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I don't think it's that people don't believe in taking breaks. I just think more and more people are working at jobs where working through lunch seems like the only way they can keep on top of their workload. As far as it being seen as a bad thing, I do think there will be people who see this concern for the work at the expense of having a real break as being the mark of a "good" employee even though they have every right to take their break. But that trickles down from the pressure of the environment.
At my current job, I work through lunch pretty much all the time and always have. At other jobs, I'm like, "Lunch time! Back in an hour! What? Can't hear you, I'm off the clock!" lol I don't think I'm a better employee for it now and I didn't think I was a bad employee then. You have a right to a break, take it or don't.
Hmmm, I don't know. At some point it becomes counterproductive. I know when I am required to work extra hours (overtime) because of a heavy workload, I actually am much less productive. For that matter, if I know I am only going to work 4 hours instead of 8, I tend to get almost as much work done in 4 hours as I could in 8. I think it's because when I am working 8 hours I tend to pace myself to avoid getting too tired, whereas if I am only working 4 hours I put everything I have into it for those 4 hours because I know then I am done.
In fact, I wonder if people might be more productive if the regular workday was only 4 to 6 hours a day instead of 8. Working 8 hours a day really takes a lot out of you, or at least it does me!
You are so right. Working 8 hours does take a lot our of you. I wish I could only work about 6 hours a day.
I have been in non direct production roles for the past several years - started as an admin, then QC, now supervisory - so I can take a "break" whenever I want.
What I see is people who are happy to "work" when the workload is light (we process utility payments,) but immediately want their break as soon as they've got a backlog and really need to buckle down. So I end up having to tell people when to take a break, and then they perceive it as being micromanaged - whereas the people who exercise discernment and go put their feet up when there is nothing to do anyway never get spoken to.
Regarding those at my own level - the people who cry loudest that they can't keep up with their workload suck at time management. Don't tell me you got hit at 3:30 and now you can't leave at 4 when you could have set yourself up all day long during the multiple slow hours.
I think breaks are fine unless they interfere with your work. Breaks do not exist to get you out of a lunchtime rush or whatever. Take them when there isn't much going on instead of during your busiest time of the day.
I choose not to take breaks most of the time because I have a lot of work to do. Every so often I may, but because I like to work from 7-4 I choose to skip my breaks so I can leave earlier. Often times I am in the middle of something and I don't want to stop half way through and have to remember where I left off. I think it's personal preference.
It depends on the job. I've been in wage-slave type jobs where you have very specific, repetitive tasks where breaks were scheduled down to the second. Randomly taking a break when you feel like it in some of those jobs could ruin the whole process, or you could just be working for greedy pig who wants to squeeze as much productivity out of you as possible while keeping you stuck in a dead-end low-wage job.
If you land a job that involves more creativity, problem solving and independent work flow, then hopefully your management and co-workers can recognize that and not try to micromanage every second of your day. When you have to think through problems or come up with ideas, sometimes you're working even when you're not working.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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There is no reason a person can't get the work done and still take the legally mandated breaks, if they don't spend additional time surfing the internet or visiting with other employees while at their desk. My people will almost always leave for breaks and lunch but I don't time them or pay much attention as long as their work is being done in a timely manner. Bathroom stops or calling home is done any time. I personally will take a 15 minute walk at lunch and eat at my desk but in all I use up the half hour not working most days.
We take breaks whenever we want, the environment here is pretty nice and open. Come to work, meet your requires and do as you please with the rest of your day.
That sounds like a very enlightened place to work.
Many years ago (40) years I worked selling furniture in one of the top department stores in the nation. A 3 man floor. When we were real busy, we never took breaks and would work through lunch, because when you are on commission, a break could cost you $50 back then in lost commission. On other days, when there did not seem to be any business, we may take an hour break down in the break room reading a book waiting to be called back to the floor when it would be our turn to take the next customer.
One of the division heads other than ours, went to the assistant manager and reported us as taking hour long breaks, and it had to be stopped.
The assistant store manager told him we always were on t he floor when there was business, often taking no breaks or lunch all day when it was busy. We were allowed to decide what time we needed for breaks. The department head said that was not reasonable as we were getting paid just to sit around for an hour. He was told we were all on commission, and our commission far exceeded wages (minimum wages) for clerks. We could control our own schedule. The department head demanded to know how much we made. He was told several times his salary, and even more than the assistant manager, so shut up and leave us alone. He was told our furniture department with 3 employees, made more profit for the store than the department heads several departments made and each of us were much more valuable and valued by management than the department head was. He shut up after that.
The assistant manager was a good friend to the guys in the furniture department and came up and told us what had gone on. His advice to us was, keep doing things the way we are as we had complete control over our break times and he did not care how we handled it as long as we kept producing the type of profits we were making for the stores. This was the mid 60s, and the men in the furniture, major appliances and electronics, were all earning in today's dollars in excess of $125.000 a year.
I am pointing out that break time often depends on work flow. If a person such as ourselves could make a lot of money staying on the floor instead of taking a break, we stayed on the floor. When the chances to make money were nil (waiting for our turn for a customer) we would take long, long breaks as it was too boring to just sit and wait an hour for a customer to walk in. If you do not have an incentive like we did, take your breaks. In fact the federal law requires you take a break.
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