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?

[KatieGGGG]

@TreestumpsAndTrampolines no - she’s leaving at 1pm the question is about taking a 30 minute break within those 4 hours.

Leaving earlier for appointment and eating on the way would have made more sense, but I wonder if this is done on the basis she won’t have to return to work after the appointment.

[TheStripes]

@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 .

It’s quite clear from the OP’s posts that she starts work at 9am so three comments from her, with one being at 9.01 (and another ten mins earlier saying she is logging on then). What exactly do you object to about people starting work early and commenting on their own time?

Glad I don’t work for someone as judgemental and ignorant about the law regarding lunch breaks as you.

[TreestumpsAndTrampolines]

Leaving earlier for appointment and eating on the way would have made more sense, but I wonder if this is done on the basis she won’t have to return to work after the appointment.

She has to eat. There is a staff canteen, it's not possible to eat on the way, so yes, she has to take that time before she leaves for the appointment. It's a reasonable accommodation. Who knows how long it takes to get lunch at the canteen. Perhaps we're coming at this from different directions, but when I read 'WIBU to take my half hour lunch break' I pretty much assumed that it was because that is how long it would take to get lunch - not that she'd be sitting there for exactly 30 minutes reading a book.

[dontdisturbmenow]

she should feel bad about having both lunch and time to attend her antenatal appointment makes me feel a bit sick
Except that it appears highly likely that she also get the time afterwards that she would otherwise be back at work.

[burritofan]

They don't have to give you an hours lunch, you're legally entitled to 20 minutes and they dont have to pay you for it so don't take the piss.
Have you seen OP’s contract or are you talking out your bum?

OP, it’s fine – leave in plenty of time to eat and to travel to the appointment, there’s no sense in cutting it fine and stressing yourself out.

[Catlover77]

You are taking the piss. It will be noticed. You should have taken food it’s you to ear at your desk/whilst travelling

[Catlover77]

With you to eat

[RedskyAtnight]

I think part of the difficulty is that it will take so long to get to the appointment. Yes, OP is entitled to time for maternity appointments, but she's also expected to minimise disruption to her job, so when that is an hour to travel there, an hour (possibly by the time she's waited to be seen) for her appointment, and then presumably an hour back - that's quite a lot of time off already. I would think the employer (unless she is driving) could quite reasonably expect her to have lunch whilst travelling.

Th

[aliloandabanana]

I really can't believe the direction this thread is going in. People feeling sick at the thought of a pregnant woman having a half hour lunch break before an antenatal appointment? If the appointment was at 3pm she'd have a lunch break; it's not her fault that the appointment is around lunchtime.

[Boulshired]

I always worry about these sort of posts, advice easily given but having seen unfortunately so many women sidelined after maternity my response would be dependent on sector and company especially in the current climate. The problem having arrived at work without provisions and no way of getting provisions there are not any other options.

[Cheeseandwin5]

@dontdisturbmenow and other posters have hit this on the head.

From my point of view and to add to the previous messages whilst none of us know what your contract hours, I think it also depends on your work, if you are not available will other members have to take on the load?

I wonder if all those saying take your lunch you are entitled are also saying you should be back at work after your appointment.

[Shelby30]

You are absolutely entitled to it. I would probably just eat lunch at my desk though or have an earlier lunch and make it maybe a bit shorter. I suppose depends how busy I was that day. I often used to have my appointments in the morning and wldnt get it work till about 11.30 but I'd still take my lunch break about 1 as I hadn't had lunch.

[AgainstTheCurrent]

You may not really be entitled to a break if you are leaving early and if you normally work until 5 but you are not going back after the appointment then you also receive the benefit of being able to go home early.

That said if YABU or not, depends on how much you like your job and the people you work with. If you get on well and are the type to muck in and help others, nobody is going to begrudge you a break to eat before your appointment. IF you have no plans in going back to this job after the baby and don't think you will stay in touch as such with the people that work there then who cares anyway.

I have always worked even when my DS was little, now own my own business and I can tell you now, my only regrets are not taking out more time for myself and my DS as he was growing up, being worried about what people think! I say as someone who loves her job - you and your happiness and well being are far more important so do what makes you feel happy and less stressed.

[SugarCoatIt]

Just take your lunch OP, if your appointment was at a later time, or an earlier time, then you would have, plus you are entitled to both, and it's only half an hour.

Yes, in hindsight, you could have perhaps been a bit more organised and had something with you, but the reality is it's half an hour and you're entitled to it, and that's the top and bottom of it.

It's not like your manager could say or do anything about it, and it's only other people's opinions at the end of the day.

[Eileithyiaa]

Yeah I'm a manager and I'd just be telling you to do what you need to do and finish at 12:30.

CBA with quibbling over 30 minutes, you're pregnant, need to eat and have an appointment that you're perfectly entitled to attend. People who get their arse in their hand over 30 minutes are probably shite micro-managers. Unless there's underlying issues and you're performance is generally poor, I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

[Eileithyiaa]

Your** before the pedants start

[Wickerbaskets]

Yanbu. You’re allowed to take both, and it’s important that you eat regularly in pregnancy.

Time off for pregnancy appointments is just that - time off. It’s not time you have to make up elsewhere by sacrificing other entitlements you have as part of your job anyway.

[BoingBoingyBoing]

You need to eat.

You need to go to your appointment.

Of course you can take your lunch, people saying otherwise are just being daft.

[HedgehogintheFog]

Yanbu but if it was me, I would leave a bit earlier (you say 1pm is cutting it tight) and pick up/eat lunch on the way.

[CorianderQueen]

I mean if you don't feel you have a choice but to take it just take it. Maybe work an extra 30 mins tomorrow?

Why aren't you going back after the appointment?

[Binkybix]

Some of you are crazy to care about 30 minutes here and there. Maybe it’s the type of job or office that you work in, but so long as I was not missing meetings or not delivering this would not even have occurred to any of my previous bosses.

[tillyandmilly]

I wish I had a job ! Made redundant after 18 years in an admin secretarial role - I wouldn’t push it with taking extra time off ! I have had 5 interviews so far all rejections - applying each day - desperate for a full time job

[christinarossetti19]

I hope that you're successful in your job hunting soon tillyandmilly, it's really demoralising in the current climtate.

But that doesn't detract from OP's need to have a lunch break and attend an antenatal apt this afternoon, which I hope goes well for you OP.

[Gwenhwyfar]

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

Same here.

[Nottherealslimshady]

@burritofan

They don't have to give you an hours lunch, you're legally entitled to 20 minutes and they dont have to pay you for it so don't take the piss.
Have you seen OP’s contract or are you talking out your bum?

OP, it’s fine – leave in plenty of time to eat and to travel to the appointment, there’s no sense in cutting it fine and stressing yourself out.

Whatever is in the contract has been put there by her employer. So if they've chosen to give her a longer dinner break or pay her for that break then it's not because they're legally required to. If staff start taking the piss then they're going to regret that decision to be generous aren't they and they're going to start giving their staff the minimum legal requirements.