Working more hours than I'm being paid for

rachel90

It's so difficult, yes I do drive in. Maybe I'll have to just sit in the car. I can't go for a walk as the furthest place I can safely walk to takes about 2 minutes each way.
I would not feel safe walking any further than that due to the job I am in. Without giving too much away about it, it could put me in danger and there is no one else I could go with.

ohreally

I'd sit in the car and nod off, read a book or listen to the radio - its not difficult.

AP007

rachel90 wrote: »

It's so difficult, yes I do drive in. Maybe I'll have to just sit in the car. I can't go for a walk as the furthest place I can safely walk to takes about 2 minutes each way.
I would not feel safe walking any further than that due to the job I am in. Without giving too much away about it, it could put me in danger and there is no one else I could go with.

Sit in the car then, put on the radio or have a sleep

Caroline_a

rachel90 wrote: »

It's so difficult, yes I do drive in. Maybe I'll have to just sit in the car. I can't go for a walk as the furthest place I can safely walk to takes about 2 minutes each way.
I would not feel safe walking any further than that due to the job I am in. Without giving too much away about it, it could put me in danger and there is no one else I could go with.

I'm really curious, do you work in a lion enclosure??

sulkisu

OP - How old are you and is this your first job? The reason I ask is that what you are describing is common in the workplace. There are things that you can do, as other posters have suggested - the main one being to physically take yourself away from your desk for the hour. Alternatively, if it is not possible to get away for the full hour, either you insist on putting the correct lunch time on your time sheet (this will take a bit of assertiveness on your part) or have the additional time worked added to your leaving time at the end of the day.

Or you could just accept that you will be doing a few unpaid hours each week, as many of us do. Not saying that it's right, but it often just happens.

marywooyeah

Most people I know who work in offices dont get their full break, I never used to due to workload and stayed til 9 or 10pm one or two nights a week just to get everything done. If you can sit in your car do that somyou get your full break, does the office not have anywhere at all designated for lunches? Im curious as to what kind of job it coukdnt be safe to walk moee than 2 mins from, Iare there protestors or something outside?

Daedalus

Just sit at your desk, ignore the phone and tell anyone who gives you work that you are on your lunch. This isn't school, as a coworker I don't know who is on lunch or not, but I will accept what someone tells me and ask someone else to do the work or just ask you to do it after work.

pinkshoes

If you're an agency worker and have to book 1 hour unpaid for lunch, then TAKE YOUR LUNCH!!! Either sit in your car, or sit in the office, and if people ask you to do work, you politely point out that you'll do it at 2pm when your unpaid lunch break is over!

Dee123_2

OP, I can imagine it is rather difficult when you are on Reception with nowhere else to go to refuse to deal with visitors, ringing phones, etc. Add to that being an agency worker who probably doesn't want to make too much fuss and it's awkward. It's par for the course on a lot of assignments that whole breaks can't be taken.

As pointed out, in a lot of permanent roles these days it's often routinely expected to do more than your contracted hours. As an agency worker, I hope you are claiming the hours for the one or two late evenings per week (it doesn't sound like you are).

Rather than emailing your line manager about time in lieu, how about making a proposal (directly rather than email) for a communal area for everyone to take a break? Failing that, is there anyone who could cover your lunches?

Evilm

RE: Lunch: Take it or stop being resentful about it - the only person stopping you taking it is you. Tough cookies if they need to find someone to cover you or you need to drive down the road/sit in the car etc. Also why can't you only put 30 minutes on the timesheet - Is someone actually saying that to you? If so tell them that you WILL take the 1hr lunch then and stick to it.

RE: Working late: This should be going on your timesheet as such. If you work 9 - 5 normally but Thursday you were working until 6 then you put 9-6 down for Thursday. You are temping through an agency and CAN do that.