in work an extra hour and half, quit sarcasm just looking for information, I working in private company before civil service for over 15 years and know there is something wrong in this, please if you want to vent you bitterness go to another thread I just want facts, not your nastiness.
 
OP can you clarify if you are working these hours as part of flexi time in order to be able to take the worked up time back?
 
Sorry didnt notice the replies from normal people in this thread, yes the two hour lunch would be flexi and no I cant go get a quick cup of tea and drink it at my desk as it is not allowed because they do not allow afternoon break of any description, people did take their tea to their desk but this is under discussion now!!
 
Greeneye said:
Sorry didnt notice the replies from normal people in this thread, yes the two hour lunch would be flexi and no I cant go get a quick cup of tea and drink it at my desk as it is not allowed because they do not allow afternoon break of any description, people did take their tea to their desk but this is under discussion now!!
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i don't work with you so I can't really comment on your situation.

But anywhere I previously worked had no problems with people nipping down to get a cup of tea to take back to their desk.
The problems occurred when certain individuals used the opportunity to have a smoke with their coffee. Or go to the shops. So generally it's a case of a few people ruining it on everybody.

The law is pretty clear on the frequency of breaks.
15 minutes to break up 4.5 hours of continuous work. and toilet breaks when you need them! Typically this only allows an employee one 15 minute paid break a day.
 
I am still not clear about the flexi time.
Are you choosing to work from 8am to 6pm and only opt for the minimum half hour lunch so as you are working up hours. If not then are you working a 47.5 hrs a week or are you working 38 hr week in 4 days.
If the answer is the latter then I suspect that they are not obliged to provide the second break in the afternoon.
 
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