How long should your breaks at work be if...

[Mysterian]

...you work from 7:30 - 6:45? That's 11 hours and 15 minutes. I currently get a 15 minute break and half an hour for lunch. Doesn't seem much to me. AIBU in wanting more breakage?

"Yup, nursery for me too. As least we get the huge salary, respect, and the glamour."

Well jobs that require little skill demand little reward especially if they're "desirable" like working with kids seems to be.

07:30 till 20:30 or 20:00 till 08:00. We get one unpaid half hour break. We have access to our own water bottles whenever we like and out employer provides tea, coffee and milk for unlimited hot drinks that we can drink while we work.

Is your comment serious? No skill? I hope you dont have children who are looked after by the staff at nurseries, who are very skilled in what they do!
And tbh i dont see how working in a nursery is desirable, its a job that people train to do

Wow @Elsewyre. I’m fairly sure you’re just trying to get a reaction and I’m falling into the trap but seriously wow. Come and try it out for a week.

I think the OP is reasonable in thinking it should be more. Something like 15 minutes in the morning, more than half hour lunch and 15 minutes in the afternoon.

I'm a midwife - at work 7:30-20:00 or 19:30-08:00 and we get 30 mins (on a good day!)

Wow - I've always worked in admin., and we got 2 x 15 minute breaks and an unpaid hour for lunch!

Little skill? Fuck that! Have you tried looking after and educating a large number of small children?!

@Elsewyre

"Yup, nursery for me too. As least we get the huge salary, respect, and the glamour."

Well jobs that require little skill demand little reward especially if they're "desirable" like working with kids seems to be.

Little skill? No, huge amounts of skill. Not necessarily qualifications, (although you do need them too. Equivalent to 2 A levels) but to get a room of 15 two year olds to do what you want takes more than a little skill.

Desirable? Possibly until people find out about the long hours, low pay/reward, uncaring management, high responsibilities, training requirements, and actual duties (nappies, vomit, paperwork etc) of the job. The sector finds it hard to attract and keep staff.

It could be worse, but should really be better.

Hospitality. Contract says 11.5hrs, twenty mins unpaid break but with free food.

However, we are a good team (and a good company) and if it’s quiet enough we’ll be given an hour. And we can have as many mini breaks for fags or just to stick our heads in the freezer to cool down or whatever. Good managers understand that it’s a full on job and regular breaks are essential. We also get loads of perks and freebies.

Despite having studied employment law many many years ago I was a bit shocked to see how little time my kids got as breaks when they worked long hours in coffee shops. It’s a very physical job and they were on their feet literally the whole time. I’d have been exhausted if I had worked the same hours. They regularly worked longer than 12 hour shifts.

I think everyone should be made to work that type of job for a little while. It’s educational.

I do 12 hour shifts and I get 2.5 hours breaks plus smoking breaks if we want them. I feel very lucky reading this!

Oh, and they are all paid.

Computer worker so screens for 8.5hrs a day
2 x 15 mins (paid)
30 min lunch (unpaid)

Well jobs that require little skill demand little reward especially if they're "desirable" like working with kids seems to be

It's a myth that low pay means low skill.

13 hour day with 15 minutes am break and 45 minutes lunch all unpaid of course. Our country is quite poor in terms of workers rights, we have one of the longest working weeks and amongst the oldest to retire.