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?

I used to. Then I was denied 1 days annual leave for a close relatives funeral and realised they don't care about me so why should I. Now I take my full break and go out for it so they can't ask me questions and I leave on time even if there's still things to do. I'd be staying unpaid and I'm not doing that.

I regularly work through my lunch, especially when WFH.

It depends on the role whether it is reasonable.

Also do you expect flexibility in the other direction? If you want your employer to be ok with you ducking out to do the odd school pick up, or put the laundry on, or doing your personal banking while WFH - then I think refusing to work through lunch on a rare occasion due to staff absence is unreasonable on your part.

Flexibility works both ways.

I do occasionally - but no-one expects it, it will generally be because I'm having a particularly hectic day or meetings have been squashed in around lunch, and it happens so rarely that I don't mind, my employer is very flexible with hours so it goes both ways.

I do. But I'm a teacher. The work has to get done and if I don't work through lunch, I end up doing more in the evening. Plus I have to do extra curricular clubs and duties some lunchtimes. It is so wrong though. I hate that this has become normalised. Well done for standing up for yourself.

When I worked in the NHS I stopped. I stopped working through lunch and stopped working late unless I was sure I'd get the time back (and I took it). I just got so sick of being taken advantage of, of being used to mask and prop up a broken system. I eventually left. I'm now in the private sector and will happily work through lunch or work late from time to time - it's not constant, or expected and people are grateful when things get delivered!

I used to work in a school and it was almost expected that you didn't get a lunch break - just work through and inhale a sandwich when possible. I don't miss those days!
My current job, in contrast, insists on lunch breaks - everyone has their's in their calendar. My work-life balance and health are so much better now!

Oh they’re very quick to deduct your pay but not so quick to reward for the extra hours aren’t they!! I’ve worked beyond my hours several times in new job and not been paid but that’s changing now, I’m only doing it if I get overtime and if not then it will have to wait until I’m next in the office!

Same here. Not teacher but other public sector service type role. I've recently moved to office based and wfh and have started blocking out my calendar with a lunch hour because otherwise people book me in meetings the entire day with no breaks and it makes me hangry. I'm taking back control given I've moved to a job which was supposed to facilitate taking breaks on purpose because of burn out in my last role.

Oh yes! I don't get paid overtime as it's a salaried role, but was told I could either take dependents leave (unpaid) or use annual leave. I can't wait to hand my notice in and I won't hold back when they ask why. Half the team is currently looking for a new role!

I recently worked 10 straight days, including a week of annual leave. Not all day every day, but a significant amount of time and also unsociable hours due to working with the US. I took half a day back when the deal completed. Imagine my surprise when my employer wanted to dock my pay for a couple of hours I had to take when DD was poorly and couldn't go to nursery and DH and i split the day in an effort to be fair to both of our employers 😳

I work outside my hours at times, it's part of my role at this level, but I can also take time out in work hours when I need to.

It's very unfair to expect a lower banded (you say you are low paid) employee to do the same.

If your manager pushes on this, push back, mentioning your contacted hours. If they still push back, talk to HR about being pressured not to take your break.

I work in the private sector. I can take my breaks when I went as I organise my own diary. That said it’s not unusual to work through lunch, till 8pm or start at 6am when working from home. However that’s my choice! It means I’m on a roll with something and want to get it done. If I have hospital or doctors appointments need to take the kids anywhere or pick them up, then my manger just tells me to do it. So it’s definitely a ‘we trust you to get your job done’ mentality. Give and take.

I would only work through lunch if I was behind and/or had a deadline coming up. I would take a longer lunch the next day to make up for it though.

Sometimes, or I take a short one sometimes. But I’m at a reasonably senior level, so sort of just need to do what needs to be done.

No. I work extra when it is necessary, will shift my break, take it in three separate blocks, but I do not work nonstop without breaks because that's how mistakes are made. I always had breaks in the private sector and I refuse to be bullied or coerced into doing it in the public sector - the NHS was easily the worst employer for demanding it, Education can have elements of it (seriously, GenericSchoolStaffname, fuck off with your 'but it's for the children, I'd never dream of taking a break, nobody ever has before'. It's starting right here and now, then. Because it's a legal entitlement).

I obviously have the advantage of not being frontline, as does the OP compared to somebody treating patients or in a classroom, but it has to be done or the organisation is leaving themselves open for a breach of employment law, minimum wage legislation or other discrimination case. And having that boundary - with the flexibility of being prepared to move things around where it was genuinely necessary meaning it cut both ways - made for the beginnings of a change in culture.

I do if I need to but I have a lot of flexibility so it generally comes back to my in spades.

I work in a senior role but still block out an hour every lunch time. I seriously would burn out (again) if I didn’t.
I start on my emails around 7am and finish between 6-7 most evenings so it’s imperative to me.

I'm a teacher. Can't remember the last time I took a lunch break. Too much to do. Getting worse as we have had to increase class sizes due to costs increasing far more than budget.

I work in hospitality and generally forgo my unpaid break as my company dont automatically deduct it. It's an extra 120 quid in my pay packet before tax, assuming a half an hour break 5x a week. If I'm feeling particularly tired or have errands to run I might choose to take the time, but I'm usually ok to work through! This is entirely my choice though, no pressure from my employer.

Only in actual extremis. And even then I try to have a quiet twenty minutes to regroup.

I've never yet found a company that couldn't cut about ten percent of inefficient BS from the working week to free up staff worktime.

I too work in the NHS. If I have an overrunning clinic, the patients still need to be seen and the afternoon clinic still needs to start on time so I will work through lunch if I have patients waiting.