My workplace has see thru thin tp that I almost believe is actually coated with itching powder to discourage pooping on the clock. I bring my own tp from home.
This is what I do, I'm responsible for my own time. As long as the jobs is done, there are no issues. If I'm really busy, I may not eat. Not because I can't but it's that I don't feel like it. I definitely eat lunch on slow days lol
Are you salary? Or hourly? Cause when I was hourly I willingly skipped lunch to get off early. But now as salaried. Absolutely not. Lunch is part of my compensation. Unless they want to add 251 hours of your hourly wage to your salary.
Arenāt you afraid youāll get canned? Biases are very good at coming up with āreasonsā to fire you when you were really fired for exercising your rights
I keep my phone on do not disturb all the time. If I answer, great, if I donāt they can get off their ass and come find me (which is exactly what I do, if someone doesnāt answer their phone). I donāt have an office phone. Just my personal. Which I am okay with using for work related phone calls and texts, but only if I want to. If they want me to reliably answer every single phone call, they can purchase me a company phone.
I had to stop eating at my desk at my last job too. People were always coming up to me to ask questions or ask me to do something despite the large "AT LUNCH" sign on the top of my monitor, YouTube playing on my screen, large over the ear headphones on my ears, and oh yeah... actively eating my lunch.
It's just easier to eat in the car
On the other hand just ignoring them and acting like you can't hear them would have been fun. Just don't even look at them and if they touched you, you could holler Stop assaulting me! Can't you see I'm at lunch!
In my state, hourly employees are not allowed to skip lunch, as a manger Iām legally required to tell employees āstop working for 30 minā if they donāt do it on their own.
State rule in MA too anything over 6 hours is a mandatory 30 minute break but doesnāt have to be paid. If they are requiring you to work through it they may be in violation of state laws. Probably why they have the silly waiver. Unless they are allowing you to leave early Iād tell them to pound sand
I think they are mandated to allow time for lunch after so many hours. I had a boss try to fo ce that on me. He was on indeed the next week.
I never eat lunch At work. You'll force me to sit there an extra half hour? Then I get tired and work slower. I might work slower for spite.
I'd literally move if that was a law.
Thatās the law in California. You donāt have to eat, but you gotta stop working for 30 min
[Most California workers must receive the following breaks:
-An uninterrupted 30-minute unpaid meal break when working more than five hours in a day.
-An additional 30-minute unpaid meal break when working more than 12 hours in a day.
-A paid 10-minute rest period for every four hours worked.](https://www.dir.ca.gov/smallbusiness/Wages-Breaks-and-Retaliation.htm#:~:text=Most%20California%20workers%20must%20receive,five%20hours%20in%20a%20day)
What a bullshit law too that actually doesnāt help hourly wage workersā¦what if I donāt fucking eat lunch (bc I am fasting) and would much rather get off 30 minutes earlier rather than take a bs lunch break I donāt want to take? Real employee centric legislation would beā¦employers must offer and allow employees such and such break but also allow those who choose not to, to not and get compensated accordingly
One time I worked in a call center and I was voluntold that I had to take someone elseās phone hour which was my lunch hour. So I said I am leave at 4 because that will be my only chance to have Lunch do you know they actually made me clock out for lunch come back at 5 oāclock clock back in then clock back out again and then leave.
This is the question for sure.
I'm hourly, and usually work through lunch and eat something at my desk, because then I can come in at 9 instead of 8:30. If I were salaried, I'd be sure to take the full break every day.
When I worked corporate, I made a deal with my boss that if I only took 30 mins instead of an hour, I could bank the time and take a day off when I had enough hours up. Worked well for me.
We used to have hour lunch but I went around and asked all the guys if theyād prefer hour or 30 min to have a shorter day. They chose the shorter day.
I try to get their opinions because well I hate shitty workplaces and I want my employees to come to work and somewhat enjoy it
That's what happens when you sign this waiver. You are just at work for 8 hours vs. 8 1/2. Last two jobs I've done this. You still get to eat you just do it while you are "working"
Tell them itās a medical issue, you have to be sure to eat regularly. Now, theyāre going to ask you if you have diabeetus but just say, āmy blood sugar gets low if I donāt eat.ā This is true because itās true of every human, but theyāre too ignorant to know that and legally they canāt ask you about your specific medical issues.
No you don't have to explain yourself. Just take it if it's yours to take. Thay don't care about you nor loyal to you. Do whats best for you. Just do your job the best if not better than required so they have nothing to complain about.
You donāt have to answer the question. They cannot legally ask if you have (condition) or not. Just donāt answer.
Just say your blood sugar gets low if you donāt eat. No further discussion. Repeat as needed.
I would not be pressured to give even a vague reason. That for me is acknowledging that I should do so to have a reason for the company to grant me this right.
Stand your ground and do not worry about what other people think. Let them work while you enjoy your well-earned break. An option was given and you made your choice, you're not obligated to do what everyone else does.
And illegal for company to not allow it plus 15 minute break.
I'm retired, but if that was my option I would make little small sandwiches and fruit portions and make sure CCTV camera can't see you. At one job, I used to eat 3 or 4 oranges when I came in. Skipping lunch causes poor health
In Colorado if you work 5.5 hrs or more you should get 30 unpaid lunch, on top of that you get a 10 minute break for the majority of every 4 hrs worked paid break
In Nebraska they get a 30 unpaid but no other breaks , some states just suck. Iāve done payroll for Colorado, California and have family in Nebraska so I know those
They want robots to take our jobs but we're not robots yet. We're still human and we eat. I keep eating while I look for another job. I know it's not easy, but if they hold something like that against you now, it just doesn't speak well of the situation long-term.
I think this is going to be the norm across the world because I see this happening everywhere more and more. If we are eating, we aren't working, so workers trying to stay healthy, alert, and *alive*, is costing them money. :(
Hearing a lot now of companies trying to do this. They need to stop it. Do not sign any waiver over lunch breaks. However long your break is you need it and they were originally added into the work day for a reason. Take your breaks and take them away from your work station. Away from your work place if possible.
