To want to take my lunch breaks

[myusernamewastaken]

I work in retail but the nature of the business is that we work alone....sometimes our shifts are 8 or 9 hours long....in order to take a break i have to close my office and put a sign up saying when i will return....this is resulting in angry customers who are pissed off at waiting 30 mins for me to return....last week one customer made a complaint to head office as he had to wait 15 mins....aibu to take my breaks....?

No you are not unreasonable. Your company are unreasonable to put you in a position where you feel guilty for taking them

Not unreasonable at all. You are entitled to a break and doing 8/9 hours without one is a long time ( well it is for me)

Enjoy your break, you leave a sign informing what time your back so customers can suck it up! Some people are so rude.

YANBU to take your breaks. Are they at regular times? I'm sure if the closed times were clearly available that customers would be less likely to moan. If they are displayed then customers are BU

so you work alone in a chain shop all day.
You are not wrong in taking your breaks, but as someone who needs to shop during my lunch hour... could you take 2 smaller breaks either side of lunch?

If you work more than 6 hours you are entitled to a rest break of 20 mins

For security reasons we cannot take breaks at set times..we just decide on the day and put the sign up x

Is it a bureau de change by any chance? I used to work in one and had this. We had a little clock to put up to show when we'd be back.

You have a legal right to take your breaks. Take them.

Could you take breaks at the same time everyday and just have opening times on the door? People might be less annoyed if you were shut at the same time everyday.

That being said, this isn't your fault. You're entitled to a break. But for the sake of keeping customers happy, it might make more sense to have your break at regular times so people aren't kept waiting unnecessarily.

Passive fuck that, why should she? Your lunch break wouldn't necessarily be the same as OP's anyway if she takes it at a different time every day

FWIW when I worked in a bureau de change I did split it into two short breaks but that was only because 9 hours with only one half hour break is excruciatingly dull when you're working alone.

Hermione OP has already said she can't do that for security reasons.

A regular break is an easy target for a robbery.

Op can't have her break at set times due to security of where she works, she's already said that

X-posted.

They either need to cover your breaks or accept they're going to get complaints. Don't not take your breaks!