How many hourse per day/work do you work? Breaks?

Bangton

40 hrs a week are my contracted hours with a commute of 2hrs per day. I regularly work overtime though and tend to do 50+ hrs. However, I am paid for this rather than being expected to do it as part of the job.

One hour lunch is scheduled in which we can take whenever we want but I tend to take 30 minutes and that is the extent of my break time although we are not chained to our desk and are pretty free to have a chat, tea/coffee and toilet breaks without anyone watching.

I like my job and hours as well as the ability to do paid overtime. The only downside is the commute which at times can be a major pain!

Currently on maternity leave though

Triker

AP007 wrote: »

you are working at a company but on agency books?

Why no break and no overtime? Very odd

Not odd at all, nature of Social Work, not enough hours to do the work that is required.

I have a new post soon, I do 3 month contracts via an agency, suits me these days, much more freedom of choice. Significantly more pay. Plus I can leave whenever I wish to and go elsewhere.:D

AP007

Triker wrote: »

Not odd at all, nature of Social Work, not enough hours to do the work that is required.

I have a new post soon, I do 3 month contracts via an agency, suits me these days, much more freedom of choice. Significantly more pay. Plus I can leave whenever I wish to and go elsewhere.:D

Well still against the law not to get a break

panika

I work 6 - 7 hours shifts in my current work. I have 0.5h break for each shift.

I will be working 7.5h shift in my new job and have 0.5h breaks (at least I hope so).

Nightranger

AP007 wrote: »

Well still against the law not to get a break

I wasn't so sure when I did a bit of homework on this a few days ago. I felt sure that it came in as law some years ago but when I checked, I could not find a quote that said so. However, a lot of it all seems to be about liability in the event of something going wrong (very pertinent to the new rules the EU is trying to introduce for airline pilots). For example, the gov site says that employees can choose not to take a break and while you would expect this allows for an earlier finish/later start, I suspect that rarely happens. It kinda falls down if an employer does not have to pay for breaks and the employee chooses to work through but gets no time in lieu.

AP007

Nightranger wrote: »

I wasn't so sure when I did a bit of homework on this a few days ago. I felt sure that it came in as law some years ago but when I checked, I could not find a quote that said so. However, a lot of it all seems to be about liability in the event of something going wrong (very pertinent to the new rules the EU is trying to introduce for airline pilots). For example, the gov site says that employees can choose not to take a break and while you would expect this allows for an earlier finish/later start, I suspect that rarely happens. It kinda falls down if an employer does not have to pay for breaks and the employee chooses to work through but gets no time in lieu.

got the link for the choosing not to take a break? I thought you had to take 20 mins. We were always made to if we said we had a lot on and would work lunch. We were told no you have to take at least 20 mins.

coral

Interesting how most people here seem to work quite a lot less than what is the norm in London!

We are contracted 9am - 6pm with an hour for lunch but I usually work more like 8.30am - 6.30pm, get in early if it's busy and always start to deal with things on my blackberry from around 6.30am. Some colleagues commute 90mins each way.

As we deal with the US I have to work late sometimes for conference calls though I'll often leave the office so I'm home in time for those.

Lunch is usually taken at my desk with a quick look at the Daily Mail!

I'm expected to work longer or weekends if required - I'll be going out to a site tomorrow.

No one in the office bats an eyelid at this and it's a very normal schedule in my group of friends.

What I do have though is complete autonomy over this - it's my work and I get it done how I best choose. So 2hrs for lunch or getting in at 9.30am if I've had a late night is no bother, nor is sneaking off at 4pm on a Friday if I'm going away. As long as the job is done!

wiogs

badly_dubbed wrote: »

What's the law on 2 breaks folks? I wouldn't fancy one 20min break in 12hrs...rather have 2 shorter ones...

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/1833/regulation/12/made

Para 3 is the pertinent one.

You can work six hours without a break however if your day is longer (as yours is) you are entitled to a minimum of one break of not less than 20 minutes.

Companies may of course give you longer or more breaks but your two 15 minutes don't equate to that.

Callie22

Minimum working hours are 37, with the caveat that we may be expected to work more at certain periods (and we do!) We have flexitime so can start from 7am and finish up to 7pm, and we can take between 30 minutes and 2 and a half hours for lunch. You have to be 'at work' between ten and three, but how you manage the time outside of that is fairly flexible, depending on the needs of your team and/or your manager's preferences. We have to take a minimum of 30 minutes for lunch but you can record this as 'working' if you need to, although it's not encouraged. We are allowed to go to the loo/make a coffee etc when we want. My workplace is very flexible, which I like and appreciate.

gwen80

Denning. wrote: »

Sounds almost exactly the same as my situation, and likewise I find it somewhat uncomfortable. I'm used to someone monitoring me. The general rule is 'be in by 10, don't leave till 4'. It is nice as I commute so it takes the pressure off as if the train is delayed I know I won't be sacked.

I occasionally go and sit in a quite corner (huge building) I been asked once where I was, just told her and never been asked again. It's all about results, she doesn't really care where or what I'm doing to get them.

Sounds like my old job. I miss it I disappeared into an empty meeting room this week to read something as I was struggling to concentrate in the open plan office with conversations going on all around me. When I got back to my desk, I was asked where I had been.

At my old work, as long as I was in the office between 10 and 12 and 2 to 4 and I met my (challenging) targets, nobody cared. I could also work from home if I wished. My boss really didn't care and trusted me to do the job in whatever way suited me best. Going the other way to someone watching over you all the time and a culture where employees aren't trusted is quite difficult. I'm not even allowed to listen to music at my desk to drown out surrounding noise in case I'm listening to music instead of working.