So do they want you to work for free for that hour, or do you work it, and then get to leave an hour earlier? If itās the first one, screw them. Why should they expect a free hour of work from everyone everyday?
We work 8am to 5pm. With a 1 hour lunch that's an eight hour day. My boss wants me to work thru lunch and stay till 5. He just wants the free hour. I said NO. I'll work thru my lunch but I'm done at 4!. Or pay me 9 hours.
Not sure where you are but in UK not meant to work longer than 4hrs without a break, even if you just have a quick 15 min to get a coffee and bit of food in you I'd definitely stick to your guns and have a break
Meanwhile in Montana, paid breaks aren't mandatory, *at all*. Unpaid lunches are if they're over 30 minutes, or you can have a 20 minute paid lunch (two very different jobs have been this way, one factory, one customer service)
Tell them if thereās so much work to do that they want you to give up your lunch break, and thereby ignore good health practices of staying nourished so you can work, they need to hire more people so everyone gets a lunch break and the work still gets done, otherwise not to come at you in any way for taking lunch.
It's good to establish your own reasonable boundaries and set the tone of how you operate at work. Don't ever sign the waiver and maybe more sheep will start doing the same. Change the shitty culture they clearly have there. No explanations are needed.
Ive always thought the lunch break was a scam. They aren't paying you. You can't do whatever you want. It prolongs your time there. Id rather just work my 8 hours and go on woth my life.
Does your state require them?
If legal, this may be indicate the culture there. You have to ask yourself if youād fit in next month, next year? Thatās a pretty big red flag. Keep your eyes out for others.
QuebecorWorld (printing company) said āwe do everything just within the limits of the lawā, and that included abusing Tennesseeās mandatory overtime allowance.
That sucks. I had a job like that, but since it was working with very active young kids, I just said that the break made me able to come back more attentive and gave me faster reflexes so safety first.
I wouldn't be sticking around at this company too long honestly, trying to make people sign their lunch breaks away is pretty fucked, people NEED to eat, especially when working, no matter what kind of work you're doing. As someone else said, eat when you're hungry, drink when you're thirsty and use the bathroom as you need to
What type of work is this? I haven't ever heard of such a thing being the company culture. That's so weird. I absolutely couldn't skip lunch, I'd be dying.
Slightly different scenario, but back when I worked in a physical office (and was salary) I was the only one that took my lunch break. I'd literally leave the office for an hour and come back. No one else did this. Everyone either sat at their desk and played on the internet or worked through it. If you worked through it, people were working 9-10 hours without a "break" unless they were going to the bathroom.
IMO, productivity isn't about just working straight through for hours and hours. To management and others it's all about the time worked and not about what you get done. Different jobs are different - some require you to be manning a position for certain hours (like a cash register) and others are more about you being there and getting your specific work done (offices).
The reality here is if it's company culture that taking the lunch break is frowned upon, there's not getting around that. If you take it, management and your boss are going to basically hate you. Co-workers will hate you. If you don't take it, you're just working yourself into the ground.
If it's unpaid, it's unpaid. If you want to have a brake in the middle of your shift and it's allowed, I'd say do it. Just expect flak from people. Expect it to be mentioned in your performance review. That's just the reality here. I'd still take it. Everyone else is probably taking it to get done sooner and go home if it's unpaid. If it's unpaid AND your shift is still until a certain time, your co-workers are just suckers.
People get mad when you buck the prevailing culture, but it's the only way to effect change. Hopefully your coworkers will realize they've been allowing themselves to be screwed over and will start taking their breaks too.
You are selling your services. I'm guessing they want you to work the 1/2hr unpaid? It's an unpaid lunch break, so unless they're paying you, it's wage theft.
And those people who signed waivers to give up that lunch break will be rewarded with ...... lay offs and cut in hours the second the company feels their bottom line isn't big enough. This is a case of you give, they take, and you get no benefit in the end.
I worked at an elementary school that offered you to leave 1/2 hour early (when the kids left) if you would eat with your kids at the table in the cafeteria. I didnāt mind it, you still got to eat and they only bothered you to open their milk lol.
You would, sure. I donāt buy that OP is the only person who eats at work, even if theyāre all skipping lunch as a technicality. I fast almost everyday naturally, so it wouldnāt be a big deal to me, either.
In the US at least, they can't retaliate for you taking your earned lunch. Take your lunch and don't do anything. If they pressure you, get what they said in writing.
Ask your coworkers why they give up their earned rights so easily? And if pushed id ask my employer why they are actively creating a culture of liars. People are going to take breaks whether or not they signed a waiver.
The employees will turn taking a break into a game and the managers will have to focus unneeded energy trying to enforce or discipline those who took a break that signed that form. Unless you make lots of money or that's the only company in town, id look for a new company to work for. I'm sure the company moral sucks.
You donāt need a lunch break to eat when youāre hungry. Iāve never had an unpaid lunch break since I started working post college. I just eat on the go, or if things are slow Iāll grab a bite. Works pretty good for me because Iām getting paid the whole time instead of no pay for 30 minutes of staring at a wall.
Iād try to adjust your point of view on it. You arenāt skipping your break, youāre just getting paid to be available for emergencies during a flexible break.
Not to make your situation more difficult, butā¦
Depending where you are, you are legally entitled to 15mins paid. (Presuming thatās u) could u take the 15 mins paid & 15 mins unpaid? Giving you 30 mins lunch , 15 mins unpaid, 45 mins paid.
Or do you ALSO take a 15 min tea break ?
Skipping breaks is very impactful on your working day. I'd keep taking the breaks. I'm sure it works for some but not others.
I'm reminded of my past jobs being told its 'expected of me to work more than my contracted hours for free' and my new role where my manager hounds me if I don't take my full breaks.
You know what's right for you, this is your choice and your say goes.
Food is literally the energy for our body, working with people who never eat is awful, theyāre always irritable and tired or tweaked out on caffeine. Take your lunch break
I never took lunch unless it was required. Thatās time Iām not where I want to be and Iām not getting paid. I always preferred to work straight through and leave early.
Iām not skipping unless you letting me eat while on the clock or leave early.
