Do you get paid for your lunch hour?

[girlcrushonvillanelle]

I run a small business and up until now have only employed people on a part time basis, so short days.

I now have a more full time position available.

It will only be 4 days (so technically still part time) but 4 full days 9AM until 5PM.

The question is do I pay for the lunch break? They will be working out and about if that makes a difference.

Please bear in mind that I am a small business who employs 4 people through these difficult times so I don't want to pay out unnecessarily.

no I get half an hour unpaid.

I'm half hour unpaid

No. I get paid for 7.5 hours per day. So if I work 9 - 5 I take 30 minutes at lunch. If I want an hour at lunch I work 9 - 5.30.

In reality I end up working through without a break but that is the theory! I've never worked anywhere with a paid lunch break

No. I get an hour unpaid. I work for a large multinational. I’ve never worked anywhere where breaks are paid.

No. I get an hour but it’s unpaid.

I have only worked for one business that had a paid lunch hour and this was a small family business. He also have us all an extra, paid for day off every 3 weeks.
It made for very good employer/employee relations and if he ever wanted extra hours occasionally, we would do them ungrudgingly.

Unpair is the norm

We also have to take that break in the middle of the day at an assigned time. We can’t put it at the end and leave early.

Half an hour paid. I live in a country with strong unions though.

Unpaid is the norm.

Nope, I think it’s pretty standard not to. I’ve certainly never been paid for my lunch break in any of the jobs I’ve had (both public and private sector

No. Half an hour unpaid in a 10 hour shift. Gotta love the NHS!

30 min paid, 30 min unpaid in a 12 hour shift in the NHS :)

No. I work for the Local authority, and have to take a minimum 30 minute unpaid lunch break. I can take longer if I want, we have a flexi time system.

No, half hour unpaid, though I can take longer as long as I do 40 hours for the week.

same as all above, 30 minutes unpaid, but you have to take a break

Thanks all. Maybe I will meet in the middle and pay for half an hour. With the type of work we do you would never normally go and do something else for an hour as you would be driving between clients which could be 30-40 mins at a time.

Thanks.

Half an hour unpaid.

Unpaid is the norm but you do need to ensure they actually have a break, not travelling between clients during their lunch break (not saying you were suggesting that!).

Please bear in mind that I am a small business who employs 4 people through these difficult times so I don't want to pay out unnecessarily

Then don't. Any prospective employee won't be expecting it as it isn't the norm.

No, I get an hour unpaid break in a 12.5 hour shift.

Never get to take it though so essentially the NHS gets 4 hours free work out of me most weeks! Not unusual for the NHS, I don't think.

No, I get an hour unpaid, we can use it any time after 12:30, so I use it to finish work an hour early.

I work two days 9 hours, 2 days 10hours and 2 days 9 hours.

I get 45 mins unpaid break.

Unpaid is the norm. I have a job where I travel and try and have a break in the day. I wouldn't expect to be paid, in fact I would think that would have strings attached.

I travel between clients and count my travelling time as work time but also take my unpaid lunch break (30 mins or an hour, I note it on a flexible sheet and adjust my finish times accordingly). I usually park up and eat my sandwich in a park/supermarket car park in the car depending on the weather or go to the shops.

I used to work somewhere that has a clock in/out system and if you didn't clock out & in between 12noon and 2pm, it'd take 30 mins off you even if you actually worked through as we legally had to take this break.