Hour for lunch.

HangTime

HangTime

HangTime

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Common standard in many workplaces seems to be to allocate a 1hr lunchbreak. For me personally, that's a bit too long and half an hour would be sufficient. I'd much rather take a 30min lunchbreak and then leave 30mins early (or start 30mins late). Basically I eat my lunch, that takes what, 15mins maybe, and then spend the rest of my time reading a paper/book or chatting.

I know some firms operate flexitime schemes where people can pretty much do what they like (subject to restrictions like core hours etc) but in the modern day and age I'm wondering why more employers don't adopt a more flexible approach here? OK, so for some firms their core hours are effectively 9-5 or similar, so you can't have the whole office leaving at 4:30. But the way some professions work I can't see it being that big a deal as long as people do their hours.

My working day is over 11hours including lunch, travel etc and it leaves me frustrated on weeknights that after eating dinner, doing the washingup/washing, dealing with the mail, checking email etc there is not a lot of time left for anything else. If I could halve my lunchbreak and leave 30mins earlier, I'd actually get home around 45mins quicker, which would make a big difference to my day.

So, what's your view on the lunchhour? Like having plenty of time to do your shopping? Feel like you need an extended break? Or like me, fed up at all that wasted time?
 
Out our place if your working over 8 hours you get an hour, work anything less than that and its half hour

I prefer an hour really but i dont have to commute very far
 
Totally agree!

I'm in college right now and we always get let out 30mins before our 1 hour lunch break.. and of course the teachers are never early (almost always 5/10mins late) so we get around 1hour40mins break which I could really use since I most always have to stay behind to finnish my work (Teachers complain if we use an empty room).
 
1 hour for me and I take an hour, I only live a 10 minute walk from work so I walk home for me lunch, its nice to get out of the office for a hour and I find that if I do stay at work to have my lunch im not as productive in the afternoons, its just nice to break the day up a bit
 
I never take lunch breaks as it means it delays the day. The joys of working on customer sites based from home :) If you dont like the fixed office type hours then get a job which doesnt require them.
 
I don't actually have lunch myself so if I were in your position I would ask if I could come in X amount later to compensate.
 
HangTime said:
So, what's your view on the lunchhour? Like having plenty of time to do your shopping? Feel like you need an extended break? Or like me, fed up at all that wasted time?
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Basically I have to account for a minimum of 37 hours per week, whether that be working for clients, education, vacation etc but over the year at least 1500 of those hours must be billable client work. Other than that I can do basically what I like, start when I like, finish when I like, work WHERE I like (within reason). The only real restriction is that the work needs to be done on time and on budget.
 
Users complain if I take an hour-long lunch break as usually some student has messed up the printers by then with a dodgy print job so I usually only take 10-15 minutes for lunch. I leave early if I can.

My line manager sometimes send a department-wide e-mail complaining about technician time keeping in the place but most ignore him due to the demands of work or labs. We're meant to take an hours lunch break between 12pm and 2pm. Students finish lectures on the hour so any problems will usually happen then and labs usually start at 1pm or 2pm running until 5pm.

After explaining this to management most technicians tell them where to go. :)
 
rpstewart said:
Basically I have to account for a minimum of 37 hours per week, whether that be working for clients, education, vacation etc but over the year at least 1500 of those hours must be billable client work. Other than that I can do basically what I like, start when I like, finish when I like, work WHERE I like (within reason). The only real restriction is that the work needs to be done on time and on budget.
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I don't know why more places don't do that. Obviously it doesn't work for everything, like retail, but I'd love a fulltime job that I could work 11-3, 7-11 or something like that. Same amount of hours as a 9-5 but loads better.
 
Whenever I've worked full time and had an hour for lunch, I've considered it to be too long as well. Half an hour is more than adequate.
 
rpstewart said:
Basically I have to account for a minimum of 37 hours per week, whether that be working for clients, education, vacation etc but over the year at least 1500 of those hours must be billable client work. Other than that I can do basically what I like, start when I like, finish when I like, work WHERE I like (within reason). The only real restriction is that the work needs to be done on time and on budget.
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Similar to my situation. What field do you work in?
 
Get an hour for lunch. Every now and then I'll pop out for a pint or have to go to the post office but 99% of the time I just work through it and eat at my desk. This starts the prompt for people coming over saying "Oh I know your having your lunch but.........." :rolleyes:
 
I work on flexitime and its great :D We have to take at least a 30 minute break between 12-2pm or can take the full 2 hours if we wished. Core hours are only 10-12 and 2-4 so its great if you want a lie in and leave early just have to make up the 37 over the week sometime.
 
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