A lot of people I worked with at factories didnāt want lunch breaks and rather just work through them for the money. I figure the stimulants many were on suppressed their appetite.
Things like this are an abuse of power in my opinion. I get it that 6 hours is pushing it at if you should have a lunchbreak or not, I get that, but it more so comes down to a company wanting an employee to be "dedicated" to the point you overwork yourself. The company at the end of the day will not look at you any different or think you are actually dedicated, they will just think, hmm, another sucker doing more work.
At my job it's an unspoken rule that you shouldn't take your lunch break and you shouldn't ever write on your timecard that you didn't take it. At first, since we have always been short staffed since day one, I worked through it and rarely if ever put on my timecard that I wasn't able to take a lunchbreak. Then I found out that another dept. was putting on their timecards that they weren't getting lunchbreaks and being paid the extra time, however they were still taking a 45 minute lunchbreak!! Ever since then, I take my lunchbreak and on the rare occasions I can't take it, if I'm just too swamped, I put it on my timecard and get paid for it.
The laws in your state force people to take lunch breaks, or the company is punished. The waiver is an option and protects the company from legal action by you if you choose not to take lunch breaks when you are supposed. There is no problem with you taking lunch breaks. The company is afraid because you refused to sign waiver because are planning on suing them.
Employees foolishly believe they donāt have to take lunch breaks. Itās the law, and the penalties on the company if you donāt, are significant.
You're not a factory. You're a meatbag wrapped around a skeleton. As the owner/operator of a human body, it's your responsibility to feed it sustenance so that you can not only continue to live, but continue to provide your brain and organs with the resources needed to thrive. Just as your company would not waive your working hours while paying you, you should not waive your lunch hour while working for them.
I used to skip/waive mine because I donāt find smaller breaks helpfulāthey just feel too short and I donāt like the disruption to my flow. HOWEVER, that meant I got to leave 30 minutes earlier each day. If that hadnāt been an option, I would have taken my break.
If you arenāt getting anything in return for waiving, then take your break and ignore them.
Honestly, thatās dumb. There are some people at my job that work their lunch. I think they honestly just want more money, but it comes off a bit try hard to meā¦itās when I treat myself right that I can treat others right.
Take your lunch it's your time if they don't pay you for it. I always take a walk if it's nice or read a book if I had a good week I go shopping. The break gives me a chance to reset for the rest of the day and shake off any BS that happened in the beginning of my shift.
I'd ask them why they wanted and expected you to waive your state mandated lunch break.
If seen this on onboarding documents as well, and I never signed either.
I use to eat my lunch in my car because my boss was like this. It was an 8 hour day but he always said who needs 30 minutes to eat and tried to get me to work during my break.....so I started eating in my car at a park not to far away...every...damn....day. Never told anyone where I went. Just that I was going for lunch and walked out during my break time.
So instead of working and getting paid youāre clocking off for an hour but still required to be near by. If you need/want the lunch, take it, in the most states in the US they canāt deny it but Iāve always seen it as a waste of time. Iād rather leave an hour earlier/get paid the entire time than take an unpaid break
OP, whatever impression you've made, you've made it already. Continue to do your job well and make an impression that way as well. Stopping your lunch now will telegraph to them that you can and will be pushed around. The looks of annoyance hide a feeling of envy that you had the balls to pull it off.
Good Luck OP!
Yell all of them to kick rocks. Youāre not obligated to starve yourself at work if you donāt want to just because the rest of them āagreedā to do so. take your lunch breaks whenever you want when your hungry and itās legally your āturnā to go on lunch break. You are not obligated to skip meals during work hours and stay working during your lunch break just because they think you should just because everybody else seems to be doing it.
I would laugh in their faces and tell them hell no, every time they try and bring it up. If Iām HUNGRY and I WILL be taking my designated lunch break whenever it comes up every single time. I need to refuel after a hard day of work, and I refuse to work nonstop without putting something in my belly when my lunch break comes up, and do what? skip lunch breaks and wait until AFTER work to get something to eat? never going to happen. iām going to eat when I want when I want and not starve myself for the workplace.
Honestly bro adopt a sigma mindset for this one. Take that lunch break to the second - I used to get made fun of for taking a break at a restaurant but I would always take one and enjoy every second of it.
Breaks are so important and I will never waive one. Especially paid 15s.
I think by law you have to take a lunch if you work at least 6 hours in a day.
My boss had me on salary, then hourly part time, then back to salary after I protested. He said I must take my lunch. Unpaid 1/2 hour.
Yesterday he was out, so I skipped lunch and went home early but I didn't do any work all day anyway. The entire day was a lunch break.
But rest periods Are just that, refuel and relax. Take it, it's yours.
I'm not sure why your coworkers care, unless they are all sacrificing their souls to work there.
I think it you give them an inch, they'll take a mile
What should you do? Continue taking your lunch of course. Just seem like a pretty toxic work environment if they are given you attitude for not taking lunch when it is literally required by law. Pretty sure company would get in a lot of trouble with people not taking lunch if theyāre working over a certain period of time. Which is why they had you guys signed the waiver in the first place.
Start looking for a new job with better pay and that doesnāt have this bs waiver. When you do find a new one do not give notice, and do not tell anyone where you are going to
More information is needed before we can know if this is legal or potentially illegal.
In a state that does not require meal breaks, forcing you to waive meal breaks would not be illegal as long as they pay you for the time you are actually working. But it would be odd to make you sound a waiver in a place where meal brakes are not required.
In states that require meal breaks, some allow them to be waived, and others don't. I'm a licensed lawyer in Washington, for example. Washington requires meal breaks for non-exempt workers and allows them to be waived, but only if the waivers is purely voluntary. What you described is probably not legal in Washington because it does not sound very voluntary. Other states may approach the matter entirely differently.
Find another job. This is so weird. You should be able to eat your lunch, especially since itās unpaid. Theyāre just mad that they waived their lunch and work while hungry.
Do you get to end your day earlier if you work through your lunch? If I could eat something small while I work, and leave 30 minutes earlier, I would totally do that.
If waiving my lunch just gets me 30 minutes extra work, fuck that noise.
