What's the shortest lunch break I'm allowed?

[Remind]

ATM, I work 6 hours per day with no break - rules are that you don't have one unless your shift is more than 6 hours.

I'm about to go full-time which for us means 37 hours per week, which spread equally over 5 days = 7 hrs 24 min per day.

I've been told I can pick my own hours and I'd like to start early, have the minimum lunchbreak and be home as close as possible to when Dc get home from school. What are the rules?

The minimum break you can have is 30 mins. I work 7hrs 24, minimum half an hour, max 2 hours but we work on flexi time.

I thought it was 20 minutes if you work 6 hours or more

I thought that under working time regulations the minimum break is 20 minutes? But your employer might have different rules.

Under working-time regulations 20 minutes is the minimum. Some employers have a longer minimum, sounds like yours don't.

www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work/overview - says 20 minutes if working more than 6 hours a day

20 minutes but it can't be at the start or end of the shift. In other words, you can't work 7 hrs 4 minutes then go home.

Ah must be my work policy of half an hour then, if you take less it deducts time automatically up to half an hour on our system.

Minimum is 20 minutes

7 hours 24 sounds like a civil service job.

If so the minimum you can take is 30 mins, but your week is actually 42 hours a week with 5 x 1 hours paid lunch, so you are effectively working part of your meal break and accruing TOIL or flexitime. If your boss agrees you can work 30 mins of your MB and save it up to take a TOIL or flexi day, or if they are happy then take it at the end of the day.

WTD is 20 mins for a shift of over 6 hours but civil service rules are more "generous", although it won't feel like it in your case because you want a shorter lunchbreak unlike others who may want a longer lunchbreak (when it is paid)

7 hours 24 sounds like a civil service job.
37 hour week, which over 5 days is 7 hours a day (not including breaks.)

No, I'm being an idiot and not even reading. Ignore me.

Lunch breaks are normally unpaid pressone so no TOIL/Flexi to build up by having a shorter one.

7 hours 24 mins/day seems a really odd rule though!

Ellypoo

The civil service has rules for everything - but it is a strange place and if you don't understand the rules they make no sense even if you do understand, many of them are nonsense anyway!
In the civil service full time staff work a 42 hour week, with 1 hour paid lunch break per day = 37 hours. Most contracts are 5 days a week so 7.4 hrs a day (or 7 hours and 24 mins if you prefer)
(London staff on old contracts work a 41 hour week so 7 hrs and 12 mins a day net).

Part time staff don't get paid meal breaks, but they do get a higher hourly rate to compensate. They work their percentage out from a base of 37 hours a week (cos they don't get paid lunch) so if they worked half of full time they work 0.5 x 37 hours a week.

My lot all work shifts of various lengths, and sometimes they have no option but to work late and they always expect me to do the damn maths to work out how much extra meal break they have accrued byu working the extra hours.

If anyone on here works at my place I have completely outed myself - so please send a pm and I'll name change.

Shortest is 20 mins. I wasn't paid for lunch break and therefore didn't want to waste time in the middle of the day sitting round when i could be spending it with my kids.

I get a 20 minute break and work 6 hour and sometimes 8 hour shifts. I believe by law you're entitled to a break for every 4 hours worked but can't remember how long the break entitlement is

Glitz

That used to be the rule - 15 mins every 4 hours, now the working time directive says If your shift is over 6 hours you are entitled to a 20 minute break that is not at the beginning or end of the shift. Your contract may give a longer break but may not give a shorter one.

my employer (local govt) stipulates a minimum 30mins