Unpaid lunch break changing to paid but with no increase in pay

[Kazzadel]

Hi
I'm new to this site but background is a full time working mum of a 3.5 son. My query is, my current contract states my hours as 8.30-5 with half hour unpaid lunch break and I get paid a salary for a 40 hour week. A new contract is being issued and they are changing this to being a hours 8.30-5 including paid half hour lunch break but no additional salary - I cannot see how this benefits me or them. Any ideas? I'm reluctant to sign as I feel they have removed any flexibility I may had before to negotiate around the unpaid lunch break - perhaps leaving early to collect my son etc. Does anyone have any thoughts? (.......open flood gates! )

As your work more than 6 hours a day you have to have a minimum 20 minute break so I'm not seeing very much negotiating room if lunch is only half an hour.

Query why their is no change to your pay but don't complain about paid breaks!!

Doesn't that mean your hourly rate has decreased? So if you do overtime the amount they pay had gone down? Also might affect holiday pay.

You will be getting an extra two and a half hours pay each week and still get your lunch break so i real terms you will be having a pay rise.. more money for working the same hours

Apologies, have read again and realised you are salaried not hourly paid so you are not getting the extra hours?

I think they've done it because it makes them look better on paper for new employees. The salary for the role remains the same though, hence no pay-rise.

I like an unpaid break, means I can do what I want in that half hour. Will anything else change if you're now being paid? Will you be expected to stay on site? Will you still be able to do those wee personal trips that you sometimes need in your lunch break??

i agree with ooermisses then that your hourly rate has gone done. Very sneaky of them.

If you have a salaried job you don't have an hourly rate, just a price (salary) for doing the job, which hasn't changed.

Whether the break is paid or unpaid makes no difference to anyone, it just means they can advertise future posts as having a paid break and it might make a difference to others in the organisation who are on an hourly rate.