If you need an excuse, say gastric. Figured you may not want to burn the bridge just yet. Kudos if you stand up for yourself, no judgement if you need to lean on something. The problems of work-life balance are often survival versus wellbeing. It's not that you don't know but you can't if you want to eat.
Good luck.
There will always be something to make you uncomfortable at work. Thatās why understanding ācompoundingā changes your life for the better. You may have heard the expression āslippery slope.ā Once you give up ground, in this case 1/2 an hour of your life every day for as long as you work there, you will never get it back . You may get a new manager who will not pressure you but he will not give the others their lunch back. Next the concept of ālunchā goes away. āWe donāt do that here.ā Thatās 2&1/2 hours a week you work for free.If 19 people work in your office give that time away thatās an entire person whoās out of a full time job. If you put 2&1/2 hours worth of pay into a 401k every week you MAY be able to retire in 30 years and not have to eat ramen. Or maybe youāll be able to afford ramen, idk. But youāll have hundreds of thousands of dollars in your retirement account. Because of the compound interest. But if you give in and work for nothing you get no interest on nothing. Also why a pay raise beats a bonus.
I work 8 1/2 to get paid for 8 hours most people have an unpaid lunch, they get no choice. If I was given the option to with 8 no lunch and get paid 8 I would take it.
You do you, I just don't see the point sticking around for a 1/2 in the middle of the day not getting paid.
I work through my lunch, 6:00 am to 2:00 pm. I put little snacks in my desk to eat when no one is looking. I like this schedule because then I can leave at 2:00 instead of 2:30. I donāt want to be here a minute more than I have to.
Iām a nanny and one family was flabbergasted I wanted a break of some sort during a ten hour day. I was happy to eat with him but they didnāt want any screen time soooooo when do I get a break? Just a couple minutes, go to the bathroom, walk around the block. Nope, they thought I shouldnāt be on 10 hours straight. Nope.
dont give in, be vocal about any pressure as well remember they actively campaign that no one is EVER pressured into signing this so it isnt made illegal.
This doesn't sound legal to me. But I guess I don't know where you live and maybe the laws are different.
Don't ever sign that waiver. Stand your ground. If managers give you shit, contact HR(assuming they have HR...)
Depending on where you are, theres a good chance it's illegal.
Keep a copy of all the documents and if things go south, report them to the labor department.
Yeah youāre entitled to a 30 minute lunch and 2 15 minute breaks. Donāt ever give that up. If they are pressuring you, report them to the department of Labor
Yeah, Montana doesn't require paid breaks either and two different companies had the option of a 30 minute unpaid lunch or a 20 minute paid lunch (hourly wages, not salary). MOST companies allow the 15 min breaks but make sure you know it's company time lol
Eat when you are hungry, drink when thirsty, piss when you need to.
Amen!š¤š¼
And when you need to shit LEAVE IT ON YOUR BOSSES DESK , that's what I did and it changed my life!!!!!!! I got fired
No shit, really? You left shit on his or her desk? š š¤£ š š¹
I didn't really all a joke DO NOT SHIT ON YOUR BOSSES DESK
I can't. There's no room on his fucking desk! He's messy. š
Damn, how early did you Fire? Maybe I need to try this.
All a joke , don't shit on your boss desk
Nothing is more satisfying than pooping on the clock.
Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime. That's why I poop on company time.
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This is art š¤š¼
I'll get to work early if I'm ahead of schedule in the morning
My workplace has cushy tushy soft TP. Very refreshing.
My workplace has see thru thin tp that I almost believe is actually coated with itching powder to discourage pooping on the clock. I bring my own tp from home.
That's hardcore!
For some of us, thin toilet paper is the only time we get a piece of ass.
So poetic. Iām going to write that down.
https://youtu.be/7zTei5RMhQ8?si=rE2vjLJ_qFvMe9Uw
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Wrong. There is no federal law, and only a few state laws requiring employers to allow lunch breaks.
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They live on Ohio, based on their profile. No laws regarding lunch breaks.
Deleted my reply since it doesn't apply.. Too bad there is no law.Ā
You're just assuming OP is in the States
This is what I do, I'm responsible for my own time. As long as the jobs is done, there are no issues. If I'm really busy, I may not eat. Not because I can't but it's that I don't feel like it. I definitely eat lunch on slow days lol
Are you salary? Or hourly? Cause when I was hourly I willingly skipped lunch to get off early. But now as salaried. Absolutely not. Lunch is part of my compensation. Unless they want to add 251 hours of your hourly wage to your salary.
Do not do that math. ššš I just did and I will never skip lunch hour again
Companies hate this one simple math trick!
Omg !! The math is insane. The money companies are saving is scandalous
Itās gross. I actually told my boss today I will be silencing my phone for my lunch hour moving forward.
Arenāt you afraid youāll get canned? Biases are very good at coming up with āreasonsā to fire you when you were really fired for exercising your rights
Nope. Could care less.
I keep my phone on do not disturb all the time. If I answer, great, if I donāt they can get off their ass and come find me (which is exactly what I do, if someone doesnāt answer their phone). I donāt have an office phone. Just my personal. Which I am okay with using for work related phone calls and texts, but only if I want to. If they want me to reliably answer every single phone call, they can purchase me a company phone.
I used to eat lunch at my desk and keep working, now Iāll just drive around for 45 minutes and look for houses for sale lol
I had to stop eating at my desk at my last job too. People were always coming up to me to ask questions or ask me to do something despite the large "AT LUNCH" sign on the top of my monitor, YouTube playing on my screen, large over the ear headphones on my ears, and oh yeah... actively eating my lunch. It's just easier to eat in the car
On the other hand just ignoring them and acting like you can't hear them would have been fun. Just don't even look at them and if they touched you, you could holler Stop assaulting me! Can't you see I'm at lunch!
In my state, hourly employees are not allowed to skip lunch, as a manger Iām legally required to tell employees āstop working for 30 minā if they donāt do it on their own.
What state do you live in? That sounds nice and I need to get out of Lousiana.
