What is your lunch-break policy? Is it normal to not get a paid lunch? (payment, employers)

[fishbrains]

When in doubt, always go yo the official government regulations. https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/breaks

The summarized version is that per federal law, no breaks of any type are required. If the company chooses to offer short breaks of 5-30 minutes, those are considered to be paid. If the company authorizes a break any longer than that, it is unpaid.

State laws often modify this, and salaried employees are treated differently for purposes of timekeeping. Aside from these nuances, it is pretty standard that lunch is unpaid.

[tnff]

Growing up, folks that worked in the mill got paid lunch. Basically three 8-hour shifts. However none of my jobs have ever had a paid lunch break. We get 30 minutes. Naturally there is no place you can get lunch and back in 30 minutes so a lot of us eat at our desks.

[emcee squared]

10 hour day. No designated lunch breaks. There is normally down time to eat, chat, etc.

Schedule is 4 on and 4 off.

[nicet4]

When I get hungry I go to lunch.

[AGG1023]

I think it's the norm not to get paid lunches. I get 45 minute lunches. I wish I only got 30 minute lunches though, as I don't take that long to eat.

[TheBeagleLady]

I'm salaried but I still have to keep track of and report my time. I can pretty much do what I want for lunch, but if I take one I do not count it as time worked, unless it's a departmental lunch or something. I try to walk on my lunch break. Sometimes I take an hour and sometimes only 30-45 minutes. Sometimes I take an hour and a half to go across the street and take a class at the Y. Sometimes I am busy and just work through lunch. My boss doesn't care, but out of courtesy, I let him know if I'm going to be out of the office for an extended time. I also let him know if I'm going to take the time out of the office at an unusual time (morning or late afternoon).

I've never had a job where lunch was paid.

[hellpaso]

I've never had a job where I got breaks or actual lunch breaks.

In a busy hospital, you grab what you can when you can. Patients don't schedule their needs according to the nurses' breaks.

I can only imagine trying to explain that I waited to call a code until my "break" was over.

[GraceKrispy]

I'm not sure I ever got a paid lunch break, per se. When I was a teacher, I got a 20 minutes lunch, off duty, and was paid a daily rate for my work. I guess that's the closest to a paid lunch break. In hourly jobs, I had to clock out for lunch and then clock back in. In most salaried jobs, my work day hours were defined by an 8 hour day and a 1/2 hour (or 1 hour) lunch built in, but that made my total work day 8.5 or 9 hours (i.e., my work schedule was 8-5 and it was expected I'd take an hour lunch). In my current (salaried) job, I can either do a working lunch and work an 8 hour shift, or take a dedicated lunch and work 8 hours in addition to my lunch break. I do a working lunch.

[riaelise]

I work an 8 hr day. Lunch is unpaid. If I work through it is overtime. It's so nice to be non exempt . If I'm very busy and I have to forego the lunch hour then that's time and 1/2.

Other than that I can go to lunch when I please. Sometimes over an hour. Personally I'd rAther take no break and leave early.

[Luckystrike1]

In my state at least 30 minutes for lunch is required, but they don't have to be paid. Mine is not, so our office shift is 8 to 5 rather than 9 to 5. Breaks are paid and are encouraged.