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Post Info TOPIC: Lunch Breaks
Anonymous

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Lunch Breaks
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We are entitled to one hour lunch break every day, the lady that used to relieve me at lunch time no longer works at our firm and they are not replacing her. She has been gone for two weeks now.  I work at a busy reception and cannot leave my desk unattended at will. I have asked our Manager to shedule in a lunch roster where I am included as the personell in the call centre have allocated lunch hours during the course of the day.  Nothing has been done and I have not had one single lunch break except if I ask very nicely for someone to relieve me.  I am very sad because it feels like they are not concidering me at all.  I am becomming very dispondent . I normally don't even take the full hour it's just to have a break during the day or at least have the option of taking a break. Call centre staff that work continuously without breaks get half day off - where does that leave me? Please could you advise how I should approach this because I am becomming increasingly unhappy.

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Anonymous

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hi there

by law, employees are entitled to take a one hour lunch break for every 5 consecutive hours worked. depending on what your contract states, some employees are expected to stay at their stations and carry out light duties and so forth..again, you are entitled to that break, so go to your employer or the person to whom you report to and say, it is 1pm, I am going on my break, there isn't anything that they can do to you!! or if they refuse to let you take a lunch, demand that you can get paid..as again, this is what is stated in the BCEA

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Anonymous

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Thank you very much for that response, I just want to make sure that I understand this correctly - am I not responsible to ensure that someone is at reception?

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Anonymous

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you have to notify the person that you report to and tell them that you are going on lunch now and then you may go, if not, they will have to pay you for your lunch brea. what does your letter of appointment state? read that to be clear.

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Anonymous

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Yes you are entitled to a lunch break, but realise the following. If you demand from the employer "I need a lunch break you must pay me or else" that can turn around to make the work situation intolerable.

Employees and Employers strive to workplace harmony, idealy speakinging ofcoarse. Approach your supervisor or manager with solutions and he/she will be more open to accomodate you. For instance check the roster for the employees employed in the call centre and make a suggestion to you supervisor that the people will each get a turn per week to relieve you. That way it is a fair to you and to the other employees, and you are more likely to reach a positive outcome that way.

But lawfully speaking and right to the point. You are entitled to you break after 5 hours work, so make a plan to get it.

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Labour Protect

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Please refrain from answering any questions on this forum unless you actually know what you are talking about!!!

Lunch breaks, plain and simple! Employees are entitled to a one hour lunch break after working for 5 consecutive hours, the employer and the employee may agree to reduce this time to 30mins. The employer cannot expect you to continue working whilst on your lunch break, should he / she expect this from the employee, the employee would need to be compensated.

Lunch hours are not paid!!! Reason=simple!!! You do not get paid for lunch hours as you are not required to do work. Should you be required to do work, the employer would need to compensate you!!



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Anonymous

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14. Meal intervals

(1)           An employer must give an employee who works continuously for more than five hours a meal interval of at least one continuous hour.

(2)           During a meal interval the employee may be required or permitted to perform only duties that cannot be left unattended and cannot be performed by another employee.

(3)           An employee must be remunerated—

(a)          for a meal interval in which the employee is required to work or is required to be available for work; and

(b)          for any portion of a meal interval that is in excess of 75 minutes, unless the employee lives on the premises at which the workplace is situated.

(4)           For the purposes of subsection (1), work is continuous unless it is interrupted by an interval of at least 60 minutes.

(5)           An agreement in writing may—

(a)          reduce the meal interval to not less than 30 minutes;

(b)          dispense with a meal interval for an employee who works fewer than six hours on a da



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Anonymous

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but it does not make sense to me, y  lunch hours r not paid , since i am in the yard and can't perform any other business of my own during that time . 



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Anonymous

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Morning,got the some problem was told yesterday,that the ladies in the office that relieve me,are doing me a favour.

iam i not entitiled to my lunch,does the manager exspect me to sit here from 8 until 4:30.

iam not happy about this at all.



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Anonymous

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I just want to knon 1 hour I still getting paid or not?

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