Do you suffer from "lunch-ism" at work?

[justdivein]

Like many people I'm working from home at the moment. On paper we can take lunch whenever we like, and for me that is usually at 12, because that's when I get hungry, and when my DH (who is working in another room) also gets hungry. Our daily lunch date is one of the perks of working from home.

However ... in a bid to improve the work-life balance of people who are too disorganised to mark their preferred lunch time in their online calendar , so end up with back-to-back meetings, our management now suggests that everyone should generally avoid booking meetings between 1-2pm. So, all of a sudden:

1. the preferred lunchtime of (presumably approximately) 50% of staff is considered less sacrosanct than that of the other 50% of staff,
2. my tentatively reserved 12-1 slot is being regularly and un-apologetically breached in order to leave the 1-2 slot free,
3. if I want to protect my preferred lunch slot, whilst also respecting the 1-2pm curfew, the combined effect is a significant reduction in the number of meeting slots available to book.

Rant over ... it's time to draw a line in the sand ... I'm off to convert my tentative lunch booking into a fully blocked out slot.

Except I don’t get a lunch break even though I’m entitled to 30 minutes so YABU for getting an hours lunch! 😂

@PinkFondantFancy

That's lovely I'm sure. I value my job even more than an hour with my husband though. I'm saving 2.5 hours a day at the moment not commuting - that's lots of time back with my family, I don't need to take the piss of out it and demand a lunch break with them every single day as well.

But that you PinkFondant . OP may not have a long commute and we don’t knows why she’s WFH. Some people value their lunch break and there’s nothing wrong with that. It takes discipline to switch off for an hour, I admire them.

I think its fine to take 12-1 as your lunch. Just block it out properly in your diary. Nobody needs 7 hours of meetings per day so hopefully you will have at least 2 hours without meetings.
Luckily I tend to be the one organising meetings so can choose a time that suits me, but will avoid 12-2 if at all possible.
I know a company that has banned meetings on a Friday, which is even better.

I couldn't get worked up about this, sorry. If you know you have a meeting, adjust your routine accordingly. Pretty sure most people have to do that?

Be glad you have a lunch hour at all. I've ended up on zoom calls from 10-14 while pregnant and forced to wait till 1400 when about to faint.
Christ that is ridiculous. You're risking your health to work through lunch? Either eat during the zoom meeting or tell them your having some lunch like you know you are LEGALLY ENTITLED TO

You’re lucky to have a lunch hour at all.

This attitude is why employers across the UK continue to treat employees like shite.

@snappycamper

I'm with you OP. Why do others preferences trump yours?!

Why does OP's preference trump that of others? 🤷‍♀️

I'm saving 2.5 hours a day at the moment not commuting - that's lots of time back with my family, I don't need to take the piss of out it and demand a lunch break with them every single day as well.

Your commute is irrelevant. If you were in the office some people who lived next to it would have no commute, some have a bigger commute. Your working day starts at whatever time you get to the office, or nowadays, when you log on. It isnt taking the piss to take your legal minimum break. Have a look on the HSE website to see what that is depending on your hours.

I also eat earlier, actually at 11:30 as this is when I get hungry as I don't take breakfast. I would not be happy to wait until 1 pm and would end up nervous and with headache. I block this time in my calendar and do not allow anyone to book anything then unless there is a "save the world" important meeting in which case I compromise or alternatively eat during the meeting. I disagree that employer should insist on specific time slot for lunch time unless you work in store or similar.

I don't understand the word lunch hour. I grab something at 1.30! Having been on since 7.30

Ridiculous competitive martyrdom on this thread! Are so many posters so close to being unemployable that they put up with shitty employers, or is it more delusions of indispensability?

As an NHS doctor, I have no concept of an hour set aside for lunch at lunchtime. We generally get to finally inhale our sandwich at 4pm while typing letters etc. Forgive me if I’m less than sympathetic to this one......

A lunch hour? Where I work we get just 30 minutes. I'm back to back with meetings either side of this. It feels so relentless.

