Do you work through lunch breaks if needed?

[Notfatbutchunky]

I work within the nhs high stress job very low pay we are understaffed. When someone takes annual leave the whole place crumbles.

I am WFH today on my own all calls and work have been forwarded to me.

Manager seems to think I should work through my lunch! I’m stressed enough as it is I should be able to take my 30 mins break in peace.

I have flat out refused AIBU?

No. I don't anymore. I used to work through lunch, go in early, stay late and cover for people. I then changed job and don't do it.
If a job expected that of me again I would start looking for something else.

I stoped doing it a while ago. Used to go and sit in my car and eat my lunch in peace

I refuse to work during my lunch or after hours unless I'm being paid.
If I can't do the work in the allotted time then I have too much work or I am not very good at my job. Since my boss thinks I am good at my job, I don't worry too much about it.

If needed, I do. But I'm paid by the day, based on deliverables anyway, so if I don't deliver what I'm supposed to, when I'm supposed to then there's a problem. So it's a bit different to someone who's hourly paid.

Is your manager asking you to do it unpaid? I'm surprised if that's the case tbh. Not unusual in the private sector, but public sector tend to work to rule a bit more in my experience.

Either way, YANBU to expect to take a break for lunch.

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I also sometimes work evenings, weekends and NWDs (I'm 3 days a week since returning from mat leave). I resent it massively and am currently looking for a new job. I am also massively underpaid for my role/experience and I only do the extra work for my clients. My employer doesn't deserve it. I'm not working today, yet I've done an hour and a half of work so far. My employer had the nerve to try and not pay me for a couple of hours I couldn't work last week due to DD being poorly 🙃

I work in education. I have never taken a lunch break in my whole career because we all just work while eating. That’s not bragging - it’s a disgrace. People should be allowed to eat and have a break.

Very, very rarely. Most people in my office take their breaks at their desks (more due to lack of "away" space than obligation) but when they're having their breaks, it's accepted that they unavailable.
I make a point of getting away from my desk, even if it's just to go for a walk or to sit in the yard for ten minutes, it's really important to get time away from your work station and move about.
Last job I had, it was frowned opon to actually take your breaks, and there was a martyr culture of getting in early, finishing late and working right through. It was really toxic and staff turnover was dreadful.
Current job, we all encourage each other to go for our breaks, and it's a lovely atmosphere!

Not being unreasonable at all - if your work day is over 6 hours you are entitled to a 30 minute break.

Well done for refusing - if they ask again, you could say "well this time I will, but I will be clocking off 30 minutes early today to compensate".

You are completely entitled to refuse

In your circumstances I would refuse too.

I do work through lunchbreaks when I am really busy but I take that time back when I need to leave a bit early or come in a bit late.

I've always worked through lunch, started early, or worked late when needed unless I had a very good reason not to. If there's loads that needs to be done, I couldn't just get up and go to lunch or go home.

I work through my lunch break if I'm very busy, if a crisis has occurred or if I've lost a lot of time that day (travelling to and from meetings, for example). But not as a matter of course; even though I'm at home I make sure to take time away from my desk to have lunch.

Yes I do, but I’m relatively well paid and am wanting to be considered for promotion in the near future so will do the extra bit for my team. If I were on low pay, often overworked and without opportunity for promotion then I wouldn’t.

I have done in the past but only if I can finish early to compensate. I wouldn't do it otherwise though.

I now run my own business and work through lunch by choice to get finished by 2pm everyday.

I generally do what's needed at work, but I also expect to be given flexibility when I need it. I've never missed a school assembly for example. It's swings and roundabouts. If they were inflexible I'd be less inclined to be so.

I'd work through for a specific reason or because of an occasional absence, but wouldn't be prepared to let that become the norm.

yanbu and Acas would also agree with you.
you have to put in boundaries or you just burn out.
The time we all stood up to managers and told them we weren’t putting lunch down on our time card because we weren’t getting one, they very firmly insisted that we had to put lunch on our time card as we “had” to have one. So tell your manger you will be logging it as no lunch taken and see what the response is. Just don’t expect concrete action. We still did not have time for lunch we were supposed to just lie.
(trust was one of many that subsequently ended up with its own parliamentary report).

As a teacher, yes I always work through lunch. I have a clause in my contract that says I must work as many additional hours as necessary to do everything expected for all of my classes. As i am only allocated 3 hours of working time a week to do everything other than actually deliver lessons and I'm stuck at work over lunchtime, it makes sense.

Never. Also NHS, but lab based, so we can't have food or drinks at our desks for contamination and health reasons. Its also against our department rules to not take a lunch break!

I try to always take a break because I have found that I am more productive in the afternoon if I do.

Sometimes this means driving round the corner so I can't be seen and interrupted.

I do sometimes but it's not expected of me. We have flexible working as long as we do the hours, and are responsible for filling in our own timesheets. So I will either take the time back elsewhere in the week or accrue it as TOIL. I would not be ok with a manager asking this of me, especially if I wouldn't be paid for it or get the time back.

Yes, sometimes I work through if I'm in the flow and/or somethings urgent.

But that's very different to being told I must work through my lunch.

The first is my autonomous choice.

The second is my right to a 20 minute unpaid break being removed which is unacceptable.

Exactly this

Yes - not all the time- as another poster mentioned, I like to be afforded flexibility back.

I’ve only ever had one job that had a lunch break and I hated it, it was an hour of hanging around in a town I didn’t want to hang around in, every day, that I couldn’t use to do anything useful or go anywhere fun, that I didn’t get paid for. Much rather have a shorter working day and no breaks.

Now I get no breaks and super long days but it’s my own fault! Eating during work just doesn’t happen and there’s no way to make it happen, so it’s just how it is now.

Ask your manager to put her no lunch request in writing. She won’t do this of course because she knows it’s against employment law.