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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WFH - am I entitled to a lunch break today?

296 replies

millerjane · 01/06/2020 13:34

I've been lucky enough to work from home during this pandemic. All morning I've been unable to sign in due to a network wide issue (according to the IT help desk). It appears I'm the only person in my team having this issue. Whilst I've been unable to work I have had to message/speak to the IT people and follow their instructions. So obviously I haven;t been working as normal.

But am I entitled to have an hour lunch despite this? Manager just rang me and seemed annoyed when I asked her to ring back in 20 minutes as I was in the middle of lunch (consists of going for a walk and eating my sarnie).

AIBU?

OP posts:
Oly4 · 01/06/2020 22:11

I’d have been annoyed if I were your bos!!
Fwiw I’ve eaten at my desk while working for four solid months now. No lunch breaks..
are people really they set on having an hour for lunch every day? Even when wfh?

RainMustFall · 01/06/2020 22:18

IntermittentParps
RainMustFall, that sounds like hell. And I can't say it makes me respect or admire you.

I suppose I should be devastated except I have no recollection of asking for either from you or anyone. What a bizarre comment. Hmm

It was a while ago as I'm now retired. We worked hard and played hard. The team spirit both in and out of the office was fantastic and we were paid very well. It was a long way from hell.

FlyAwayLikeABird · 01/06/2020 22:31

I'd have taken the call. My boss calls me during lunch atleast twice a week.

BlueJava · 01/06/2020 22:40

I'd have taken the call with good grace.

Ontheboardwalk · 01/06/2020 23:33

IntermittentParps fuck me, I’m a martyr for speaking to my boss/client when they call me WTF.

Me and my client have lots, maybe too many, meetings during the day. Time to call in between meetings especially now can be difficult

I won’t tell my client sorry I can’t talk right now I’ve got an appointment with a cheese butty

KatherineJaneway · 02/06/2020 06:44

You have to be flexible if you are on a grad scheme and want to get on. You couldn't work in the morning so it's not unreasonable to take a lunchtime call, eat your sandwich while working or on a short break after the call and then take your walk at the end of the day.

daisypond · 02/06/2020 07:17

I would have taken the call and had the break later, if you have a choice of timing for your break.
But a break in the middle of the day is important. At the company I work for, we cannot put your break, or half of it, at the end of the day so we can finish earlier. That would lead to disciplinary action. An hour for lunch is normal. We are encouraged to use it and not work through by our managers.
IT issues can often stop you from working altogether. You need to be there to try the different suggestions by the tech team. All of that counts as work. You were there, available and ready to work, and were prevented from doing so.

Theworldisfullofgs · 02/06/2020 07:20

I'd have taken the call too. It would have been better to be flexible.

Aretheystillasleepbob · 02/06/2020 07:21

I’ve WFH for years
, part in office part at home and I have NEVER answered the phone to my boss and said call me back, I’m on a break.
WFH gives enormous flexibility, including when to have lunch and I’d be careful if I were you to show that you are as productive and responsive at home as you would be in the office.

Aridane · 02/06/2020 08:17

If it happened at an office building would they have cancelled your lunch break for this? No. Look after your mental health and always take your breaks

Yes - look after your health and always take your breaks - just take your manager’s call first!

Aridane · 02/06/2020 08:18

People remember the consequences. Again, honestly, in the bustle of a work day I really can't imagine someone holding on to this one, unless they do so deliberately in a 'keeping score' kind of way.

No - but we remember your attitude and general approach

StillCoughingandLaughing · 02/06/2020 08:46

I suppose I should be devastated except I have no recollection of asking for either from you or anyone. What a bizarre comment. Hmm

You didn’t ask outright - but you made a big point of saying how hard you worked as a merchant banker and that the OP should never do it. Which was a bit odd given the thread isn’t ‘Should I become a merchant banker?’

AwwDontGo · 02/06/2020 09:23

I'd have taken the call.

IntermittentParps · 02/06/2020 09:28

I suppose I should be devastated except I have no recollection of asking for either from you or anyone. What a bizarre comment.
Bizarre? To respond to a comment on a chat thread? Confused Could you provide us all with a list of the rules so everyone knows what we all should and shouldn't reply to? Thanks ever so.

