Lunch Breaks? Boss Allowed to tell you what to do?? (Boston: attorney, transfer)

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by life4orce

I won't tell you I've been asked many times to attend meetings during my lunchtime then....

AMEN...OP needs to wake up to reality

[Boston21]

I attend meetings all the time during lunch have to work weekends/long hours.

That isn’t my question/issue, (reading comprehension is lacking on this site, but it was my fault my expectations were too high).

My expectations are now rock bottom. Continue

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by Boston21

I attend meetings all the time during lunch have to work weekends/long hours.

That isn’t my question/issue, (reading comprehension is lacking on this site, but it was my fault my expectations were too high).

My expectations are now rock bottom. Continue

From what you've told us, your boss has advised you against working out at lunch because "the perception wasn't good". Is there something I haven't correctly comprehended? What law do you think that could possible violate? They can't deny you a chance to eat, except under special circumstances, but warning you about the negative consequences of when and how you eat would not be covered.

Here is the relevant advisory from the commonwealth:

Pursuant to the authority granted to the Attorney General
by st. 1993, c. 110, §§ 269 and 331, the following advisory is
hereby issued:
MEAL PERIODS
Massachusetts General Law chapter 149, section 100,
provides that "no person shall be required to work for more
than six hours during a calendar day without an interval of
at least thirty minutes for a meal." ...

[life4orce]

Originally Posted by Boston21

I attend meetings all the time during lunch have to work weekends/long hours.

That isn’t my question/issue, (reading comprehension is lacking on this site, but it was my fault my expectations were too high).

My expectations are now rock bottom. Continue

Sounds like we hit a nerve. There used to be this woman at work that 'went out for lunch' for an hour, but she'd bring back lunch and sit at her desk eating her lunch for about an hour. Wasn't a good look and this was discussed with her. Maybe this is the look is similar with what they're concerned with.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by Boston21

I work a Corporate 9-5 job 40 hours a week salaried employee in Mass.

I use to go to the gym at lunch time for an hour, but I was told repeatedly the perception wasn’t good by my Boss so I stopped going.

Can your boss tell you what to do during your lunch break by law?

I called HR and they said it was ok for my boss to tell me that since that hour is paid?

Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Boston21

I attend meetings all the time during lunch have to work weekends/long hours.

That isn’t my question/issue, (reading comprehension is lacking on this site, but it was my fault my expectations were too high).

My expectations are now rock bottom. Continue

You give two directly contradictory statements and then get snippy because we are not mind readers? Mind reading is not the same as reading comprehension. When most of us responded prior to the second quoted posting, the information you had provided was that you worked 9-5, 40 hours a week. Well, which is it?

But the insults and snide condescension are are always appreciated.

That aside, if you are attending meetings during lunch, presumably, you would be missed if you were instead working out and not at the meetings. That's not really the same issue as chair time, or even the legality of how long your lunch period can be. If you're focused merely on the technical legality, you've already lost. The law pretty much provides that your employer cannot hold you captive and not allow you bathroom breaks and time to eat. If you're beyond that level of job, even if the law did require employers to let you go to the gym, you would not be in a good situation if the work environment and expectations required you to be present for meetings or other required work.

[Boston21]

Let me just copy and paste the question I had again:

Can your boss tell you what to do during your lunch break by law?

That was my question, never changed. All this other noise was attributed to poor reading comprehension, assumptions and just anectodical “junk”.

I’ll just call a Labor Atty.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by Boston21

Let me just copy and paste the question I had again:

Can your boss tell you what to do during your lunch break by law?

That was my question, never changed. All this other noise was attributed to poor reading comprehension, assumptions and just anectodical “junk”.

I’ll just call a Labor Atty.

If you're an exempt employee they don't even have to give you a lunch break.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by life4orce

There used to be this woman at work that 'went out for lunch' for an hour, but she'd bring back lunch and sit at her desk eating her lunch for about an hour. Wasn't a good look and this was discussed with her. Maybe this is the look is similar with what they're concerned with.

I specifically asked the OP about this, but they declined to answer...


It makes me shake my head that this is the type of thing people think to engage a lawyer over these days. The culture of entitlement among highly paid professionals is mind boggling.

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

I specifically asked the OP about this, but they declined to answer...


It makes me shake my head that this is the type of thing people think to engage a lawyer over these days. The culture of entitlement among highly paid professionals is mind boggling.

Law or no law, if they think you have a bad attitude and are replaceable, you will be gone.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Boston21

Let me just copy and paste the question I had again:

Can your boss tell you what to do during your lunch break by law?

That was my question, never changed. All this other noise was attributed to poor reading comprehension, assumptions and just anectodical “junk”.

I’ll just call a Labor Atty.

It's your poor writing more than anything. You didn't say he told you what to do during lunch, you said he told you the perception wasn't good, which is something else entirely.