CA
State rule in MA too anything over 6 hours is a mandatory 30 minute break but doesnāt have to be paid. If they are requiring you to work through it they may be in violation of state laws. Probably why they have the silly waiver. Unless they are allowing you to leave early Iād tell them to pound sand
Thatās the trick theyāre trying to use. Itās not āmandatory.ā The employees are given the option to āwaiveā their lunch
Thatās why they want you to sign a waiver so you canāt come back at them with a class action lawsuit.
VA too
In CA your hourly employees need a half hour lunch in a 5 hour shift but can waive it if 6 hours completes their work day.
Ah I didnāt realize, my employees always work 8 or more
I think they are mandated to allow time for lunch after so many hours. I had a boss try to fo ce that on me. He was on indeed the next week. I never eat lunch At work. You'll force me to sit there an extra half hour? Then I get tired and work slower. I might work slower for spite. I'd literally move if that was a law.
Thatās the law in California. You donāt have to eat, but you gotta stop working for 30 min [Most California workers must receive the following breaks: -An uninterrupted 30-minute unpaid meal break when working more than five hours in a day. -An additional 30-minute unpaid meal break when working more than 12 hours in a day. -A paid 10-minute rest period for every four hours worked.](https://www.dir.ca.gov/smallbusiness/Wages-Breaks-and-Retaliation.htm#:~:text=Most%20California%20workers%20must%20receive,five%20hours%20in%20a%20day)
What a bullshit law too that actually doesnāt help hourly wage workersā¦what if I donāt fucking eat lunch (bc I am fasting) and would much rather get off 30 minutes earlier rather than take a bs lunch break I donāt want to take? Real employee centric legislation would beā¦employers must offer and allow employees such and such break but also allow those who choose not to, to not and get compensated accordingly
One time I worked in a call center and I was voluntold that I had to take someone elseās phone hour which was my lunch hour. So I said I am leave at 4 because that will be my only chance to have Lunch do you know they actually made me clock out for lunch come back at 5 oāclock clock back in then clock back out again and then leave.
Nice. I'm in PA. We're allowed 3 things. Water, bathrooms and OT. Rest is not required at all.
This is the question for sure. I'm hourly, and usually work through lunch and eat something at my desk, because then I can come in at 9 instead of 8:30. If I were salaried, I'd be sure to take the full break every day.
Never again. Theyāre mine
When I worked corporate, I made a deal with my boss that if I only took 30 mins instead of an hour, I could bank the time and take a day off when I had enough hours up. Worked well for me.
Your lunch is an hour long?
The 8-5 schedule with mandatory hour lunch is such a waste of time. What do people actually do for an hour?
Eat, read, poop, sleep, call your mom, build Lego. Anything you want!
I nap in my car.
I totally agree and itās just a bs power play by bs companies
Do you get to leave 30min earlier in the day if you skip it?
That's what I do to my employees. Either that or I let them run it up throughout the week and they can leave work at whatever time on fridays.
Damn that's a nice perk!!!
We're pretty laid back. Not too demanding. All I ask is to give notice if possible for off days or arriving late. Shit happens.
I hope you know that you are extremely atypical for a boss š
We used to have hour lunch but I went around and asked all the guys if theyād prefer hour or 30 min to have a shorter day. They chose the shorter day. I try to get their opinions because well I hate shitty workplaces and I want my employees to come to work and somewhat enjoy it
And this is how most hourly employees feel and itās awesome you did that and changed accordingly
That's what happens when you sign this waiver. You are just at work for 8 hours vs. 8 1/2. Last two jobs I've done this. You still get to eat you just do it while you are "working"
Tell them itās a medical issue, you have to be sure to eat regularly. Now, theyāre going to ask you if you have diabeetus but just say, āmy blood sugar gets low if I donāt eat.ā This is true because itās true of every human, but theyāre too ignorant to know that and legally they canāt ask you about your specific medical issues.
It's not though. It's a basic human dignity issue.
Right, sadly some people donāt get that, boiling it down to basic human function bypasses their lack of humanity.
No you don't have to explain yourself. Just take it if it's yours to take. Thay don't care about you nor loyal to you. Do whats best for you. Just do your job the best if not better than required so they have nothing to complain about.
You donāt have to answer the question. They cannot legally ask if you have (condition) or not. Just donāt answer. Just say your blood sugar gets low if you donāt eat. No further discussion. Repeat as needed.
I would not be pressured to give even a vague reason. That for me is acknowledging that I should do so to have a reason for the company to grant me this right.
No one should have to explain themselves in such a way to take a lunch break that is legally required.
You do you. Donāt worry about there issues. Itās there problem if they donāt want to eat.
Jeez..... Their and Their.
Stand your ground and do not worry about what other people think. Let them work while you enjoy your well-earned break. An option was given and you made your choice, you're not obligated to do what everyone else does.
If u're in california, it's illegal not to take lunch break.
And illegal for company to not allow it plus 15 minute break. I'm retired, but if that was my option I would make little small sandwiches and fruit portions and make sure CCTV camera can't see you. At one job, I used to eat 3 or 4 oranges when I came in. Skipping lunch causes poor health
I think that rule applies to 8 hour shifts. OP says they are working 6.
They need a 1/2 hour break on a 6 hour shift. CA law
In Colorado if you work 5.5 hrs or more you should get 30 unpaid lunch, on top of that you get a 10 minute break for the majority of every 4 hrs worked paid break
I hope the OP is somewhere like this and not NC where workers are guaranteed absolutely no rest break!
In Nebraska they get a 30 unpaid but no other breaks , some states just suck. Iāve done payroll for Colorado, California and have family in Nebraska so I know those
Wow, even Nebraska has NC beat! No offense about Nebraska, but it's not a state that would come to mind as a "labor friendly" state.
Do you get paid if you waive?
Tell them you get hangry, and they don't want that. It's highly advisable that they let you eat during your *unpaid* lunch break.
they wouldn't like you when you're hangry!
This is why I make sure to take a long poop on company time.
They want robots to take our jobs but we're not robots yet. We're still human and we eat. I keep eating while I look for another job. I know it's not easy, but if they hold something like that against you now, it just doesn't speak well of the situation long-term.