No - but we remember your attitude and general approach At least manager on here says they wouldn't give it a second thought if an employee asked to speak to them after lunch instead. Old managers of mine wouldn't have remembered such a tiny thing either, because they were busy managing, rather than keeping score of imagined slights.

fuck me, I’m a martyr for speaking to my boss/client when they call me
No, for 'wolfing down' lunch rather than eating normally.

CatRamsey · 02/06/2020 09:30

Haven't RTFT but YADNBU.

I can't believe how many people think you should've just taken the call. If my manager rang me and I said I was going on lunch they would apologise and reschedule. Unless it was an already arranged call in which case I'd plan my lunch around it.

I totally understand not wanting to eat lunch while working. Ensuring you have a proper lunch break away from the desk and work is strongly recommended especially where mental health is concerned.

Lazypuppy · 02/06/2020 09:37

Having veen on a grad scheme...this is why people hate grads!

You should have eaten lunch when the IT issues were happening. As you were home when boss called you should have taken it.

I agree with boundaries, but you need to be flexible

Aridane · 02/06/2020 09:37

Good luck with your job search!

RaisinsRuinEverything · 02/06/2020 09:45

If I was literally just stepping out of the door I’d have let the call go to voicemail.
You don’t have to tell your boss you’re having lunch. Just do it, and return the call when it’s convenient to you, sounding suitably apologetic.

Teawiththat · 02/06/2020 10:29

WFH gives enormous flexibility, including when to have lunch and I’d be careful if I were you to show that you are as productive and responsive at home as you would be in the office

There's a difference between being granted the opportunity to work from home because it benefits you, and being forced to because of a pandemic. On a grad scheme, you know, the ones where you are supposed to be supported on your development as well as offering the company your skills etc, being away from others is a huge disadvantage. I'm glad my grad scheme was with reasonable employers who didn't expect you to be working 20 hour days with bleeding fingers due to probing your worth. I've been with them for 15 years since and have worked my way up the slippery slope, so having boundaries didn't seem to do any harm Hmm

Teawiththat · 02/06/2020 10:30

Having veen on a grad scheme...this is why people hate grads

We don't, but then again we understand what a grad scheme is meant to be.

Original poster
millerjane · 02/06/2020 10:42

Only just had time to read the thread. I accept I should,ve taken the call but I knew it would involve an hour of making chnges on Excel. Yesterday afternoon I was in back to back meetings so the time I chose to have a break was the only window available.

I'm not a workshy, arrogant grad. Last thurs I went to bed a 1 and woke up at 4 in order to complete a piece of work. However, due to my additional mental health issues working nonstop is a slippery slope. I have developed quite a few eating "rituals" due to my eat disorder. I like to walk when I eat my lunch.

I had spent the first 40 mins of my break cleaning the kitchen and prepping for dinner. I just wanted to walk around my close for some sunshine (eat at the same time). Hopefully you won't think I'm playing the ED card.

And honestly, when my job was all consuming it brought me to a bad place. With the help of my psychiatrist I have developed a much better relationship with my job. It's important for my MH that my job is not be all and end all.

OP posts:
Original poster
millerjane · 02/06/2020 10:45

"Good luck with your job search!"

That's pretty unkind.

When we were back at the office every sigle grad stopped work at 12 and proceeds to hang out in the canteen for the full hour. It's absolutely the done thing and my first line manager said it was "networking" haha

OP posts:
Original poster
millerjane · 02/06/2020 10:47

We have received multiple emails from HR and the wellbeing teams that the lunch break should be respected.

OP posts:
AnnaBanana333 · 02/06/2020 10:51

We have received multiple emails from HR and the wellbeing teams that the lunch break should be respected.

Yes, it should. But the timing needs to be flexible.

IntermittentParps · 02/06/2020 10:57

Yes, it should. But the timing needs to be flexible.

What are you on about?

'the lunch break should be respected' means that if someone says they're on lunch and can you have the conversation later, they need to say yes.