Break entitlement at call centres

tomtom12

Just got my contract and it states '1 hour unpaid lunch break' but it doesn't say anything else about other breaks.

I should just expect to have one lunch break and no other breaks in the day then?

With being sat at a call center infront of a monitor all day I'd expect to have 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the afternoon or something.

Cheers

Naf

tomtom12 wrote: »

Just got my contract and it states '1 hour unpaid lunch break' but it doesn't say anything else about other breaks.

I should just expect to have one lunch break and no other breaks in the day then?

With being sat at a call center infront of a monitor all day I'd expect to have 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the afternoon or something.

Cheers

There's nothing stopping you asking if this would be possible. Do smokers get any additional breaks, or any further splitting up of their break like this?

System

Regulation 4 of DSE regulations state

Every employer shall so plan the activities of users at work in his undertaking that their daily work on display screen equipment is periodically interrupted by such breaks or changes of activity as reduce their workload at that equipment

This does not mean a work break but purely a break from direct work on a VDU. It may be that the nature of the job automatically provides those breaks by having to do paperwork at regular intervals etc

skintandscared_2

Going to the loo counts as a break from your screen for health and safety purposes. If you go to the loo, there's your break. Apart from that, the unpaid lunch hour is perfectly normal as the only break during a normal working day.

Aryndeneth

This sums it all up quite nicely. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10029451

drummer_666

a lot of sales people have headsets so can wander around the office whilst working. the sales guys at my place are funny and often pace up and down near me or the corridor whilst on the phone

otherwise, doubt you'll need to be starring at the screen 100% of the time you're on the phone.

i edit videos, so proper strain my eyes looking at the detail. i have a chat and a toilet break, go get a drink etc every now n then which gives my eyes a break... and on my lunch break i'm often surfing the net which doesn't rest my eyes, oops

Imani

all call centres I worked in give a break for eye rest. My last job I worked 6hrs a day and got two breaks 15 minutes each. they were eye breaks and for use to go to the loo grab a bite to eat or whatever. But I tended to only use them as loo breaks because by the time you sneezed you had to be back on the phone.

My friend works for NHS and she is not given a break although she works a 6hr day. She does admin/data entry

tomtom12

Imani wrote: »

all call centres I worked in give a break for eye rest. My last job I worked 6hrs a day and got two breaks 15 minutes each. they were eye breaks and for use to go to the loo grab a bite to eat or whatever. But I tended to only use them as loo breaks because by the time you sneezed you had to be back on the phone.

My friend works for NHS and she is not given a break although she works a 6hr day. She does admin/data entry

Thanks for your post. Would love to get something similar in my new job!