I have always preferred 12 for lunch, and I do have breakfast so it’s not that I’ve skipped on that but it’s when the hunger hits me and I’m not very productive when I carry on working until 1pm.

But I think you’re going to have to role with this one. It makes sense and it is a more typical lunch time. Every company I’ve worked for have had it as their standard time, I’ve just taken it earlier when I can

@whitechocolatespaceegg

A lunch hour? Where I work we get just 30 minutes. I'm back to back with meetings either side of this. It feels so relentless.

It’s typically not paid though

Are so many posters so close to being unemployable that they put up with shitty employers, or is it more delusions of indispensability?

Neither of those. Industry norms. I work in consultancy, so we sell our time. Factoring in hour long lunch breaks for everyone when we price jobs would render us very uncompetitive.

My lunch is blocked out 12pm - 1pm. Any meetings are declined. We have to fit in around each other though and if i don't decline I won't get a lunch as I'll encroach on someone else's break. I'm an early eater. I'd more likely eat at 11am than 1pm.

@TheKeatingFive

Are so many posters so close to being unemployable that they put up with shitty employers, or is it more delusions of indispensability?

Neither of those. Industry norms. I work in consultancy, so we sell our time. Factoring in hour long lunch breaks for everyone when we price jobs would render us very uncompetitive.

Are you contracted to work 9 hours per day and only getting paid for 8?

If so you do have a lunch break, but you are expected to work through it for free despite producing billable hours

Ridiculous competitive martyrdom on this thread! Are so many posters so close to being unemployable that they put up with shitty employers, or is it more delusions of indispensability?
As pp said, neither of these. I value being given the opportunity to manage my own time. I work my contracted hours, work hard and leave as early as possible. I then have time to spend as I want, not sat on a lunch break I dont need which will prolong my working day.

I'm not WFH but I take my lunch at 2 everyday. I work 8-4 so by time I come back from lunch I only have 1.5 hours left. DP thinks my logic is a bit nuts but it makes perfect sense to me. I would hate to take my lunch at 12.

Are you contracted to work 9 hours per day and only getting paid for 8?

I’m contracted for 37 hours or whatever and I work as many as it takes to get the job done. That could be 40, 50, 60.

So in theory, I could insist on a lunch hour I guess, but that would just be another 5 hours in the week id have to find.

Also, as no one ever takes proper lunch breaks, meetings are scheduled during that period all the time.

XiCi that's different to the competitive martyrs saying that they cannot possibly take a break (rather than choose not to in order to finish early).

My father was an NHS doctor and hospital canteen lunches or coming home for lunch were very much a feature of his work days. I work in healthcare too and an unpaid break is built into my shifts so of course I take it, though sometimes/ often it isn't uninterrupted.

It's the string of competitive comments trying to outdo each other about not knowing what a lunch break is and inhaling sandwiches in desk jobs that's ridiculous. If it's a choice you make not to have a lunch break to finish early then don't try to say that the OP is spoilt - you could do the same but choose not to. If you do a desk job that doesn't help anyone except the shareholders then don't make yourself miserable working under shitty conditions unless you can't find anything better!

Putting up with shitty exploitative employers isn't a badge of honour unless it's a choice between that and not being able to feed and shelter your dependents.

I can see your point but I have to avoid others lunch breaks so I have a choice of 11-12 or 2-3. I prefer 2-3. Something to look forward to and only 2 hours left when I get back 😁

@TheKeatingFive

Are you contracted to work 9 hours per day and only getting paid for 8?

I’m contracted for 37 hours or whatever and I work as many as it takes to get the job done. That could be 40, 50, 60.

So in theory, I could insist on a lunch hour I guess, but that would just be another 5 hours in the week id have to find.

Also, as no one ever takes proper lunch breaks, meetings are scheduled during that period all the time.

Arr I see. Tbh most days I would prefer a half hour break if it meant I could leave a bit earlier, so I understand you don’t want to extend your day to take one. This culture does ruffle my feathers but mostly because I’ve been there