How long is my actual lunch break? AIBU?

[gobbog]

In my organisation, we have core hours which we have to be working: 9:30-12 and then 2-4:30. We are entitled to take a one hour, unpaid lunch at the time of our choice between 12-2. We have a flexi time system.

These rules apply to everyone, but in my team, we often have days where someone puts on a meeting which runs until (say) 12:30 and then another meeting will start at (say) 1 and go on til 3. So, that only gives us 30 mins in which to take our lunch.

My colleagues and I can't do anything about the meeting times, as we are too junior. We think we should be able to record only 30 mins for lunch (and thus accrue the remaining 30 mins as flexi time).

Is this reasonable?

Yes, if you’re working you should be able to record it as working time.

So the company is basically getting a free half hours’ work out of all of you. I think they are being very unreasonable! Of course you should get the time back.

I agree with you - you should at least get toil if you're working part of your lunch break. Can you permanently schedule out a lunch hour though?

You are not being unreasonable.

“Hello manager. Yesterday I was unable to take my full lunch break as someone scheduled meetings across the lunch break window, so I could only take half an hour. As I was not being paid for the other half hour, could you advise when I should take it off? And could you advise what we should do in future in these circumstances, ie should we leave early, take the extra half an hour later in the afternoon, or submit an overtime claim for the extra time?”

Yes of course, because you're not being paid for that half hour. If meetings clash with your lunch break then you should be able to take it later in the day. Really though you should bring it up with your manager and ask to ensure the diary is arranged so you have a clear hour for your lunch - you are entitled to a proper break.

Yes you either get the claim the time or you get to refuse meetings surely.

You should either be accruing time or getting paid.

I work across multiple teams and used to have the same issue with back to bad meetings over lunch. I started blocking out an hour 'appointment' in my calendar so that I would show as unavailable between 12.30-1.30pm. Some people just book the meeting in anyway, but at least I get my lunch most days.

Is this something you could do? If not speak to your manager.

Yes just record it as a 30 minute lunch break,
Its standard practice if you do flexi.
Don't record an hour for lunch unless you actually take it.
Lunchtime meetings are just bloody rude imo!

At my workplace we'd just record it as 30 minutes lunch.

We're encouraged not to put meeting between 12 and 2 but as many of us are part time or work half days sometimes that just isn't possible.

Soemtimes I might clock off at 4:30pm or start at 8am but it's all rceoreded through flexi system so it will balance out in the end.

Should add if on flexi you can accrue time.
Basically only record half an hour as lunch break and then leave early or start later the next day(but still within core times) alternatively accrue the extra time so you eventually can take a day off as flexi.
We would not get paid for it.
What do your colleagues do?
I think its also ok to turn down a lunchtime meeting if you have made plans/have an appointment outside work and it clashes.

You need to check your flexi-time policy - you'd expect to have one because logging hours has financial implications and your doing it in an IT system.

If the 1 hour lunch break is unpaid, then taking only 30 mins of that unpaid means the other 30 mins can be logged down as work time because you have evidence that meetings are occurring during that time.

Are you saying that your manager is refusing you the 30 mins worked time?

your = you're

Do exactly what @flowery has advised you to do. That's the way forward OP.

We work on a similar system and have to take an hour's unpaid break between 12 and 2. We're not permitted to work less in exchange for pay/toil after several people opted to take half hour lunches and claim overtime for the other half. We are expected to block out an hour as 'busy' on our calendar each day to ensure we get a full break - our calendars are private to everyone other than line manager so would just show as 'unavailable' rather than lunch, so we don't get asked to move it as nobody would know if its another meeting or something similar. The end result is that people tend to ensure morning meetings are done by c.12.30 and nobody bothers scheduling an afternoon meeting until 2 as you know the majority will be 'unavailable' in that window.

I'd ask your line manager what their preferred system is for these situations 😊

Is your time worked logged anywhere? If it is, surely you record your actual worked hours, so if you work 9 to 5 with only a half hour lunch, your working hours are 7.5 for that day.

I put a lunch break in my calendar every day and decline meetings if they would prevent me hsving my break

Not unreasonable at all.

7 hours worked with a 1 hour lunch? Wow I am in the wrong job, I think by law you have to work over 4 hours before you are entitled to any break? I get 30 minutes for a 12 hour shift!

Block your lunch hour out in your diary. When the meeting invite comes in decline or reply tentative and say you can only attend half.

However it will depend on context and your role.

Put a lunch hour in your calendar, as others have advised.

Ask your manager to remind people lunch breaks need to happen 12-2pm, so to avoid scheduling meetings after 12pm or before 2pm.

Don’t assume you can claim TOIL if you haven’t adequately raised it as an issue first, or tried to mitigate the effects yourself first e.g. via calendar

@SakuraEdenSwan1

7 hours worked with a 1 hour lunch? Wow I am in the wrong job, I think by law you have to work over 4 hours before you are entitled to any break? I get 30 minutes for a 12 hour shift!

It's unpaid, in op's case.

Btw, 30 minutes for a 12 hour shift is definitely breaking the law.

Actually, that's probably not true in the UK, sorry,

@SakuraEdenSwan1

7 hours worked with a 1 hour lunch? Wow I am in the wrong job, I think by law you have to work over 4 hours before you are entitled to any break? I get 30 minutes for a 12 hour shift!

What do you mean? We start at 8:30 and finish at 5:30. But 8:30-930 and 430-530 aren’t core hours.