[Food] Do you take an actual LUNCH HOUR?

[Guinness Boy]

Back when I first started working in an office pretty much everyone took an hour break for lunch and more like two on Friday when you went to the pub (unless you were the poor sod working in the call centre). I think it was even written into employment contracts.

Even before the pandemic this had morphed to a quick nip to the shops and a sandwich at the desk or now and again no lunch break at all.

Now, working from home, I've managed to make a sandwich from the leftovers in the fridge (and two bits of Farmhouse White from Flour Pot ) throw a ball for the dog in the garden for a while, wash up, listen to a quick hail / thunder storm and write this in less than 35 minutes, and, once it's posted will be back concentrating on work properly.

Does ANYONE take the full hour these days? And what do you do with it (I can guess what [MENTION=31]El Presidente[/MENTION] 's answer to that might be).

 

[mothy]

Normally take a half hour break. Never really done a lunch hour. But try to do once or twice a week an extended lunch of 1.5hr for gym or other exercise. So it works out over the course of the week as 1 hr on average

 

[juliant]

I have worked from home for 10 years plus. Never take the full hour as i know i take the pee by doing a lot of stuff in work time ie shower, cut the grass or hang washing out. It all evens up in the end

 

[Insel affe]

No never, from the moment I get to work anywhere between 8:30 - 9am I work through solidly until 5 or just after, I simply do not get time, occasionally I will walk to the shop and get something to eat, but mainly I eat at the desk. I am usually on my own since another member of staff retired and the boss has not replaced him.
I often wonder am I entitled to an hour a day and could I claim that back over 12 years.

 

[zefarelly]

1/2 hr

woof lunch and a 15m walk usually

 

[zefarelly]

No never, from the moment I get to work anywhere between 8:30 - 9am I work through solidly until 5 or just after, I simply do not get time, occasionally I will walk to the shop and get something to eat, but mainly I eat at the desk. I am usually on my own since another member of staff retired and the boss has not replaced him.
I often wonder am I entitled to an hour a day and could I claim that back over 12 years.

A year off should cover it.

 

[jessiejames]

Yes depending on my working hours and driving hours, but not a full hour either 15,30 or 45 min to keep in inline with tachograph legislation.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Nope .... but only because I'm in a position to be on a sabbatical. When I return to work I probably will, if only to walk the dog.

 

[dazzer6666]

When I was working - whether commuting to London or at home - I used to take at least an hour (often more - particularly taking changing and showering into account) to go for a run or to the gym. Not always at lunch time (more often than not mid-morning or mid-afternoon), but would fit it in around meetings. A commuting day was typically 6am-7.30pm, and a WFH day 6.30-6.30. I found the break, and doing something physical rather than mental, made me much more efficient and alert. Pretty much always ate actual lunch whilst working.

 

[Gabbafella]

I manage a warehouse for a relatively small business, it can be both mentally and physically tiring so I always make sure I take the full hour and my bosses get annoyed if people don't have a proper lunch break which is quite refreshing.
The company is quite flexible though, if you need to arrive late, leave early or take a longer lunch to run errands, they're pretty good with it all.

 

[BBassic]

I didn't when we were in the office. Very much a sandwich at desk and keep going thing. But WFH I made sure to be a bit more strict with my time in an attempt to properly segment the days. I was very wary of working longer and longer hours.

 

[jcdenton08]

Yes, and I'm not even working at the moment.

 

[Frutos]

We can take more if we wish, but a 30 min break is the minimum expectation.

Our overall manager once told a fairly senior staff member off after discovering that said staff member had worked through their supposed lunch break the previous day.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Absolutely, why would you take anything less than given to you unless you are an absolute bootlicker.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

When working nights my ‘lunch’ consists of a 30-45 minute power shower in the firm’s gym facility.

 

[Goldstone1976]

No. Haven’t done so since the late 80s. Munch a sandwich while browsing NSC for a few minutes.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Meeting scheduling software killed the concept of any kind of lunch break at all for many. In fact for some it killed the concept of a break to get any work done between meetings. So work somehow became something do be done after work on the train and/or at home in evenings and at weekends

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I have a break, how long it is depends on how busy I am (it's my business so I don't have anyone to answer to apart from myself)

Always go for a walk, even if it's only 20 minutes or so, I find it helps both physically and mentally.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Sometimes an hour but mostly 1/2 hour, depending on how busy I am. Today I have come home for lunch as this afternoon I can’t start a job until 2pm and I finished the morning job earlier than I thought.
But being a self employed business owner it’s up to me what hours I work

 

[Taybha]

It's odd that most people in offices who sit on their arses all day still seem to get a lunch hour when people who do real work get far less.