To take time off for lunch today despite leaving early?

[tryingmyworst]

I have a maternity appointment at 2 today, so need to leave for 1pm to get there on time (and that’ll be stretching it).

Just wondering if I was being unreasonable to take my half hour lunch break before this? I can’t find anything online to say if I can do this or not.

I wouldn’t bother at all but I have horrendous sickness still in the second trimester and feel much better after some food. I don’t have time to go shops this morning for something at my desk so it’ll be staff cafe.

AIBU?

@andtheHossyourodeinon

You're posting in AIBU so going to get a lot of people who haven't been pregnant commenting saying you are taking the piss

#My guess would be that pretty much everyone saying that has been pregnant.

Alternatively I've never been pregnant and I don't think she's taking the piss!

you’re entitled to 20 minute break per 6 hours of work. Assuming OP started at 9am that’s not 6 hours.

I think that as it's paid, she's technically working during the maternity appointment. and therefore is due her lunchbreak - but that's the basic legal entitlement anyway - OP's contract may give her more than that.

When I had official hours, if I was taking a half day off, then I (and everyone else) still took lunch. If I worked 9-5:30, with 30 minute lunch at 1, I started my half day at 1. I didn't work my lunch and go home at 1:30.

You are entitled to a lunch break and to time off for maternity appointments.
It's not a 'piss take' to avail yourself of your legal entitlement
But she's not entitled to an hour's break after working 3 so it really does depend on how long and what she gets paid for

It's really disheartening to see how many posters think there is nothing wrong with taking that time extra just because they are entitled to it (although in that case it's not even sure), yet are probably the same who would shout outrage if they wanted some flexibiity and understanding from a boss who was acting in accordance with the organisation policies.

So much take but unwillingness to give it's no surprise managers become disheartened and uncaring.

I do however agree with the poster that it will depend on attitude at other times. If OP has shown to go over her responsibities/hours at other times, rarely been sick, given up their lunch break at time of high pressure, it will be seen very different than if she has a habit of sticking to the minimum required and a history of sick days, and cutting short her hours.

But she's not entitled to an hour's break after working 3 so it really does depend on how long and what she gets paid for

SleepingStandingUp She hasn’t mentioned anything about taking an hour’s break; read the OP properly.

Take both the lunch break and the appointment time and enjoy both.

Entitled or not, it's a small snippet of your life at work and doesn't affect anyone else's pay regardless.

@TreestumpsAndTrampolines no she is not working during the maternity appointment.

The entitlement is 20 mins after 6 hours of work.

Contractually she has half hour for her full day of employment.

It’s whether she contractually has half an hour for a 4 hour day or not that counts.

That’s not “taking your lunch”. That’s working four hours and then leaving, because you’re paid 8 hours and taking 4 hours leave.

You can't really take a 'lunch' break if you're leaving at 1pm. But I totally understand needing to eat - I'm sure you could manage to find a sandwich somewhere if you left at 12:45 instead.

You're not taking the piss op.Taking the piss would be napping at work whilst pregnant which i may or my not have done in the past

Of course have lunch. Why wouldn't you?

Also, leave in good time for your appointment (so take your lunch break early enough).

When you and your colleagues have a work meeting in the afternoon, do you all miss lunch, because you'll be leaving the office afterwards? No? Well this is no different.

I wouldn't have a lunch break, honestly. I would leave another 10-15 minutes early so that I could grab something on the way.

@museumum

You can't really take a 'lunch' break if you're leaving at 1pm. But I totally understand needing to eat - I'm sure you could manage to find a sandwich somewhere if you left at 12:45 instead.

Of course she can Clearly you’ve never worked shift work when your lunch break could be at any time of the day.

I’d eat something on the way.

How depressing that on a parenting forum so many people criticise you for actually wanting to have a few minutes to eat something before a maternity appointment.

If you work a 9-5 job I wouldn’t be surprised if your boss asks you to return after the appointment if you take the lunch break, even if it’s for less than an hour by the time you returned.

Are you going back to work after your appointment given it's early afternoon? If you are, then I think it's OK to take a short a short break to get some food. If you're not going back and effectively taking the whole afternoon off for a 2pm appointment, then you really can't. Regardless of what you're entitled to, it would look really bad.

@SleepingStandingUp

You are entitled to a lunch break and to time off for maternity appointments. It's not a 'piss take' to avail yourself of your legal entitlement But she's not entitled to an hour's break after working 3 so it really does depend on how long and what she gets paid for

OP doesn't say anything about an hour long lunch break.

She has pregnancy sickness and needs to eat. The only way that she can do that today is in the staff cafe. She cannot be in the staff cafe and be travelling to her antenatal appointment at the same time. Ergo, she needs to take a lunch break before she goes.

KatieGGGG actally, OP is entitled to take reasonable time off work to travel to and attend antenatal appointments without loss of pay however long she has worked there and however many hours she works. So she is 'working' in a legal sense ie being paid during that time.

@christinarossetti19 no - she is not “working in a legal sense”.

Contractually she has half hour for her full day of employment.

It’s whether she contractually has half an hour for a 4 hour day or not that counts.

That’s not “taking your lunch”. That’s working four hours and then leaving, because you’re paid 8 hours and taking 4 hours leave.

Right - which is what is also happening here - working the morning, having lunch, then going to her appointment as she is perfectly entitled to do. Not allowing a pregnant woman to have lunch because she has an appointment is definitely unreasonable. Pregnant women are entitled to reasonable accommodations, and time to for appointments without penalty.

I’m pregnant and have an appointment next week I have to leave at about 1pm to make, I won’t take a lunch break before, feels like I’m taking the piss to go for lunch and then leave. I’ll grab a sandwich at my desk and carry on working until I leave for the appointment. I’m working from home though at a desk not doing something where I can’t work and eat. You should have made a packed lunch to eat at your desk.

How depressing that on a parenting forum so many people criticise you for actually wanting to have a few minutes to eat something before a maternity appointment
That's not what posters have said. She doesn't want a few minutes but half an hour which much longer than what is required to eat a sandwich.

Considering the title is LEAVING early, I would doubt OP is going back to work after the appointment.

Are you going back to work after your appt?

What a disappointing thread. The idea that unless OP has previously gone over and above- i.e., provided free labour- she should feel bad about having both lunch and time to attend her antenatal appointment makes me feel a bit sick.

That the statutory minimum is 20 minutes break per 6 hours work does not mean anything here. My contract gives me more than the bare bones minimum annual leave and working breaks, my pay is more than minimum wage, my sick pay would be more than SSP, if I were to have more children my maternity pay would be more than SMP- should I say "oh no, I can't have any of those, they are more than the minimum?" Of course not. So why does the 20 minutes/ 6 hours minimum apply to this situation? It doesn't. Some of you should have "kick us harder please" tattooed on your faces.

@TheHomelands2020

You're at work, leaving at 1, already on Mumsnet?? Plus you want to take a lunch break. Glad you don't work for me .

😂

Lots of people start work at 0900.
She’s leaving at 1 for a maternity related appointment.
She’s legally entitled to a lunch break.
I expect she’s glad she doesn’t work for you, either.

You’re entitled to both and YANBU to take both, especially since regular food is a good thing when pregnant. If it was me, I would try to have as short a lunch break as I could (assuming you haven’t been working for six hours already).

Hope the appointment goes well.