My DS is 18 and is working for £6.56 per hour for a large firm on a zero hours contract. The contract states a scaled entitlement to unpaid breaks depending on how many hours he work in a given day.
The business is outdoor leisure and as such there are often days of continual high activity. Staff levels are kept tight. Very often during these days there is no time for a break as no cover is provided to take a break. Even going to the toilet or stuffing down a sandwich is hard.
When my DS received his pay, deductions were taken for his break entitlement…even though on a practical level it was impossible for him to have a break and he was expected to work.
Can the firm get away with this?