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Original poster

Is this too many work breaks?

55 replies

officeissues · 24/09/2025 13:10

NC obviously
been told to have less breaks outside my breaks…
i get 30 mins lunch in 8.5hrs but I split it into 2 x 15 mins
outside of that I’ve used 12 mins to make a coffee and go to the toilet
does that seem unreasonable?

OP posts:
Pineapplewaves · 24/09/2025 13:25

You are legally entitled to a 20 minute break for an 8.5 hour shift so your employer is giving you an extra 10 minutes!

How do you get any kind of break by splitting it into 2 x 15 minutes? By the time you go to the toilet, make a coffee and get your sandwich out your 15 minutes is up.

Are you allowed to eat while you work? Are you allowed to get coffee and go to the toilet in work time? Does your employer think you have too many toilet breaks and too many cups of coffee? Are you spending lots of time talking to other people while you are making the coffee? I have had employers that have monitored number of toilet breaks and visits to the kitchen.

Original poster
officeissues · 24/09/2025 13:18

FuzzyWolf · 24/09/2025 13:16

It depends what you do. If you’re a paramedic going off to make a coffee when someone needs urgent attention, those minutes could have killed them. If you work in an office and it doesn’t impact anyone else then I don’t see the issue, apart from the fact that if it involves screens you should have more breaks.

definitely can’t kill anyone! If there are calls queuing then I am as quick as I can but there is calls queuing all day and sometimes I need the toilet

OP posts:
FuzzyWolf · 24/09/2025 13:16

It depends what you do. If you’re a paramedic going off to make a coffee when someone needs urgent attention, those minutes could have killed them. If you work in an office and it doesn’t impact anyone else then I don’t see the issue, apart from the fact that if it involves screens you should have more breaks.

IchiNiSanShiGo · 24/09/2025 13:16

That doesn’t seem unreasonable to me. Though it very much depends on your particular work environment, what breaks your colleagues take, and what impact taking a break has.

In one place I worked, if we worked 8.5 hrs we’d get an hour for lunch, and another 30 minute break. In a different place I worked 8.5 hrs and only got a 30 minute lunch break, but was allowed to nip to the loo or make a coffee whenever I wanted.

ScepticPeg · 24/09/2025 13:11

Not at all it sounds like you're not getting enough breaks if anything

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