To think that if you work 10-4?

I have a 10-2 half day. No contractual lunch break but I negotiated a half hour longer day with my line manager to have lunch (because that short day is to allow me to do school run with associated other commitments and I rarely stop from 8am-7pm). Just because it’s not in the legal minimum doesn’t stop you asking your manager - but they can refuse.

You;ve never worked with slackers and cheeky fuckers then I take it. Allowing people to take breaks as long as they want or as often as they want is a recipe for disaster! If you want complete flexibility over your working day and when you take breaks, work for yourself.

I'm a supply teacher and not one school that I have visited is 9 until 3. Hours have got longer and longer over the last few years. Most schools have the children in by 8.35 and finish at 3.25, the register might not be until 9 but you are still working and helping students in that time. Also lunch breaks in many schools are no longer an hour. I don't take a break as I am trying to get ready for the next lesson or mark or I am dealing with an incident. I think the a teacher only does contact time of 9 to 3 is outdated.
Good point about some people being excluded from jobs because of no entitlement to a break in 6 hours. Reducing it to 4, would help so many back to the workforce who have physical jobs.

What if you work 4 hours? 2 hours? How long should your break be if you’re just working for one hour?

But they get an hours lunch not 20 minutes…but whatever!
My point is they get breaks (and rightly so!) so I think other professions should too! I wasn’t saying anything negative about teachers. As a teacher I got my morning break and my lunch break. That was MY experience. That’s all!

I'd be interested to know what type of jobs these posters do who say it's fine to work 6 hours with no break. My guess is they do some type of office job or 'work from home'. With endless opportunities to have drinks at their desk/snacks as they work etc. I doubt most people would be happy working 6 hour shifts on their feet, with no opportunity for even a glass of water.

We are required on site between 8.30 and 4. That's more than 6 hours. Whether I get a half hour uninterrupted break in that time is debatable.

Okay, @Brainded, let’s ignore the ‘anecdotes’ and rely on actual maths.

1265 directed hours per year divided by 195 days available to work = 6.5 hours per day.

This is why teachers are entitled to a twenty minute (unpaid) break.

Legally not entitled. That said I used to work 9-3 and used to take an official 5-10 minutes to shovel something down. I’d often work a little over so it balanced out. I suppose it depends on the role on how feasible a break is. I’m not a breakfast fan so just a coffee normally but I’m properly hungry by 1pm. I’d feel dreadful by 4. A soup in a to go mug and a pack of oat cakes would carry me through though.

Yanbu. I wouldn't last that long.
I work in an office and eat every couple of hours. Any more and I can't concentrate.

No, I work 9-3 and don't officially get a break. In reality I take ten minutes to scoff a sandwich at my desk and browse the news headlines.

That's what I was trying to convey.

In the 19thc a 15 minute tea break mid morning and mid afternoon was recognised as beneficial to improving productivity in factory workers.
I think all workers should be encouraged to have a break every 4 hours.

Imo the current generation of 20 to 50 year olds seem to be happily giving all of their rights away.

Well it’s your anecdotal evidence vs mine @Harrumphhhh thst was my teaching day so I don’t know what else to say to you.

You sound quite rude.
I am similar to @dreamer24 . I would be very hangry and lightheaded working that shift without a lunch break. I think that is perfectly normal.

I do 7am until 2.30. I get a 30 minute break and get paid 7 hours.
I was always under the impression 4-6 hours was one 15 minute break. 6-8 hours half hour and 8+ half hour and 2 15 mins.

@YarkYark did you read that response? I used to be a teacher I’m not diminishing anything! Ffs!

Yeah, I don’t think it’s me making an ass of myself @Brainded…

Absolutely should get a bit of a lunch break, obviously not an hour, but half hour - or even 20 minutes. Depends what it is. If you're a McDonalds crew member, or on a factory assembly line, then two 10 minute breaks, (say 11.30am, and 2.30pm.) and a 20 minute lunch break in the middle 1pm to 1.20pm.) How and when do you eat your lunch/food if you work solidly for the 6 hours?

If it's an office/admin job that's more chilled, maybe just a 20-25 minute break from 1pm to about 1.20pm/1.25pm.

Ok well the schools I worked in must’ve been in another galaxy or something…

So we've gone from working hours to contact time. You want to talk to me about teachers? Let's go! Married to a head teacher in Primary for many years. In school at 7am, home at 6:20pm, every day, then an hour or two every evening and a few hours at weekends. Just like you, I'm sure. But you carry on diminishing the profession, it's really great.

I've often worked from 5-11 pm.Manageds by eating a late lunch and a light dinner when finished. In fact id struggle to each lunch at midday as usually don't have breakfast till 11ish

@Harrumphhhh making a whole lot of assumptions there and making an ass of yourself to be fair. I don’t hate teachers, I used to teach. I got 15mins in the morning and an hours break. Contact time was 9-3 (6 fucking hours) and I stayed until 5 most days and even then I considered that I had ample breaks! My argument is not that teachers get too much it’s that others don’t get enough and they should!

What about extending shift and working 14 hours with no break …. Or regular 11 hour night shifts with no (official break)

No, directed time in most schools is 8.30-3.30. Duties at break and I don’t know any school with more than 40 mins for lunch, during which most staff run detentions or clubs…