[Food] Do you take an actual LUNCH HOUR?

[Deleted member 2719]

The last full lunch hour I took, was in 1982.
Had a few half hours over the decades, but generally eat and drink on the go.

I am all for a recharge, but it can so often become a decharge if you have too long ........."so lets be aving you".

 

[portlock seagull]

Rarely, but that’s my choice. And nobody dies if I do eg I’m not a doctor or ambulance driver. Too many people don’t have this mindset. Especially bosses of tech businesses in my experience! Some right slaves to capitalism out there. I pity them personally.

 

[wunt be druv]

In my previous employment we were supposed to take half a hour break for which we were deducted half an hours pay...however what invariably happened was that a job would be scheduled in a town e.g. Newhaven, from 12:00-13:00, lunch was then "booked" from 13:00-13:30 but the next job was booked usually miles away e.g. Chichester for 13:30 so lunch was used up in trying to meet impossible appointments, complaints to the bosses was invariably met with the response of "So? Well if you don't like it...". Suffice to say I have moved on and work hours to suit me.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

20 minutes at 10am and 1 hour at 1pm on an 8-5 shift.

 

[brighton_dave]

Yep I do. I'm a work to live person and not live to work. Now I'm working from home I take a long lunch, hit the gym and then work a little longer.

 

[LamieRobertson]

No.

 

[A1X]

Probably average 45-50 mins, depends what’s going on that I have to be back for

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I usually take an hour. I read, do some admin, snooze in the park if the weathers nice, have a coffee or lunch with someone. I feel it’s important especially as I work mainly with a computer and at a desk.

 

[Mr Putdown]

In my previous employment we were supposed to take half a hour break for which we were deducted half an hours pay...however what invariably happened was that a job would be scheduled in a town e.g. Newhaven, from 12:00-13:00, lunch was then "booked" from 13:00-13:30 but the next job was booked usually miles away e.g. Chichester for 13:30 so lunch was used up in trying to meet impossible appointments, complaints to the bosses was invariably met with the response of "So? Well if you don't like it...". Suffice to say I have moved on and work hours to suit me.

How on earth have we as a country sunk so low that this is even considered acceptable.

We wunt be druv?

I’m not trolling, I’m being serious. How is this even considered acceptable practice?

 

[wunt be druv]

How on earth have we as a country sunk so low that this is even considered acceptable.

We wunt be druv?

I’m not trolling, I’m being serious. How is this even considered acceptable practice?

I agree with you 100%, that was just the tip of the Iceberg with that company, the attitude of the Directors was that you should be grateful you had a job, it was a nice place to work until the original owner retired then the kids took over who were absolutely clueless, the reply to any questions about working practices was "well you get paid don't you?" ,"what do you think we pay you for?", as for health and safety.....non existent! as an example, I was asked to work in a property that had asbestos present, I pointed this out to my boss and told him we cannot disturb it in anyway, he told me it was o.k.as it was outside and to hold my breath and turn my head away while I drilled through it, it would be fine as the wind would blow the dust away!!! Unbelievable! Suffice to say I refused. That particular company has sunk so low now that only 3 of an original engineering team of 11 remain. A perfect lesson on how not to run a business.

 

[Happy Exile]

For me it's fluctuated a lot. When I first started work similar to others, always a lunch hour, just about every Friday that'd be 2 hours in the pub with the boss buying the first round. Pre-COVID I'd be in the office and I'd get 30 mins, my choice not to take the full hour because I'd rather not stay late trying to get everything done. Working from home now that's all gone totally out of the window. Typically start work by 7 at the latest (when I'd previously be commuiting), lunch is 10 minutes and if it's any longer then it'll be at my desk working, finish work at 6pm most days but some days later. It's very unhealthy and a habit I need to break.

 

[The Clamp]

No official lunch or any breaks at mine. We always get time to eat but we are on call for the whole shift. It’s rare I get through a meal without some kind of call or interruption. I work either 12 or 15 hour shifts so there is usually time in there to eat.

Alternatively some nights nothing kicks off and I can be left alone for almost the whole shift, so it more than works out in my favour over the shift rotation.

Doesn’t really bother me though. But if I worked doing a job where an hour was given then I would absolutely take a full break. I used to when I worked with mates. We’d wander off into town, could be quite a laugh.

 

[Your Mum]

Does ANYONE take the full hour these days? And what do you do with it

Your mum

 

[Hugo Rune]

I have a sandwich at my desk whilst working. I might read the news online whilst I gobble but it’s usually no more than 5 or 10 mins.

My choice. I could have an hour if I wish but I find it very difficult to switch work ‘on’ and ‘off’ again. The way I do that is to go home.

 

[Notters]

Since lockdown I've been taking two hours. Work from 7.30-13.00 then from 15.00-17.30ish, giving my wife a break from the kids at lunch time and getting some sun.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

No but because my work is more often along the lines of 2pm-6pm

 

[sully]

When I started working, I think we had a 45 minute lunch break and I always took it in full. Some liquid lunches were a little longer.
Over the years, the breaks got shorter as workload increased but some liquid lunches turned into all afternoon and evening sessions!
In more recent times, I was commuting long distances (minimum 2 hours each way by train) so mostly had a 10 minute each way walk to get a sandwich and then carried on, eating at my desk. This way, I could leave early (usually 3:30) and get home at a reasonable time. If I had a lot of work on, I’d do some on the train but mostly tried to just read books.
Since working at home, the meeting scheduling really puts pressure on breaks, so I now put an hour in every day to ward off others booking my time. I often find this is the only time I actually get any real work done, though, so am again eating at my desk and need to find another tactic for regaining my break. Saying that, there are rare occasions when I’m not so busy when all day feels like a break and I do manage to do a few chores in amongst my work during the day, so it’s not at all bad. My overall days are certainly much shorter than they were immediately pre lock down, too.

 

[zefarelly]

when I started my first proper job in 1988 at Sturtevant in Moulsecoomb we worked 9-12:30 and 1:30 - 5pm

no more no less.

subsidised canteen, proper lunches too for 65p


That seems like a part time hobby job compared to these days.