Does it matter when i take my lunch break?

cord123

I am trying to change my hours for when my son starts school.... I have asked my boss if I can change my current hours from Mon - Thurs 8.30 - 4.30 to Monday to Thurs 8 - 3.30 (dropping half and hour a day - 2 hours a week)

Then whilst I am doing these hours I take my lunch break at 2.30 - 3.30 and leave then....

I should say that he is flexible with what hours we work as long as we do the full 8 ie. 8 - 4, 8.30 - 4.30, 9 - 5 etc and we can take our lunch whenever we want to.

So can I take my lunch at the end of the day or do I need to take it after x amoutn of hours?

I should point out that a member of staff does already do these hours on one day but dont want to stir it up mentioning her should he come back and say no....

The_Hurricane

cord123 wrote: »

I am trying to change my hours for when my son starts school.... I have asked my boss if I can change my current hours from Mon - Thurs 8.30 - 4.30 to Monday to Thurs 8 - 3.30 (dropping half and hour a day - 2 hours a week)

Then whilst I am doing these hours I take my lunch break at 2.30 - 3.30 and leave then....

I should say that he is flexible with what hours we work as long as we do the full 8 ie. 8 - 4, 8.30 - 4.30, 9 - 5 etc and we can take our lunch whenever we want to.

So can I take my lunch at the end of the day or do I need to take it after x amoutn of hours?

I should point out that a member of staff does already do these hours on one day but dont want to stir it up mentioning her should he come back and say no....

Could you not just take thirty minutes for lunch? It seems pointless taking a lunch break only to leave straight afterwards.

saintjammyswine

Your statutory break should be near the middle of your shift but it is not specified when, your employer could fall foul of the law if they allow you to take the time at the end of the shift.

jackieblack

The_Hurricane wrote: »

Could you not just take thirty minutes for lunch? It seems pointless taking a lunch break only to leave straight afterwards.

I could be wrong but I think the idea is that they'd leave 'for lunch' at 2.30 and not come back.

Why don't you just ask if you can change your hours from 8.30 -2.30, with no lunch break?
Most people aren't paid for their lunch break anyway so it wouldn't make any difference pay wise.

ianders

Taken from Acas:

An adult worker is entitled to a rest break where the working day is more
than six hours. The details of the rest break are to be set out in any collective
or workforce agreement which applies. If no such agreement applies the rest
break should be an uninterrupted period of not less than 20 minutes which
the worker is entitled to spend away from the work station – and not at the
end of the shift.

http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/4/n/Flexible-working-and-work-life-balance.pdf - page 46


Further info from gov.uk:

2. Rules for taking breaks
Employers can say when workers take their rest break during work time as long as:

• the break is taken in one go somewhere in the middle of the day (not at the beginning or end)
• the worker is allowed to spend it away from their desk or workstation (ie away from where they actually work)

https://www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work/rules-for-taking-breaks

cord123

No I wont be taking a lunch break..... I will leave at 2.30 to pick my son up from school ie. using my 1 hour lunch break to leave early?

Saintjammyswine, do you know this to be the case? And also, if another member of staff is already doing these hours can he turn me down on the basis of what you have written and still allow her to do these hours?

Thanks

Z

cord123

ianders wrote: »

Taken from Acas:


http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/4/n/Flexible-working-and-work-life-balance.pdf - page 46

Many thanks for this :-)

d123

cord123 wrote: »

No I wont be taking a lunch break..... I will leave at 2.30 to pick my son up from school ie. using my 1 hour lunch break to leave early?

Your ruse means you arent taking a lunch break, merely leaving early.

Your employer could then get into trouble for not allowing you a break (even though they are allowing to leave work early, which isn't the same as a break).

Did you intend returning at 3:30 to end your workday/clock out?

jackieblack

cord123 wrote: »

No I wont be taking a lunch break..... I will leave at 2.30 to pick my son up from school ie. using my 1 hour lunch break to leave early?

Saintjammyswine, do you know this to be the case? And also, if another member of staff is already doing these hours can he turn me down on the basis of what you have written and still allow her to do these hours?

Thanks

Z

So why don't you just ask if you can change your hours from 8.30 -2.30?

cord123

Because if I did 8.30 - 2.30 I would then lose 2 hours per day of money..... and we dont take 'breaks' anyway... so would lose all that money for nothing...

No I obv wouldnt come back and clock out (which we dont actually do as I work in an office)

As I have said, someone in the office already does these hours one day... if this has been allowed can he allow me not to do them?

saintjammyswine

cord123 wrote: »

No I wont be taking a lunch break..... I will leave at 2.30 to pick my son up from school ie. using my 1 hour lunch break to leave early?

Saintjammyswine, do you know this to be the case? And also, if another member of staff is already doing these hours can he turn me down on the basis of what you have written and still allow her to do these hours?

Thanks

Z

Answered in my stead by others, thanks others but yes, it is the case.