Changes to lunch break

Red12

My employer wants to reduce the amount of hours we work in a day (so we don't go over our weekly contracted hours) but still be there for the same start and finish times. In order to achieve this they have informed us they want us to take atleast a 2 hour break throughout the day during quieter times. Can they force us to do this? I will effectively now be losing out on hours worked whilst still being out of the home for the same amount of time.

*we have nothing written into our contract about having a break.

Kim_kim

Red12 wrote: »

My employer wants to reduce the amount of hours we work in a day (so we don't go over our weekly contracted hours) but still be there for the same start and finish times. In order to achieve this they have informed us they want us to take atleast a 2 hour break throughout the day during quieter times. Can they force us to do this? I will effectively now be losing out on hours worked whilst still being out of the home for the same amount of time.

*we have nothing written into our contract about having a break.

Could you agree a compromise that you take an hours lunch break and start an hour later or leave an hour earlier?

nicechap

Red12 wrote: »

My employer wants to reduce the amount of hours we work in a day (so we don't go over our weekly contracted hours) but still be there for the same start and finish times. In order to achieve this they have informed us they want us to take atleast a 2 hour break throughout the day during quieter times. Can they force us to do this? I will effectively now be losing out on hours worked whilst still being out of the home for the same amount of time.

*we have nothing written into our contract about having a break.

What's your alternative proposal? Would you prefer to start later or finish earlier than have a longer lunch?

Without knowing your industry, contract etc etc its very difficult to give any meaningful advice except that contracts can be changed, they have given you notice.

What have your union said in reply? Is everyone prepared to take collective action to find an agreeable solution?

TELLIT01

So are you all effectively currently working an hour overtime each day? I can't say whether they can do it or not, but it sounds like taking the proverbial to me.
You must have a break of at least 20 minutes if you work over 6 hours per day.

z1a

Kim_kim wrote: »

Could you agree a compromise that you take an hours lunch break and start an hour later or leave an hour earlier?

OP has stated that start and finish times must stay as is.

Savvy_Sue

z1a wrote: »

OP has stated that start and finish times must stay as is.

And if those are always busy time, then that's unlikely to be negotiable, but sometimes it can be argued that as long as there is always cover from X to Y, then that's OK.

Red12

Unfortunately not as the reason for the increased lunch break is that they still want us to be there for the same amoubt of hours in the day so same start and finish times but not pay us for the quieter periods. A days work added up through the week contains more hours than we are contracted for so in order for us not going overtime their solution is to enforce additional unpaid breaks within the day - a minimum of 2 hours. It just doesn't seem fair to me

Red12

I would prefer to work the overtime as there are jobs that I would be doing during the day that now won't get done if we are expected to take extra breaks or atleast give us less days so we aren't going over our contracted hours but do u have any right to request that and would it even be considered if they have already decided what they want to do. Our current overtime as of today is 'banked' though and we have now been informed that they will pay it when they can (we can't have time off in lieu) . This is why they want to enforce we just work x amount of hours in a day.

TELLIT01

Red12 wrote: »

I would prefer to work the overtime as there are jobs that I would be doing during the day that now won't get done if we are expected to take extra breaks or atleast give us less days so we aren't going over our contracted hours but do u have any right to request that and would it even be considered if they have already decided what they want to do. Our current overtime as of today is 'banked' though and we have now been informed that they will pay it when they can (we can't have time off in lieu) . This is why they want to enforce we just work x amount of hours in a day.

That gets alarm bells ringing loud. The company evidently has a serious cashflow problem if they can't afford to pay employees on time. I would be looking for a new job.

getmore4less

If they insist on the break of two hours then leave the premises and be unavailable during that break.

There may be other solutions but without knowledge of the staffing levels required at various times an the number of staff and their contract hours not possible to suggest anything other than a solution using part timers or more staff to allow option like 4 day an 4.5 days contracted hours.

Sea_Shell

How local do you live to work? If near enough, I'd go home, do other jobs, shopping etc. in that time.

If not you're just going to kicking around for 2 hours, which I'd be upset about too.

If they insist on pursuing this, I'd be looking for another job asap.