Help please, during an 8 hour day how many breaks are workers allowed to take.
I have have always done 7:30 to 3:30 with half hour included for lunch although we are meant to do 7:30 till 4:00 with an unpaid break. Now i have 5 agency blokes who are happy with this as it means an early finish every day and 1 who insists on 3 paid breaks a day. 30 min morning and afternoon and 45 mins for lunch.
Advice please.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10029451

I think I might need a break.
I read that as “breasts at work”

You are entitled to 20 minutes break for each 6 hours worked, these do not have to be paid. Anything more than that is at the employers discretion. Details here.

Now i have 5 agency blokes who are happy with this as it means an early finish every day and 1 who insists on 3 paid breaks a day is not going to be working here anymore

FTFY 😉

if he`s rocking the boat…
throw him over the side!!

30 min morning and afternoon and 45 mins for lunch.

I strongly suggest he’s taking the mick – 1 hr 45 every day paid for doing nowt?!?!?

Two 20 minute breaks in a 12 hour day shift, two 30 minute breaks in a 12 hour night shift, in that famously inefficient NHS.

We get a 45min unpaid break for lunch.

And if they are agency staff they can’t claim “custom and practice” so sound like lazy feckers to me, what is the work ?

45 minutes lunch for an eight hour day officially but it varies depending on work load/urgency. I don’t actually know if it’s paid or not as I’m salaried no working per hour, I do the job and get paid at the end of the month.

He’s extracting urine and as he’s an agency worker I’d tell the agency to send someone else. Sounds like an awkward person who’ll also be difficult in the future.

Can’t work over 6 hrs without a 1/2hr break. Doesn’t need to be paid. Tell the agency whinger he can have an 8hr unpaid break every day if he carries on.

I think it depends a little on the type of work.

Factories and call centre type operations often have paid breaks (10/15 minutes) morning and afternoon and an unpaid lunch.

Never worked anywhere that would give you the sort of paid breaks mentioned though.

Tell the agency whinger he can have an 8hr unpaid break every day if he carries on.

😆

Thanks for all the replys
he is installing voice and data cables on a site with with over 80 buildings(university) of various size. So lots of places to hide, pretend he is lost and can’t get into a room so has to wait for security to open. If he goes his mate will have to go also as he drive them both to site.but getting rid seems best option.

Sent from my phone so spelling and grammer errors are likely.

My job doesn’t allow me a break at all, but saying that i’m probably not working more than I am working most of the time, so I generally have enough time to eat/go to the toilet/make a drink etc without too much bother. There are exceptions to this but only when the job goes tits up (signalman Network Rail)

We have exactly what ebygomm states, 15 mins morning and afternoon paid, plus an unpaid lunch of 30 minutes. I would also like to know where his expectations are from…

I’ve just been made redundant, I’ll pull cables through conduit for a modest break and won’t whinge about it. There’s always another person wanting to do the work…..

I get 2 x 10 mins paid breaks and a unpaid 30 min break for lunch … thats doing 9hr days

he is installing voice and data cables on a site with with over 80 buildings(university) of various size

didn’t that job go out to tender? outside contractor does the job for a given fixed fee, not per hour and not specifying how many breaks or how long they are as long as the job gets done on schedule.

Do the smokers expect 10 minutes every hour paid break?

Ha, yes job has mow gone to tender, you no of the site Jd ?
he is a smoker also. H R says he can’t be taken of for no reason and he is allowed 1hr unpaid break. Waiting for his reply from the voice mail that was left telling him he now works from 8 till 5.he is paid a day rate not hourly and the jobs are not being completed on time.

37.5 mins, usually 7 hours into a 10 hour shift. Unpaid.

Do the smokers expect 10 minutes every hour paid break?

In a previous job I did they did expect this and got it, much to the resentment of the non-smokers, apparently it made the smokers more productive.

Smokers are more productive. Its a known fact. We have to cram all our productivity in before our premature deaths

you no of the site Jd ?

not specifically, I thought all university maintenance work had to go out to tender – legal requirement or something.

sounds like a serious slacker though. paying him by the day & the jobs are still not getting done.

No breaks here. Well apart from posting here… *cough*

Capt John linked to the legal stuff.

The guy you mention is taking the piss.

I get a paid 15 min break and an unpaid 30 min lunch break in an 8 hr day. Waht he is asking for is bang out of order – and he will be skiving anyway

JD ithought you may have guessed the site by the number of buildings and the fact the presentations have just been done for the new contract.

New rules , 8 till 5 , with a nice 15 min break morning & afternoon 30 min for lunch. All unpaid.
Now everybody hits the bad traffic & has an extra 90 mins on site.
Will wait an see how he gets on working with 5 angry men 🙂

8:30 – 16:30 no scheduled breaks.

I get take 5 or 10 mins for lunch, a coffee and a read on here etc. now and then (depending on work load)