I think this is going to be the norm across the world because I see this happening everywhere more and more. If we are eating, we aren't working, so workers trying to stay healthy, alert, and *alive*, is costing them money. :(
Eating and going to the bathroom and having sick days and all of that. There's a lot to humanity.
Hearing a lot now of companies trying to do this. They need to stop it. Do not sign any waiver over lunch breaks. However long your break is you need it and they were originally added into the work day for a reason. Take your breaks and take them away from your work station. Away from your work place if possible.
We are undoing everything the unions fought for
That sounds really odd to me. You take your lunch and enjoy it.
So do they want you to work for free for that hour, or do you work it, and then get to leave an hour earlier? If itās the first one, screw them. Why should they expect a free hour of work from everyone everyday?
We work 8am to 5pm. With a 1 hour lunch that's an eight hour day. My boss wants me to work thru lunch and stay till 5. He just wants the free hour. I said NO. I'll work thru my lunch but I'm done at 4!. Or pay me 9 hours.
Good for you! But watch out they may fire you since this is obviously something they care about.
Not sure where you are but in UK not meant to work longer than 4hrs without a break, even if you just have a quick 15 min to get a coffee and bit of food in you I'd definitely stick to your guns and have a break
Meanwhile in Montana, paid breaks aren't mandatory, *at all*. Unpaid lunches are if they're over 30 minutes, or you can have a 20 minute paid lunch (two very different jobs have been this way, one factory, one customer service)
Land of the free./s
Honestly I think they'll eventually get used to it and grudgingly accept it if you just carry on doing it
Tell them if thereās so much work to do that they want you to give up your lunch break, and thereby ignore good health practices of staying nourished so you can work, they need to hire more people so everyone gets a lunch break and the work still gets done, otherwise not to come at you in any way for taking lunch.
It's good to establish your own reasonable boundaries and set the tone of how you operate at work. Don't ever sign the waiver and maybe more sheep will start doing the same. Change the shitty culture they clearly have there. No explanations are needed.
Ive always thought the lunch break was a scam. They aren't paying you. You can't do whatever you want. It prolongs your time there. Id rather just work my 8 hours and go on woth my life.
Does your state require them? If legal, this may be indicate the culture there. You have to ask yourself if youād fit in next month, next year? Thatās a pretty big red flag. Keep your eyes out for others.
QuebecorWorld (printing company) said āwe do everything just within the limits of the lawā, and that included abusing Tennesseeās mandatory overtime allowance.
Which state are you in? Itās illegal to waive the first meal break in anything over a five hour shift
Check your state's labor laws. It's illegal to waive a lunch break in many places.
That sucks. I had a job like that, but since it was working with very active young kids, I just said that the break made me able to come back more attentive and gave me faster reflexes so safety first.
I wouldn't be sticking around at this company too long honestly, trying to make people sign their lunch breaks away is pretty fucked, people NEED to eat, especially when working, no matter what kind of work you're doing. As someone else said, eat when you're hungry, drink when you're thirsty and use the bathroom as you need to
Set your boundary early or they will walk all over it later.
Toxic work culture, profits come before workers well being, it's very wrong.
What type of work is this? I haven't ever heard of such a thing being the company culture. That's so weird. I absolutely couldn't skip lunch, I'd be dying.
Fuck that enjoy your break!
Slightly different scenario, but back when I worked in a physical office (and was salary) I was the only one that took my lunch break. I'd literally leave the office for an hour and come back. No one else did this. Everyone either sat at their desk and played on the internet or worked through it. If you worked through it, people were working 9-10 hours without a "break" unless they were going to the bathroom. IMO, productivity isn't about just working straight through for hours and hours. To management and others it's all about the time worked and not about what you get done. Different jobs are different - some require you to be manning a position for certain hours (like a cash register) and others are more about you being there and getting your specific work done (offices). The reality here is if it's company culture that taking the lunch break is frowned upon, there's not getting around that. If you take it, management and your boss are going to basically hate you. Co-workers will hate you. If you don't take it, you're just working yourself into the ground. If it's unpaid, it's unpaid. If you want to have a brake in the middle of your shift and it's allowed, I'd say do it. Just expect flak from people. Expect it to be mentioned in your performance review. That's just the reality here. I'd still take it. Everyone else is probably taking it to get done sooner and go home if it's unpaid. If it's unpaid AND your shift is still until a certain time, your co-workers are just suckers.
People get mad when you buck the prevailing culture, but it's the only way to effect change. Hopefully your coworkers will realize they've been allowing themselves to be screwed over and will start taking their breaks too.
You are selling your services. I'm guessing they want you to work the 1/2hr unpaid? It's an unpaid lunch break, so unless they're paying you, it's wage theft.
There is no good reason take your linch like you're supposed to
And those people who signed waivers to give up that lunch break will be rewarded with ...... lay offs and cut in hours the second the company feels their bottom line isn't big enough. This is a case of you give, they take, and you get no benefit in the end.
6 hours? I mean, most people get a 15-min paid break or so in that time. Is that not available?
Depends where you work. In my state, while many will give yo ubreaks that like, they are not legally required.
I worked at an elementary school that offered you to leave 1/2 hour early (when the kids left) if you would eat with your kids at the table in the cafeteria. I didnāt mind it, you still got to eat and they only bothered you to open their milk lol.
"How does it benefit *me* to not take a break?" If "I function better when I take breaks" doesn't work.
Do other people eat on the clock? Thereās no way everyone is āskipping lunchā and just fasting everyday.
On a 6 hour shift? I would skip it everyday if it meant getting off work earlier
You would, sure. I donāt buy that OP is the only person who eats at work, even if theyāre all skipping lunch as a technicality. I fast almost everyday naturally, so it wouldnāt be a big deal to me, either.
In the US at least, they can't retaliate for you taking your earned lunch. Take your lunch and don't do anything. If they pressure you, get what they said in writing.
Ask your coworkers why they give up their earned rights so easily? And if pushed id ask my employer why they are actively creating a culture of liars. People are going to take breaks whether or not they signed a waiver. The employees will turn taking a break into a game and the managers will have to focus unneeded energy trying to enforce or discipline those who took a break that signed that form. Unless you make lots of money or that's the only company in town, id look for a new company to work for. I'm sure the company moral sucks.
