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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To leave work early if I miss my lunch?

190 replies

leaveitnow1244 · 06/03/2023 20:15

Just that really - if I miss my lunch break am I entitled to leave early and not mention to anyone?

They leave it to us to take lunch breaks but a training course left me with just half hour to take lunch so I didn't bother and left early instead is this bad?

OP posts:
SunshineGeorgie · 06/03/2023 20:16

Well obviously that depends on your job!

How would we know?

IamSmarticus · 06/03/2023 20:16

Not in any place that I've ever worked it isn't allowed, no.

MajorCarolDanvers · 06/03/2023 20:17

No one outside your workplace can possibly answer that.

WandaWonder · 06/03/2023 20:17

I believe there is some employment more that does not allow it

FiddleLeaf · 06/03/2023 20:17

Not in my profession. If you’re meant to finish at 5 and you chose to skip lunch you can’t just take yourself off at 4 without asking.

HyacinthineMacaw · 06/03/2023 20:18

It would be okay if you have flexitime and this is within the rules.

You need to check.

Just assuming it’s okay and leaving without telling anyone, without having found out how it is supposed to work, is a bit odd.

Gazelda · 06/03/2023 20:18

I imagine most workplaces have different policies on this.

Where I work, that wouldn't be acceptable. If you'd cleared it with a manager first, then they might agree.

It's not an entitlement.

fairgame84 · 06/03/2023 20:18

Where I've worked it's been allowed as long as the boss has ok'd it. Never without telling anyone or getting permission first.

AdInfinitum12 · 06/03/2023 20:18

If you work more than 6 hours a day you're entitled to a 20 minute break. This cannot be taken at the end of your shift in order to leave early.

LividNC · 06/03/2023 20:18

You had half an hour? What’s the beef??

dementedpixie · 06/03/2023 20:18

No you can't
Also breaks shouldn't be taken at the start and end of your work day.

RunTowardsTheLight · 06/03/2023 20:19

It would be fine where I work, it's different in other workplaces.

nosyupnorth · 06/03/2023 20:19

It wouldn't be allowed anywhere I've ever worked.
Possibly as a one off you could ask a managers' permission to swap your lunch for an early/late start, but not to just skip lunch and leave on a whim.
Freedom to take lunch at the time of your chosing is usually conditional upon the assumption you with apply common sense and follow general social norms about what a lunchbreak implies.

And even if your place is fine with you taking the last half hour of the day as your lunch, you can't just leave without telling anybody. What if there was a fire alarm and nobody could account for you? FFS.

LittleMrsPerfect · 06/03/2023 20:19

I work in the NHS and legal staffing levels dictate when my shift ends but if you work in a job that doesn’t require minimum staffing numbers and you have had a busy day which lead to no lunch break and your are not dropping your colleagues into the deep end, I don’t see why you couldn’t leave early as breaks are a legal requirement.

However missing lunch regularly to leave earlier would not be fair.

baxtersm · 06/03/2023 20:20

I do it, supposed to work 9-5 but do 9-4 with no lunch break. It's been approved by my manager with no problem at all. I wfh mostly and it felt pointless taking an hours lunch. I love it, it frees me up in the evening for the kids dinner and homework and the never ending activities.

Patapouf · 06/03/2023 20:21

AdInfinitum12 · 06/03/2023 20:18

If you work more than 6 hours a day you're entitled to a 20 minute break. This cannot be taken at the end of your shift in order to leave early.

Exactly this.

BertaHoon · 06/03/2023 20:21

Most places only have half an hour where I've worked.

Usually had to work through it due to nature of job.

No way could we just swan off early.

MarshaMelrose · 06/03/2023 20:22

Where I've worked, lunch was mandatory so if you worked through it, you couldn't claim it back. But they we're time-based jobs where you needed to be in the office for a certain number of hours. But I do know jobs where you're given a certain amount of work and you can leave when you're finished.
I guess it depends which yours is.

GoldenLaurel · 06/03/2023 20:22

I'd have had it when the course ended.

Reminders50 · 06/03/2023 20:22

Yes of course it’s bad op to leave early without telling anyone or asking permission!
Maybe they’d let you if you ask, although I guess you’d know if you were able to work flexibly, but of course you can’t leave early on your own volition

Crazycrazylady · 06/03/2023 20:22

In my workplace . You absolutely couldn't just get up and leave an hour early regardless of having missed lunch without at least saying something .

bhiffandcip · 06/03/2023 20:26

I didn't think legally this was allowed?

PinkTonic · 06/03/2023 20:29

Of course you’re not entitled to leave early without mentioning it to anyone. In some workplaces you’d be awol and subject to a disciplinary.

JoJo10 · 06/03/2023 20:31

We have flexi time but this still wouldn’t be allowed, we still have to take at least 30 minutes lunch.

EarringsandLipstick · 06/03/2023 20:35

baxtersm · 06/03/2023 20:20

I do it, supposed to work 9-5 but do 9-4 with no lunch break. It's been approved by my manager with no problem at all. I wfh mostly and it felt pointless taking an hours lunch. I love it, it frees me up in the evening for the kids dinner and homework and the never ending activities.

Your manager should not have approved this.

Whatever might happen informally, legally, they need to ensure employees take the stipulated rest periods.