Missed 3 hours of lunch break

[ThereIsNoLeftFalangie]

AIBU to feel quite pissed off that I've missed out on 3 hours of my lunch break.
Work in a school, have been on quite a few trips for the last term. On trips the children get 30 mins lunch with staff eating alongside and supervising. Normally at school staff will get an hour lunch which is not paid. I don't mind missing out 30mins on the odd trip but it's taking the micky when im owed 2 hours. We're all expected to do things out of goodwill but thoses favours are never reciprocated by management. If they had to pay me for all the times I've worked passed my finish time they'd be in for a shock. Should I mention the 3 hours im owed?

This must be a joke! I actually cannot remember the last time I took an hour for lunch, despite the fact I'm paid to work a 35 hour week so I don't get paid for the lunch hour. Add in all the times I stay late - I might just have to ask for a three month paid sabatical as compensation!

I'm a teacher, I don't get a break at all throughout the day.
It's full on untill around 3:30, then I can actually get work done on my own.

Ofc, we should be legally entitled to a break at lunch, but as a teacher the students will always encroach on that time and you end up with zero.

Oh well

Teaching for many years, getting a lunch break with infants was nigh on impossible- lunch break=tidying up after the morning lessons, finding a couple of children to read, making sure everyone has changed their reading book (so no parents in compaining at 3:30), letters into bookbags, party invitations secretly put into bags so no child upset, email to parent who has emailed during the morning expecting a response, setting up for the afternoon lessons, checking little Mary has eaten lunch/had her medicine/looked for her lost jumper as per parent's request, 5 minutes to go to loo, 5 minutes to grab a sandwich and cup of coffee...back to afternoon teaching.
Going on a trip, although hugely stressful due to the responsibility of caring for all those children out of school, I was always glad that I didnt have to spend all evening marking 90 books to the expected Ofsted standard, so at least 2/3 hours saved there.

I’m a nurse and my colleagues and I work do many hours over and above.., the whole NHS is run on the goodwill of its staff

God I really feel awful for teacher in the UK...I’m one of over 30 staff in a primary school and we always get our breaks!The only time we get a reduced break is when we are on duty!! Children don’t come anywhere near the staff room at break times...that’s what the staff on yard duty are for!

Maybe ensuring staff get breaks could be a part of the new well being initiative someone mentioned in a thread yesterday??

I don't know why we have this attitude in this country - that you have to accept working so hard it's considered ok and part of the job not to have a break. It's not ok and the sooner people realise this the better.

Teachers and TAs work bloody hard - why shouldn't they have a proper break? It's awful that people are made to feel bad for resenting lack of breaks.

It doesn't matter how common this is, it shouldn't be. Stop being martyrs and stand up for what you're entitled to.

And maybe if more people would stand up and be 'that person' then it would have some influence and become less acceptable to make people work without breaks. They're employees not bloody slaves FFS.

@twosoups1972 YES!!

I'm a TA/key worker in a special school. I hate it when teachers say 'MY TA'...no we're not your minion.

As for breaks, I get 20 minutes and if I didn't I'd end up killing someone.

You are not really owed three hours as it was not a normal day. I do think you should be paid for the half hour lunches where you are eating with and supervising children.

Welcome to life in a school! Be grateful you're not a teacher being given an entire scheme of work to write over your 'holiday' or sitting up til 1am marking books every night. Basically, suck it up!

This is completely by the by, but all staff who go on residentials at our school get a day off in lieu, of their choosing. Most other things we just swallow. That said I took a cup of tea into class this afternoon since I had been on a short trip since 8am needed to get straight to class on our return, and was parched. That raised a few eyebrows!

I work in a private company work through lunch everyday except maybe once a month and sometimes not even that! Get in early and stay late, no overtime, no time in lieu. YABU!

I don't even take a lunch break 95% of the time. I'm not saying that's ok but I don't think it's a major issue for you if it's just 3 hours.

what's a lunch break! Is this a wind up?

I'm training to be a TA and I know teachers and TA's that's get 30/45 mins sometimes they just eat with the children

To be honest as an ex teacher when it came to trips everyone I worked with teachers and TA’s all accepted that it would be a longer day but also saw it as a way of doing something different with the kids and a way to build relationships. Most of my ta’s enjoyed the chance to be out of the classroom doing something different from the norm. So sorry it’s a suck it up situation in my mind

Lunch break? What's that? Self employed hairdresser here.

People saying that if you're "salaried" you don't get paid by the hour. Of course choose you do. People in salaries are paid to work a set number of hours a week. Anything above is and should be overtime unless you contract says otherwise. I work in the private sector and my boss will offer some sort of compensation for people that work trough their lunch hour. They will at least be allowed to leave early if they request it.

Try working for the NHS. It's a fucking good week if I've only worked an extra 3 hours for free.

@NitNat68, So you accept being treated as a slave by your company. Don't fight for your rights and think that OP is being unreasonable?

What’s a lunch break?

Loving all the competitive non lunch break takers.

If you’re working for free, you’re a mug.

Thats normal for working in a school. I have been away with school recently and wasn't paid for the extra hours I worked. I didn't expect to be. I also work extra every day. Paid from 9am, usually in by 8.30am. I am a teaching assistant. Just means if I need to leave earlier or start later for any reason permission will be given.

I think the OP has every right to be annoyed, but unfortunately needs to weigh up whether raising the issue is worth it if insisting on taking breaks owed is not the norm in her work culture.

The race to the bottom and competitive working above and beyond your hours on this thread is depressing. Employers must not believe their luck at some of the martyr like dedication posted about on threads like this.

And on the TA issue - interesting that this is a low paid job predominantly done by women. I wonder if a comparable low paid job done predominantly by men could get away with expecting unpaid overtime, minimal lunch breaks etc? I suspect not.