To ask if you take your lunch break?

[moutonfou]

I'm lucky to have been in a job where people are encouraged to take their whole lunch break, away from the desk.

I'm on lunch break in a new job now and there seem to be quite a number of desk eaters. I really hope it's not that kind of place. Of course if it's a particularly busy day, I'll happily shorten or skip lunch, but I won't work through lunch on a normal day, where my work's all on track, just for the sake of presenteeism.

What's the norm for others?

I've worked in PR for twenty years and it's very rare to have a lunch break. It's a very demanding job, nothing to do with time management being poor. You simply can't swan off for an hour, sadly.

We're a small office and I bring my lunch in so I often eat at my desk but I do normally take my break, either by going out for a walk (we're not far from the sea), reading, or looking at non work related stuff online. Not overly keen on eating alone outside.

Yep. My boss is really good and makes everyone take their lunch. We get 30 minutes unpaid and then 10 minutes paid "tea" break later in the day. Everyone has to take both.

I work in retail but I accept I'm very luck to have an understanding boss who encourages us to take breaks, take five minutes if we need to, and lets us have unlimited tea/coffee/biscuits!

I always take my lunch if I can help it (sometimes shit happens and it's shorter).We can eat at our desk throughout the day though which is useful.
Can pop out to town, go for a walk, sit on a bench down the road, or there's kitchens you can eat and chill in.
Sometimes I'm at my desk on the internet etc. for lunch, but more likely to be roped into work stuff if I'm around, so try to clear off!

rainybo I'm also an anti-social luncher, so usually have a book with me if in the kitchens, or headphones, so am not disturbed

There's only 4 of us and we usually eat at our desks but stop working and have a catch up. We also finish up early at times and can take calls whenever, make cuppas whenever and pop to shops post office etc when needed. Swings and roundabouts, no one takes the piss. I suppose if I wanted to work to rule and vanish for half an hour all the other wee perks would soon dry up!

Other days my bum barely touches my seat in the office and lunch is a banana and a fag in the car 😅😅

I have to run home to let out the dog as I don't like to leave him more than 3hrs. As lunch is 30 mins I don't have time to eat.

Sit at my desk because otherwise the only place to go is a tiny cafe that's only really for people who buy their lunch there, and I bring my own. Plus there's no mobile signal we're in the middle of nowhere so if I sit at my desk, at least I can read the news, do online shopping, personal emails, Facebook, etc. I only get half an hour so I also find it better to do this than to be waiting in a queue for most of my break.

My last job (im a sahm at the moment) you just couldnt leave the office. Phones constantly rang during lunch hours and we were not permitted to leave calls unanswered. The office was too small for any sort of cover so you were forced to stay put, eat at your desk and carry on regardless.

DH never gets a lunch break. He's in emergency services. There isn't any cover available and the public don't like the response that 'someone will be with you once they've finished their lunch break'. Funny how the public also dont like to see emergency service staff buying food during their very long 12 hour shifts either

Not allowed to eat at my desk

Yes. Always have a 20 min walk to warm up and stop my back from hurting.

Yes, we're not allowed to eat warm food anywhere else but in the "common room" or to go out and find a restaurant or a canteen.

I wfh now so generally I take 30m. Previously worked in the city centre and generally took it. Often people will schedule meetings over lunch though and then there's no choice (oblivious to time zones...) previously have worked on a grim industrial estate and then what's the fucking point? Then it was either desk lunch plus read the news or hang out with colleagues, this option one every time.

I don't get a lunch break, never have. Morning theatre list ends at 1pm, afternoon theatre list starts at 1.15 and I have to see / assess all the afternoon patients in that 15 min.

I work from home and take an hours walk on the beach to clear my head and get more steps in for the day.

This thread makes me feel very lucky about where I work!
We get an hour for lunch
Can eat at our desks whenever (I eat pretty much ALL day!)
We have a staff room
And we are right on the edge of a retail park with loads of cafes and shops etc etc

I'd be demented with an hour for lunch. I'd rather get home 30 minutes earlier!

I eat at my desk. DH isn't entitled to a break and comes home ravenous.

HCP and not looking forward to the next three days...3 12hr shifts back to back so my eating pattern is screwed until Sunday. It's a thing of eat what you can, when you can!

So sandwiches, snacks, fruit, crisps - anything at any time if you have a spare minute or eat whilst you do paperwork, with one hand! Also usually eaten standing up in the kitchen really quickly...I survive on crap food in work because it's the only thing to eat cold and/or in this way!

We know it's not right but sadly the needs of our clients don't stop just because we need to eat ourselves. I can't wait to finish my diploma so I can get a job that has a proper defined lunch hour!

I take a break too at lunch time. I always go out for a walk, if the weather is good I walk around the streets / park and if it is not I go to the library or just walk up and down inside the large supermarket...

I go out maybe 70% of the time and eat at my desk the other 30%. I rarely work through lunch, it's just that I browse the net or work on personal things at my computer in my lunch hour.

I don't know why it affects you what others are doing? I do what I want, not what the person next to me is doing...

We have quite a few lunch meetings grrrrrr

I work in catering so it's usually quite busy at dinner time. I have ten-fifteen minutes on a 9 hour shift, and even then I feel guilty for being out of the kitchen for too long!

Very rarely do I get a lunch break. I like to get my head really focussed and not be disrupted by breaks. I could if I wanted but I'd rather finish early on a Friday.