How do you spend your lunch hour?

[WhaleyAwesome]

Just that.

@CloudPop - just popped in for a "Pop" have you?

I expect to have an hour's lunch break - as I have done previously I may see whether it is acceptable to eat my lunch at my desk after that, yes - but i will see if that's an acceptable thing.

As people on this thread do it, and I've always had to eat at my desk due to not being allowed to take my lunch break I am well aware I can work and eat at the same time.

I don't smoke, and I don't take any other breaks throughout the day - so I am not one who is nipping to the loo, kitchen, outside for ten minutes at a time.

(Not that I begrudge people who do that!)

I get 30 mins, unpaid. I take 10 mins mid morning for a cig, break, 10 mins in the late afternoon for another cig break and 10 mins at my desk at lunchtime to eat my sandwich. I don't work near home so no where to go anyway , so find this works for me. My colleagues think it's fair and were happy for me to split my 30 min break like this as i am not taking any additional breaks to smoke on top of my allotted lunch break. I think i am the first smoker they have met that has done this! I have always used a portion of my lunch break for smoking breaks where ever i have worked so never had anyone accuse me of taking the pee! My colleagues will even suggest to me to pop out for a ciggie ( over my normal ones ) if i have dealt with a particularly upsetting incident. Doing it this way makes for a more harmonious relationship with colleagues. I am also always in work early and never leave on time so all in all my colleagues can see i am not getting any extra break time just because i smoke.

I get an hour and we have to eat at our desk or leave the building. I sometimes read while eating for the full hour or sometimes take a 30 minute walk and then read and eat for the other 30 minutes. I didn't do that while WFH as ended up watching TV so I'm getting so much more reading done now I'm back in the office.

Not having a pop. Just not following your logic whereby you expect to have a full hour break but then sit at your desk eating !

I get 30 minutes so get away from my desk to eat and chat with colleagues. The other 30 minutes is yard duties/meetings/prepping for lessons.

I try to walk or exercise, which happens occasionally. I make and eat lunch. Will do some housework for 10 mins if at home. I don’t have a ‘timed’ lunch hour though and am (rarely) able to take longer if I have a gap in my day, or (frequently) take 5 mins to microwave some leftovers and return to my desk eating them. That was the same when I was office based.

There is a company rule to try not to book internal meetings between 12-2 so that people do have the opportunity for a lunch hour. About half of my colleagues stick to it.

I work in school so my lunch break (half an hour unpaid) is spent with lunch at my desk so that I can easily be accessed to give first aid, ring parents of children who have just realised they forgot their lunch, sort out queries from the lunch hall about lunch orders etc. Fortunately the microwave is relatively close to my office so I can keep reheating on days I order (and pay for) a school dinner.

Occasionally I try to sit in the staff room for my 30 minutes but it NEVER works. There is always a child needing first aid / medication and / or a parent showing up at reception with a query (that could have been handled by email).

My hours have been changed for this year so I only have a “lunch break”one day a week now and my hours are compressed so that I finish earlier and have my “break” after my paid hours.

I’m in a better position than the teachers though because I can have drinks and snacks at my desk while I’m working.

@CloudPop ah ok, thanks for clarifying - I am not "expecting" anything - I know it's done - as it was done in my old workplaces (the one I wasn't allowed breaks, everyone else did get a full hour and many did this) and the one before I got a full hour and it was pretty normal to do something active (gym on site), shower, and then eat at our desks.

I am just not sure what is the done thing now returning to a new job and new work locations in a different situation and don't want to get people backs up, but really want my hour - it i eat in that hour that is fine, if I can use it to do something sporty once a week, that would be awesome too.

But I just want to know what is the status quo now.

Go for a walk, often that involves to the shops/market to grab something for dinner. Then I usually eat at my desk later in the day.

I eat at my desk, go to the shop and get something to eat, browse local shops sometimes, social media at my desk, I could walk 3 mins down the road and eat on the seafront but I don't.

WFH- get an hour’s lunch. I walk the dog for 50 mins, come back, make a cup of tea and grab something to eat for lunch and then back at my desk (eat at my desk!)

Varies - all of the following - eat at my desk , read my personal email, sit outside if weather ok and eat lunch, read kindle, walk to shops to buy lunch, colour , from say Oct onwards browse internet for Christmas gifts - read MN Christmas bargain thread

I nip to the shops, go home (10 mins drive each way) Go for a walk, I can do a decent 2 mile circuit in 30-40 minutes.

I tend to work through my lunch on a Monday, as it's my busiest day and eat a sandwich at my desk or go in the "breakout room" just to have 10 minutes away from my screen.

A gym has opened across the road from work, which I've joined and been a grand total of once on my lunch break since May 🙄🤣 3 mins to get across, 40 mins exercise, 10 mins showered and changed & 4 mins to throw down my lunch once I get back!

On the very, very rare occasion I get a break, a walk. Rain or shine. 10 minutes happy tunes, 10 minutes sitting on a bench listening to birds singing, 10 minutes walk back with tunes to gird the elastic on my big girl’s pants. I’ve only managed this 4 times in the last 18 months. Usually I work through any break I get just to keep my head above water.