Lunch breaks

Re: Lunch breaks

Catherine Goulding — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 07:00:08 GMT

I have only ever worked in one practice where employees were paid for lunch hours, and I have worked in a lot of practices (mainly as a locum). The reason behind it was that they often had to work through their lunch, so the employers thought it was fair to pay them, fair enough, but these employees still left early as they didn't get their lunch - figure that one!

Re: Lunch breaks

Phrin Vernon RVN — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:33:55 GMT

Sal & Steph - I agree! You can't expect to work thru you lunch hour just so you can go home early! Unless you have had a proper discussion with HN a few days before of course!

Oh and Steph - the 3/4 hr lunch break vets - met a few of them in my time too! One in particular had the rather good excuse his mobile didn't work in his village - as a LA vet he would just drive home for dinner!!..... but he never picked up his home phone either! Bloody cow vets! Hope we taught our babies better!

Re: Lunch breaks

Steph Worsley — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:30:54 GMT

[quote user="Sal the 1st"]

as a HN I used to insist that everybody took their lunch - wasnt always popular but I did it anyway

and before I get lynched again will explain why

I had a problem a couple of times with nurses saying - we are busy so cant go for our lunch so we will work through and just go home a bit earlier - er no you wont because that will leave me short staffed for clean up and discharges and if you think you are helping anybody other than yourselves you arent you are just leaving your colleagues with the dirty work. If I asked somebody to go for lunch then I expected them to go, if they didnt it was their choice but they got nothing for not taking a lunch break that was offered and not taken- they were free to negotiate another lunchtime with other nurses if they needed different timing but that was where the flexibility ended (it was different if I was unable to offer a full lunchbreak then of course it would be compensated)

OK so this was the one thing I was really tough over but I was fighting for an extra nurse because we were very understaffed and if you get people filling in the gaps when they occur there is just no way you can present a good case for extra staff and eventually everybody's goodwill evaporates.

[/quote]

I completely agree with you there Sal, I used to do the same, as you would find people would work through lunch to finish early on numerous occasions when it wasn't busy, when I worked through my lunch as a HN it was my choice and I didn't expect anything back for it as it was often then only chance I got to do some bits

Re: Lunch breaks

Sal the 1st — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:24:43 GMT

as a HN I used to insist that everybody took their lunch - wasnt always popular but I did it anyway

and before I get lynched again will explain why

Re: Lunch breaks

Steph Worsley — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:13:50 GMT

[quote user="Phrin Vernon RVN (just need badge!)"]

I think if you are salaried rather than paid by the hour you get a rough deal - I've often seen vets work through from 9am - 6pm without a proper break!

[/quote]

I'm salaried and have been at most places I've worked, it doesnt stop me accruing overtime as I am salaried to work a 35 hour week with 1 hours unpaid lunch each day. So not always a rough deal it all depends on how you read your contract

The vets at work often work 12 hour days being in work at 8am and not leaving till past 8pm more often than not without a proper break, and then when the interns start their week of nights they work a full 24 hours with no chance to sleep as they work the normal day and go straight into nights!

On the other side of the coin I have worked wih some vets who have taken a 3-4 hour lunch break

Re: Lunch breaks

Steph Worsley — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:07:42 GMT

We dont get paid lunch times but again if we dont get the full time we can claim the time back either as single time payment or as time in lieu. I honestly can't comment about previous practices as I think most of them we have been paid for our lunches and even then we could claim time in lieu for any working through, although when I was HN I often didn't but that was my choice as I found I could get more paperwork done when I sat and ate at the same time, and it saved me working late all the time.

I also don't think Sal was trying to lecture you, she was just concerned and tried to give you some advice

Re: Lunch breaks

Phrin Vernon RVN — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:03:43 GMT

Everywhere I have worked, it has been an hours unpaid lunchtime, and most places were pretty keen on ensuring the nurses got their full hour. Of course, sometimes you didn't get an hour, but always 15-20 mins, with the rest put down as overtime.

I think if you are salaried rather than paid by the hour you get a rough deal - I've often seen vets work through from 9am - 6pm without a proper break!

Re: Lunch breaks

chanel clydesdale — Tue, 31 May 2011 22:27:49 GMT

my old practice we got half hour unpaid lunch break but if we never got enough time for whatever reason then we either took time back or out in for the overtime but it rarely happened as the HN always made sure we had them on time.

Re: Lunch breaks

Karen Skelton — Tue, 31 May 2011 22:24:31 GMT

i must be a lucky one, get a full hours paid lunch most days! At my last practice....our head nurse would tell us off for having a lunch, we had to eat whilst working, i wish id had the balls to do something about it/her!

Re: Lunch breaks

Emma Gerrard Dip AVN (SA) DipHe CVN BSc (Hons) CVN RVN KSQP RAM — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:11:53 GMT

we dont get specific lunch breaks, at my practice. we grab them when we can. it might be 5 minutes or it might be an hours. This means we get paid to have a break when we can.

Re: Lunch breaks

Louisa Cocks — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:04:25 GMT

In my last practice lunch breaks were unpaid but if we didnt get or couldnt take the whole hr it could be taken as overtime.

Re: Lunch breaks

lskm 23 — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:59:58 GMT

We are not paid for lunch break, but if we work through it or its cut short we would then get paid for that.

Re: Lunch breaks

BengalcatRVN — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:50:58 GMT

My lunch is unpaid, but I tend to work it, as head nurse I really don't find time to disappear. However, I do on occasion take my 1hr, arrange lunch with friends/family down the pub. Thing is, I'm a work-o-holic, and would run myself into the ground if I'm not careful (and have done on more than one occasion), I rarly finish on time, usually still at the practice 30mins-1hr after my finish time.....do I claim it back? Not often. But sometimes it's me and what I feel I need to do.

I agree with Sal, I don't think she was lecturing you, but she realised you'd had a couple of issues and wasn't sure of your full feelings. I agree sitting and finding out what is norm for the practice is a good idea.

Re: Lunch breaks

Sal the 1st — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:43:01 GMT

it wasnt a lecture - it was a well intentioned opinion - sorry you couldnt take it that way!

Re: Lunch breaks

Kez S — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:39:33 GMT

I wasnt looking for a lecture, thanks anyways sal. I thoroughly enjoy working at this practice and was just looking for a bit of advice as to what goes on in other practices, as i don't know if payment of lunch breaks is or isnt the norm and as this is a new practice, i know they are open to all new ideas brought to the table. I am not and never have been a bitter person, i'm very open minded and know that all practices are different, with different rules. I just wanted to get a couple of opinions before going steaming in about payment of lunch breaks and overtime, afterall i am 'the newbie'!

Re: Lunch breaks

Catherine Raymond — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:59:17 GMT

If you are a member of BVNA give their helpline a call. They are really helpful.

Re: Lunch breaks

Sal the 1st — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:46:17 GMT

http://www.vetnurse.co.uk/forums/t/13478.aspx

bearing in mind this is the second time you have had problems since starting this job I think you need to sit down with somebody who can answer your questions at work and see exactly what is and isnt the norm for this practice. If it really doesnt fit in with your expectations you may have to consider moving on because if not it may end with you feeling very bitter. Its no good saying well this is what used to happen at a previous workplace because this is a different one with different rules.

Re: Lunch breaks

lizabarf — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:43:06 GMT

hello, our lunch breaks are unpaid too, I think this is quite normal as it has been the same in every job I have had (not just nursing). I would just make sure that if you dont get the full amount of time then claim it as overtime!