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.

*flexi sheet

30 mins unpaid. Dont think i've worked anywhere that was paid tbf.

Nope. I'm at work for 8.5 hours, but only get paid for 7.5 hours.

One half hour break and two 15 minute breaks.

We work in a dangerous and very regulated industry, where regular breaks are required.

Nope, I get up to an hour unpaid. I work in the third sector.

Technically I'm paid for 42 hours a week but I only work 37 per week. I would advise you to contact acas to confirm your legal responsibilities and make sure your decisions are fair across your workforce.

Nope. I work 37 hours a week on flexi time. My timesheet doesn’t count the time that you take for lunch.

I get a paid one. However I work for the emergency services and I can’t remember the last time I took a lunch break. No one ever does, we eat whilst we do paperwork.

Paid, sometimes I might get 15 minutes, other days 40mins. It varies. I sometimes work more hrs than I'm actually paid for, sometimes its substantially less. I prefer to have some autonomy over my hours. I will work hard, and I'll put in extra hours if its needed. I prefer to know what the scope of my role is and then be left to get on with it. I would not take a job that set out terms over breaks that state when, how long and then do not pay. If its unpaid then its my time....not my employers.

My attitude is this, if an employer pays for breaks they get decide when and where. If its unpaid it should be flexible allowing for employee to decide within reason. Same with sick pay. Where ive not been paid sick leave I have never felt guilty for taking time off.....no work....no pay, all square!

I've had one job that paid for breaks, I stayed there a few weeks as something didn't feel right. Wasn't surprised a few years later to hear that it was a money laundering thing the perks were amazing, although so were the tips

But everywhere else unpaid.
When travelling if it was a main part of the job also unpaid, it travelling occasionally the pay would be slightly higher, vouchers. for food, hotels with breakfast or similar would be the norm. (not all of them for each visit)

Unpaid lunch breaks is the norm, but when i worked for a company where you had 15 mins tea breaks morning and afternoon the tea breaks were paid for, lunchtime wasnt.

Should add lunchtime is your free time, not for traveling between clients

30 minutes unpaid is completely normal for a 9-5. I've never had a job with a full hour unpaid for lunch, and I wouldn't want to either I'd rather have a shorter lunch and an extra half hour pay.

I think my lunch break is paid-NHS worker, not allowed to leave site, always have to be able to drop everything even through lunch to attend patients. Never actually get to take a break anyway. It's exhausting not being able to switch off.

Might want to brush up on your employment law, op.

Not sure canvassing opinion on mumsnet is necessarily the best way to start figuring out what your employees are entitled to.

Half an hour unpaid for lunch, which is the norm, for a 9-5 day. We also get a 10-15 min break during the morning to stop and have a coffee, which is paid. I’m NHS in a hospital.

It would be easier to start with unpaid and give a bonus later if things are going well than to start off paying and then say that you are struggling and want to stop it.

I get an hour unpaid (NHS) but I work all the way through it otherwise I'd never go home anywhere near on time.

30mins unpaid. Isn't that standard?

@kimlo

no I get half an hour unpaid.

Same here. Quite often don’t get it either (NHS).

We get paid but we don't have a set time. We take a break when we can. So if our hours our 10 _ 6 we get paid 8 hours but we might get a half hour break or 45 mins depending what's going on, what meetings we have etc.

Before retirement worked nhs 8.30-18.00. 30 mins unpaid lunch break but never got it so worked through.
And they wonder why there’s a nurse shortage.

An hour unpaid here.

If they are having to spend the time driving then I wouldn't consider it to be a break and would expect it to be paid.

I work 8-6 with an hour unpaid lunch break
Has to be taken between 11 and 2 and I don't get to choose- hate 11 o'clock lunch!

Assuming you are in the UK, this may help

www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work