This shouldn't be allowed & I have ruined my life

[deli00]

I work in a call centre ( currently wfh) 12.5 hours

07.45-20.15 one 30 minute break

Im allowed personal breaks but I'm expected to tell the team when I am going for a wee , poo etc and tell them when I return on teams .

I can't cope with this set up much longer :( my back and hips hurt .

Surely it's not allowed to only have one 30 min break . Also I feel I have ruined my life going into this type of work.

www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work

@CoffeeRunner yes but I would have to tell everyone on the chat , for example " just making a drink" . Colleagues don't check our phone status ( they should ) so just call us when they want to put calls through so u always have to keep explaining what your doing all shift

I work 3 days

@Soontobe60

I believe you're entitled to 30 mins break every 5 hours.

The law is a twenty minute break after six hours and there is no law for any further breaks later in a shift. Shocking I know, but bad law basically.

[quote deli00]@SchrodingersImmigrant there's several others answering the same phone line. [/quote]
Yeah, still I would get of you had to say Away from Phone or something, but details are odd.

Anyway, someone earlier posted the link, just posted it again so peopel can see it above

Thats awful op
Where are you based in the country? Is there much opportunities around to look for something else?

Ive worked in contact centres and managed contact centres and wouldnt stand for this

@snapple21

It is the same in the NHS so some posters are mistaken. We are entitled to 30 mins in a 12.5 hour shift. It's not ideal no.

Was going to say the same! Although we are allowed to get a drink when we want.

I wfh sometimes too and if I'm away from my home desk have to let my teammates know. I don't go into detail though, just say I'm nipping to the loo/making a quick brew.

@FTEngineerM

You’re using a VDU it is not!!! 30 minutes in 12.5 hours.

You’re entitled to more eye breaks than that.

Eye breaks are not rest breaks and they are a recommendation not an entitlement

An eye break could be the loo break or the note writing - it's only a break from the screen.

PP is correct. You are only entitled a 20 minute break. It’s terrible isn’t it.

I’m not sure if it’s worse that you are sitting down or it would be worse if you were standing up all day.

@CeeCee2021 Leeds

@BeforeThisThenWhat thank you for the info .

I did standing up job and my back wasn't this bad

@Tanfastic It's a long shift when I have to say just getting a drink , just stretching my legs. Just moving upstairs etc 12.5 hours to explain things that take seconds

Is it a well known company? Get on glassdoor and leave an honest review

Yes they have terrible reviews from customers and staff . I need to leave

I worked at a call centre years ago and I felt that the monitoring was excessive. Supervisors monitoring us and our stats analysed, break times monitored etc. and the repetition.of the workI felt all trust and autonomy was taken away from me and you are infantilised, given no independence.
it must be worse now, it sounds a very long shift, like the human equivalent of being a battery hen!
Is there any chance of splitting the shift over two days?

I worked in call centres for 5.5 years, and so I totally feel your pain. When you work in one you feel like they control your life and often for an absolute pittance.

My advice is (and I know it is hard from when I did it) but you need to get out of call centres, it is understandably making you miserable and you deserve better.

When I worked in one they unfortunately just about stuck to what was legal (their toe was almost over the line sometimes but never quite.).

ACAS are great. Ask them about your breaks.

Sounds awful... can you retrain?

Working conditions will get worse too. EU regulations were what gave us the maternity leave, minimum holiday, etc. That is all going.

They don't need to know what you're doing but they need to know that you're unavailable. Have you tried generic "comfort break 10 mins" or "unavailable 5 mins"?

Jaysus

You shpuldn't have to code a break or explain it

If you do, i'd say you were going for a smoke.

Call centre conditions must have gotten a lot worse,
I did it about 25 years ago, maybe I just had a nice company.

If your back is bad it's probably your whole desk set and positioning

Do you have on occupational health type team who can help

@LunaHeather

Jaysus

You shpuldn't have to code a break or explain it

If you do, i'd say you were going for a smoke.

Call centre conditions must have gotten a lot worse,
I did it about 25 years ago, maybe I just had a nice company.

They're not all like this

That sounds gruelling OP, a really long shift for that type of work.

Wow and I thought my call centre job was bad.

I work 7 hr shifts with 2 x 15 min breaks and 1 x 30 min break. Can use a comfort code to go to the loo or get water without having to give anyone specifics.

If I feel like I'm chained to the phone all day god knows how you must feel!

You have all my sympathy and I really hope you find something better. This really doesn't sound healthy!