Paid lunch breaks

Re: Paid lunch breaks

Steph Smith BSc(hons) RVN — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 13:16:13 GMT

[quote user="sarahpearce81"]We have always had a paid break[/quote]

Sarah how long is your paid break and is it a true break i.e. away from phones/clients and able to leave the practice?

I have a paid lunch, but feel too guilty to leave the practice to give my dog a non-rushed walk unless I am depositing banking/posting lab samples etc, and I know it's my own fault for not taking them, but I am needing to have a chat with my boss to suggest a different arrangement I think.

This thread has been very useful, thanks!

Re: Paid lunch breaks

sarahpearce81 — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 21:29:43 GMT

Thank you all for responding x

Re: Paid lunch breaks

Jenblob2 — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 16:55:21 GMT

We get half hour paid lunch break but we are expected to stay on site and cover reception and phones etc. But we do go out occasionally, as long as at least one nurse is left covering.

Re: Paid lunch breaks

suzanne vn — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 10:28:42 GMT

We get one half hour unpaid break in a 9 hour day. Unless on call that night we get an hour as you dont know what time you will actually leave!!

Re: Paid lunch breaks

Selena Carnell — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 21:26:57 GMT

Our lunch breaks are paid for , but we are expected to stay on site. Often can grab breaks during the day.

Re: Paid lunch breaks

oconnoanan — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 19:36:49 GMT

no, both practices I've worked at don't count your lunch break as a worked/paid hour, so you do 8-5 or 9-6 or 11-8 (assuming you finish/leave on time, which is rare) with an unpaid hour for lunch. long day!!

Re: Paid lunch breaks

GremlinNurse — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 17:55:58 GMT

We get a one hour lunch break but don't get paid for it.

99% of the time we get our full hour, we all value the break and a few people go home sort pets out, or run errands.

If it's super busy and we're short then we grab 10 minutes to eat then claim the rest as lieu. Works for us.

Re: Paid lunch breaks

Emma Gerrard Dip AVN (SA) DipHe CVN BSc (Hons) CVN RVN KSQP RAM — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 16:42:43 GMT

we get paid lunch breaks, but we dont really get set lunch breaks. We still have to serve clients, answer phones ect so one day it could be a 10 minute lunch and the next it could be a full hour. We get no time back in lieu.

Re: Paid lunch breaks

Kayleigh Charman — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 12:45:51 GMT

My practice doesn't give us paid lunches, but we usually take time off in lieu at the end of the day or put it down as overtime.

Re: Paid lunch breaks

Lisa Goodship — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 06:55:17 GMT

My understanding was after you work a certain amount of hours you are entitled to have a break but they don't legally have to pay you? After 2.5 Hrs I get One paid 15 mins break, after 5 hours work one unpaid break of between 30 mins - 1 hour depending on how busy we are! Then one paid 15 mins break after 7.5 hours worked, providing that work shall continue for more then 1 hour after that break!

Re: Paid lunch breaks

bunnyshouse — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 21:28:16 GMT

I get paid for lunch but its half an hour.

Re: Paid lunch breaks

Fuzzyduck — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 21:25:02 GMT

My previous practice paid for lunch breaks but all other practices havent, however if you worked through lunch or part of lunch then you got it back either paid or in lieu

Re: Paid lunch breaks

Steph Worsley — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 21:17:51 GMT

The majority of practices I have worked for paid for lunch, where I am now we don't get paid but any time we can't take at lunch we add to our time in lieu.

Re: Paid lunch breaks

rachel w — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 21:00:11 GMT

We don't get a paid lunch break and if we don't get lunch or all of it we are allowed to take it back in lieu, I know some practices don't pay for lunch breaks but do provide their staff with lunch