memes

But then you phone them at 14:00 and they've already left

In a lot of states it’s illegal for workers to work too many consecutive hours without a break, especially if it’s a physical labor job. Your employer may legally not be able to allow this.

Though sometimes they are just petty and inflexible.

Reminder: the traditional "9 to 5" workday that is considered "full time" includes lunch. If you're not getting paid for it or are working 8 to 5 or whatever, you're getting swindled.

You might say it's "normal" now, but it only becomes normalized because workers fail to hold the line.

There's all kinds of legal murk with this.

If you don't get a break and you make a mistake that injures or kills you or someone else, the employer is responsible.

If you "don't get" a break, either by force or voluntarily (the reason actually doesn't matter), then many places consider that to be.... For lack of a better description (my brain can't think of one right now): bad working conditions, and illegal.

Even if you voluntarily skip you break/lunch, the thin line between that being fine, or a problem for the company, is whether you want to hire a lawyer and make it a problem or not.

That's liability that they don't want.

I guarantee they couldn't give any less of a shit whether you take your lunch/breaks or not, except for the fact that it could affect them.

I'm thankful for this, because bluntly, otherwise, they just wouldn't give you a break at all. They would put it on the books as you working a 9 hour shift, and taking your lunch at the end of the day, but tell you that you are on an 8 hour shift that has no breaks. Since they can't cover their ass like that, you get an unpaid lunch.

The unpaid part was the compromise to get the legislation passed so they don't subject workers to inhumane conditions. Remember that the government is largely comprised of, or paid for by, businesses and business owners. So if it isn't, at the very least "fair" to business owners, it's not going to pass.

My entire career, I got a one-hour lunch, and two, paid, ten-minute breaks.

I know some will say you'd rather not because that's just more time at work, but with a one-hour lunch you can leave work, that's the whole point. It's a real break. One hour is enough time to go to a restaurant, or you can eat at work, and take a short walk. Half-an-hour is barely enough to time to eat and use the bathroom.

I guess what I'm saying is unionize.

Breaks are unpaid because that was another way to minimize what workers have to be paid.

Businesses always look for ways to pay their employees less and only change practices when forced.

Without strong unions and support from politicians things tend to get worse and worse.

Too bad that we have neither.

I’m a salaried software developer. My first job was 8-5 with a lunch break that we had to take. I asked if I could take it at the start or the end of the day and was told, “No.” So my coworkers and I started playing board games 3-4 times a week during our lunch break in one of the offices. Mainly legacy games like Gloomhaven and Pandemic Legacy. The VP loved showing off the board game room to the interviewees to show that we like to have fun there.

I do miss that job sometimes because it was just raw programming. I was programming or writing SQL queries for over 30 hours a week. No AppSec, no lengthy review process, no bullshit (except the pay, which was ok for Mississippi).

In California, when you take your lunch is also mandated by the law. So even if your employer was okay with the idea, you still have to take it before your 5th working hour.

Also you need to be here 15 minutes early, dressed and at the time clock.

And no you have to leave on time in case someone needs you. We have core hours.

Still got to leave early, I'll call that a win.

Check your local laws. In many states, there is no requirement that you take a lunch. There is no federal requirement for that either.

I’ve had employers tell me that that I legally had to clock out for a certain amount of time, but that’s bullshit. It might be company policy but it’s not a law.

Also, this applies to teens working too. The laws are bad. Found this out when Subway was making my 16 yr old niece work 9-12 hour shifts with no lunch break.

Source: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/breaks

Seriously though, I really hate that managers hate employees leaving early. Just how controlling do you want to be? Employees are not kids.

Not eating lunch and taking a break is bad for your health and potentially undermines your productivity. It's a bad idea all around.

requirements for doing your work efficiently cannot be considered out of work, including transport.

An american joke i am too european to understand

Wait, so you don't eat for 8 hours?

If they let you take lunch at the end of the day to leave sooner that creates a loophole to say they gave you your lunch break without actually doing so

Wait, there's jobs where people don't get payed for their lunch break? I thought that was a scary myth.