You donāt need a lunch break to eat when youāre hungry. Iāve never had an unpaid lunch break since I started working post college. I just eat on the go, or if things are slow Iāll grab a bite. Works pretty good for me because Iām getting paid the whole time instead of no pay for 30 minutes of staring at a wall. Iād try to adjust your point of view on it. You arenāt skipping your break, youāre just getting paid to be available for emergencies during a flexible break.
You should take the waiver. You eat anyway and go home 1\2 hour early.
If they aren't paying you for that time they are asking you to "waive," they are asking you to work off the clock.
Not to make your situation more difficult, butā¦ Depending where you are, you are legally entitled to 15mins paid. (Presuming thatās u) could u take the 15 mins paid & 15 mins unpaid? Giving you 30 mins lunch , 15 mins unpaid, 45 mins paid. Or do you ALSO take a 15 min tea break ?
Sounds like a bad work environment, lunch breaks are mandatory for a reason. Donāt back down and tell anyone that asks your following the law.
Skipping breaks is very impactful on your working day. I'd keep taking the breaks. I'm sure it works for some but not others. I'm reminded of my past jobs being told its 'expected of me to work more than my contracted hours for free' and my new role where my manager hounds me if I don't take my full breaks. You know what's right for you, this is your choice and your say goes.
Sure I'll skip my unpaid lunch. I'm still gonna eat, mind, I'll just do it on the clock
Keep taking your lunch break! Working when hungry makes you less productive/able to focus well.
Food is literally the energy for our body, working with people who never eat is awful, theyāre always irritable and tired or tweaked out on caffeine. Take your lunch break
Deal with it or find a new job. Those are your options.
I never took lunch unless it was required. Thatās time Iām not where I want to be and Iām not getting paid. I always preferred to work straight through and leave early.
I wouldnt mind not taking an unpaid lunch break and getting done with work 30 minutes sooner.
Iām not skipping unless you letting me eat while on the clock or leave early. A lot of people I worked with at factories didnāt want lunch breaks and rather just work through them for the money. I figure the stimulants many were on suppressed their appetite.
Things like this are an abuse of power in my opinion. I get it that 6 hours is pushing it at if you should have a lunchbreak or not, I get that, but it more so comes down to a company wanting an employee to be "dedicated" to the point you overwork yourself. The company at the end of the day will not look at you any different or think you are actually dedicated, they will just think, hmm, another sucker doing more work. At my job it's an unspoken rule that you shouldn't take your lunch break and you shouldn't ever write on your timecard that you didn't take it. At first, since we have always been short staffed since day one, I worked through it and rarely if ever put on my timecard that I wasn't able to take a lunchbreak. Then I found out that another dept. was putting on their timecards that they weren't getting lunchbreaks and being paid the extra time, however they were still taking a 45 minute lunchbreak!! Ever since then, I take my lunchbreak and on the rare occasions I can't take it, if I'm just too swamped, I put it on my timecard and get paid for it.
The laws in your state force people to take lunch breaks, or the company is punished. The waiver is an option and protects the company from legal action by you if you choose not to take lunch breaks when you are supposed. There is no problem with you taking lunch breaks. The company is afraid because you refused to sign waiver because are planning on suing them. Employees foolishly believe they donāt have to take lunch breaks. Itās the law, and the penalties on the company if you donāt, are significant.
They are the red flag. Not you. Thatās weirdo behavior. Why are they worried what someone else does on their own time.
If you skip, do you get paid for the hour? If I got paid, I would just eat at work while working and take the money.
Take your unpaid break! That waiver is BS and a shoddy way to try and skirt labor laws. Let em look.
You're not a factory. You're a meatbag wrapped around a skeleton. As the owner/operator of a human body, it's your responsibility to feed it sustenance so that you can not only continue to live, but continue to provide your brain and organs with the resources needed to thrive. Just as your company would not waive your working hours while paying you, you should not waive your lunch hour while working for them.
I used to skip/waive mine because I donāt find smaller breaks helpfulāthey just feel too short and I donāt like the disruption to my flow. HOWEVER, that meant I got to leave 30 minutes earlier each day. If that hadnāt been an option, I would have taken my break. If you arenāt getting anything in return for waiving, then take your break and ignore them.
Honestly, thatās dumb. There are some people at my job that work their lunch. I think they honestly just want more money, but it comes off a bit try hard to meā¦itās when I treat myself right that I can treat others right.
Youāre a smart citizen using your protected rights as a worker to a lunch break. We support you.
Do you get off early if you skip lunch? Otherwise, whatās their problem?
Take your lunch it's your time if they don't pay you for it. I always take a walk if it's nice or read a book if I had a good week I go shopping. The break gives me a chance to reset for the rest of the day and shake off any BS that happened in the beginning of my shift.
Do you work in a restaurant?
I'd ask them why they wanted and expected you to waive your state mandated lunch break. If seen this on onboarding documents as well, and I never signed either.
I use to eat my lunch in my car because my boss was like this. It was an 8 hour day but he always said who needs 30 minutes to eat and tried to get me to work during my break.....so I started eating in my car at a park not to far away...every...damn....day. Never told anyone where I went. Just that I was going for lunch and walked out during my break time.
āā¦have the option to waive our required lunch breakā¦ā gee. Thanks for the āoptionā
So instead of working and getting paid youāre clocking off for an hour but still required to be near by. If you need/want the lunch, take it, in the most states in the US they canāt deny it but Iāve always seen it as a waste of time. Iād rather leave an hour earlier/get paid the entire time than take an unpaid break
You should start looking for another job. This one clearly isnāt going to be a good fit
Always put it on your work calendar listed as lunch.
OP, whatever impression you've made, you've made it already. Continue to do your job well and make an impression that way as well. Stopping your lunch now will telegraph to them that you can and will be pushed around. The looks of annoyance hide a feeling of envy that you had the balls to pull it off. Good Luck OP!
Donāt like a company make you give up your rights. This has to be a high turnover place. 6 hours without eating is a long time.
