Unpaid lunch hour cut short

JamoLew

getmore4less said:

Salary or hourly paid?

do you stop at 5:30 and if not do you get paid if asked to stay.

This is the pertinent information.

TELLIT01

hyubh said:

Working more than contracted hours isn't in itself a career boosting thing - being seen as conscientious and productive is good,

I couldn't agree more.  I was once team manager for a regional IT support team, of which the organisation had 9.  At one appraisal, my manager, who was responsible for all 9 teams asked why I wasn't putting in the hours that a couple of the other managers were doing.  I asked him what I wasn't doing or achieving in my normal working day and he replied that I was doing everything I needed to do.  My question to him then was why the people who were, in my opinion, working excessive hours were unable to do the same.  Was it a case that they weren't capable of doing the job, or did they think workiing long hours would impress the boss?  I didn't get an answer but I was aware that one of the managers took his work phone on holiday "In case anybody needs to contact me"!   To me, a good manager should be able to delegate and have somebody in place to manage the day to day running in their absence.

sammyjammy

Mickey666 said:

As above:  'job' or 'career'?   Ambition or just a clock-watcher?  Your choice.

It doesn't have to be one or the other you know!!!

[Deleted User]

Marcon said:

Jessheg said:

I currently work 9am to 530pm
And in my contract I am entitled to an unpaid lunch hour which I normally take.
During lockdown we worked from home and I still took my hour however my employers stated we should not be taking our full hour as the business is busy and we're now working from home. I take no other breaks other than my lunch hour. Is this legal? 

Also we are now back in the office and they're regularly asking us to cut our breaks short to help with the needs of the business.

...which is turn helps to preserve the security of your job, so why is it such a big deal?

I can be contracted to work 10am to 6pm with a one hour unpaid break which can be given at different times of the day either in a one hour block or two 30min blocks.  If that day arrives that I get a boss asking me to work my unpaid break I will be going home at 5pm or I will be getting paid for it.

“needs of the business” is code for we can’t do our job as mangers to run a business properly and therefore cut corners to cover up our inability to do our job

BlackCat1983

I mean, why do companies think that is ok? 

Marcon

Deleted_User said:

Marcon said:

Jessheg said:

I currently work 9am to 530pm
And in my contract I am entitled to an unpaid lunch hour which I normally take.
During lockdown we worked from home and I still took my hour however my employers stated we should not be taking our full hour as the business is busy and we're now working from home. I take no other breaks other than my lunch hour. Is this legal? 

Also we are now back in the office and they're regularly asking us to cut our breaks short to help with the needs of the business.

...which is turn helps to preserve the security of your job, so why is it such a big deal?

“needs of the business” is code for we can’t do our job as mangers to run a business properly and therefore cut corners to cover up our inability to do our job

Right now it's nothing of the sort, with so many businesses struggling to survive.

[Deleted User]

Marcon said:

Deleted_User said:

Marcon said:

Jessheg said:

I currently work 9am to 530pm
And in my contract I am entitled to an unpaid lunch hour which I normally take.
During lockdown we worked from home and I still took my hour however my employers stated we should not be taking our full hour as the business is busy and we're now working from home. I take no other breaks other than my lunch hour. Is this legal? 

Also we are now back in the office and they're regularly asking us to cut our breaks short to help with the needs of the business.

...which is turn helps to preserve the security of your job, so why is it such a big deal?

“needs of the business” is code for we can’t do our job as mangers to run a business properly and therefore cut corners to cover up our inability to do our job

Right now it's nothing of the sort, with so many businesses struggling to survive.

Ah the trusty pandemic guilt card being pulled out and taking things out of context.

Of course no one size fits all and every situation is different for companies and individual employees. 

My comment in the whole was about me being asked to work unpaid breaks and the needs of the business being used as an excuse. I have stayed clear on using the pandemic guilt card to somehow advance my own personal gain. So I will not accept any businesses using it. 

I have already decided what charities to give to in my life and I don’t need to start giving to a business. 

 

74jax

Mickey666 said:

sammyjammy said:

Mickey666 said:

As above:  'job' or 'career'?   Ambition or just a clock-watcher?  Your choice.

It doesn't have to be one or the other you know!!!

Of course.

Look, we all know who are the work colleagues we can rely on to do a good job, on time.
We all know who are the work colleagues who will do a poor job just to finish on time.
And we all know the colleagues who are plain lazy and/or useless.

Anyone can get away with being lazy and/or useless for a while.  Anyone can give bullsh1t excuses for a while.  But very, very few people will get away for long before their either leave for fear of being found out or simply fired. 

In practice, of course, 'simply firing' someone is not so simple at all these days so many companies simply reorganise departments and make positions redundant . . . because of course you can't make people redundant only jobs.  Yeah, right

Why not?
A company doesn't have to go to any problem of reorganisation etc. They want to fire someone who has been lazy and found out, they fire them. 

74jax

Mickey666 said:

74jax said:

Mickey666 said:

sammyjammy said:

Mickey666 said:

As above:  'job' or 'career'?   Ambition or just a clock-watcher?  Your choice.

It doesn't have to be one or the other you know!!!

Of course.

Look, we all know who are the work colleagues we can rely on to do a good job, on time.
We all know who are the work colleagues who will do a poor job just to finish on time.
And we all know the colleagues who are plain lazy and/or useless.

Anyone can get away with being lazy and/or useless for a while.  Anyone can give bullsh1t excuses for a while.  But very, very few people will get away for long before their either leave for fear of being found out or simply fired. 

In practice, of course, 'simply firing' someone is not so simple at all these days so many companies simply reorganise departments and make positions redundant . . . because of course you can't make people redundant only jobs.  Yeah, right

Why not?
A company doesn't have to go to any problem of reorganisation etc. They want to fire someone who has been lazy and found out, they fire them. 

. . . because they risk an unfair dismissal claim.  Happens all the time.

The 'correct' procedure is to warn the person concerned, then give a written warning, then another if it persists, then a final warning before dismissal.  Except for something like gross misconduct (caught stealing etc), employees have to be given a chance to adjust their behaviour and the employer has a duty of care to help the under-performing employee, which might mean, coaching, mentoring, training courses etc.

Sometimes makes you wonder why anyone starts a new business these days.

Wow, I've not worked for nearly 9 months and feel so out of touch.  

Thrugelmir

Mickey666 said:

74jax said:

Mickey666 said:

sammyjammy said:

Mickey666 said:

As above:  'job' or 'career'?   Ambition or just a clock-watcher?  Your choice.

It doesn't have to be one or the other you know!!!

Of course.

Look, we all know who are the work colleagues we can rely on to do a good job, on time.
We all know who are the work colleagues who will do a poor job just to finish on time.
And we all know the colleagues who are plain lazy and/or useless.

Anyone can get away with being lazy and/or useless for a while.  Anyone can give bullsh1t excuses for a while.  But very, very few people will get away for long before their either leave for fear of being found out or simply fired. 

In practice, of course, 'simply firing' someone is not so simple at all these days so many companies simply reorganise departments and make positions redundant . . . because of course you can't make people redundant only jobs.  Yeah, right

Why not?
A company doesn't have to go to any problem of reorganisation etc. They want to fire someone who has been lazy and found out, they fire them. 

Sometimes makes you wonder why anyone starts a new business these days.

Because the majority of entrepreneurs are no fools. In my personal experience those that show commitment over an extended period are ultimately treated more favorably. Start up's are no place for those who want a cosy existence with minimal effort.