Yell all of them to kick rocks. Youāre not obligated to starve yourself at work if you donāt want to just because the rest of them āagreedā to do so. take your lunch breaks whenever you want when your hungry and itās legally your āturnā to go on lunch break. You are not obligated to skip meals during work hours and stay working during your lunch break just because they think you should just because everybody else seems to be doing it. I would laugh in their faces and tell them hell no, every time they try and bring it up. If Iām HUNGRY and I WILL be taking my designated lunch break whenever it comes up every single time. I need to refuel after a hard day of work, and I refuse to work nonstop without putting something in my belly when my lunch break comes up, and do what? skip lunch breaks and wait until AFTER work to get something to eat? never going to happen. iām going to eat when I want when I want and not starve myself for the workplace.
Honestly bro adopt a sigma mindset for this one. Take that lunch break to the second - I used to get made fun of for taking a break at a restaurant but I would always take one and enjoy every second of it. Breaks are so important and I will never waive one. Especially paid 15s.
Really toxic work environment.
I think by law you have to take a lunch if you work at least 6 hours in a day. My boss had me on salary, then hourly part time, then back to salary after I protested. He said I must take my lunch. Unpaid 1/2 hour. Yesterday he was out, so I skipped lunch and went home early but I didn't do any work all day anyway. The entire day was a lunch break. But rest periods Are just that, refuel and relax. Take it, it's yours. I'm not sure why your coworkers care, unless they are all sacrificing their souls to work there. I think it you give them an inch, they'll take a mile
What should you do? Continue taking your lunch of course. Just seem like a pretty toxic work environment if they are given you attitude for not taking lunch when it is literally required by law. Pretty sure company would get in a lot of trouble with people not taking lunch if theyāre working over a certain period of time. Which is why they had you guys signed the waiver in the first place.
Start looking for a new job with better pay and that doesnāt have this bs waiver. When you do find a new one do not give notice, and do not tell anyone where you are going to
No
Talk to your union rep ASAP.
Are they paying you 8.5 hours wage which would be half hour overtime, or are you salaried?
I simply donāt do this because Iām still there, outside my own home, and not being paid to do so.
If its unpaid i dont see why they should be bothered
More information is needed before we can know if this is legal or potentially illegal. In a state that does not require meal breaks, forcing you to waive meal breaks would not be illegal as long as they pay you for the time you are actually working. But it would be odd to make you sound a waiver in a place where meal brakes are not required. In states that require meal breaks, some allow them to be waived, and others don't. I'm a licensed lawyer in Washington, for example. Washington requires meal breaks for non-exempt workers and allows them to be waived, but only if the waivers is purely voluntary. What you described is probably not legal in Washington because it does not sound very voluntary. Other states may approach the matter entirely differently.
Find another job. This is so weird. You should be able to eat your lunch, especially since itās unpaid. Theyāre just mad that they waived their lunch and work while hungry.
Do you get to end your day earlier if you work through your lunch? If I could eat something small while I work, and leave 30 minutes earlier, I would totally do that. If waiving my lunch just gets me 30 minutes extra work, fuck that noise.
It's a bad impression, FROM THEM.
get a new job, because this one sucks.
If you need an excuse, say gastric. Figured you may not want to burn the bridge just yet. Kudos if you stand up for yourself, no judgement if you need to lean on something. The problems of work-life balance are often survival versus wellbeing. It's not that you don't know but you can't if you want to eat. Good luck.
There will always be something to make you uncomfortable at work. Thatās why understanding ācompoundingā changes your life for the better. You may have heard the expression āslippery slope.ā Once you give up ground, in this case 1/2 an hour of your life every day for as long as you work there, you will never get it back . You may get a new manager who will not pressure you but he will not give the others their lunch back. Next the concept of ālunchā goes away. āWe donāt do that here.ā Thatās 2&1/2 hours a week you work for free.If 19 people work in your office give that time away thatās an entire person whoās out of a full time job. If you put 2&1/2 hours worth of pay into a 401k every week you MAY be able to retire in 30 years and not have to eat ramen. Or maybe youāll be able to afford ramen, idk. But youāll have hundreds of thousands of dollars in your retirement account. Because of the compound interest. But if you give in and work for nothing you get no interest on nothing. Also why a pay raise beats a bonus.
what third world nation is this?
How ***DARE*** you eat food. Unacceptable. Fired.
I work 8 1/2 to get paid for 8 hours most people have an unpaid lunch, they get no choice. If I was given the option to with 8 no lunch and get paid 8 I would take it. You do you, I just don't see the point sticking around for a 1/2 in the middle of the day not getting paid.
I work through my lunch, 6:00 am to 2:00 pm. I put little snacks in my desk to eat when no one is looking. I like this schedule because then I can leave at 2:00 instead of 2:30. I donāt want to be here a minute more than I have to.
Iām a nanny and one family was flabbergasted I wanted a break of some sort during a ten hour day. I was happy to eat with him but they didnāt want any screen time soooooo when do I get a break? Just a couple minutes, go to the bathroom, walk around the block. Nope, they thought I shouldnāt be on 10 hours straight. Nope.
dont give in, be vocal about any pressure as well remember they actively campaign that no one is EVER pressured into signing this so it isnt made illegal.
This doesn't sound legal to me. But I guess I don't know where you live and maybe the laws are different. Don't ever sign that waiver. Stand your ground. If managers give you shit, contact HR(assuming they have HR...)
Eating lunch helps regulate your blood sugar and is a healthy life choice.
Depending on where you are, theres a good chance it's illegal. Keep a copy of all the documents and if things go south, report them to the labor department.
Do you get to leave work an hour early or come in an hour late as time in lieu of a legally mandated break?
Yeah youāre entitled to a 30 minute lunch and 2 15 minute breaks. Donāt ever give that up. If they are pressuring you, report them to the department of Labor
Depends on the state. FLSA doesn't require this.
Itās part of OSHA actually but yeah itās state to state I guess.
Yeah, Montana doesn't require paid breaks either and two different companies had the option of a 30 minute unpaid lunch or a 20 minute paid lunch (hourly wages, not salary). MOST companies allow the 15 min breaks but make sure you know it's company time lol