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SO -- I'm pretty new to the work force. I'm in grad-school, but work as well.
Weird question, but......... I'm interested in people's experiences with "lunch-breaks" at their jobs.
During college -- I worked for the college and did internships around the community at nonprofits. All part-time and all very flexible with lunch-breaks. Most were paid. The first job I had out of college really pushed me/ encouraged me to take a "lunch break" after 5 hours on the job. That was pretty nice. The second job was also very lax about lunch-breaks and would let me go downstairs for a half-hour or so to get some lunch. I never took longer than 20-30 minutes, but if it went an hour, I DOUBT they would have cared. This was also paid lunch.
The job I'm in now -- we NEVER get lunch breaks. I can eat, but it's always at my desk and it's a "working lunch." Everyone else I work with eats at their desk too. I recently started a 2nd job (i'm only there 2 days a week) and they all take an entire hour lunch break that is paid. They all put work aside for an hour, eat their lunch together in a break-room, and it goes about an hour- sometimes even longer.
One of my co-workers the 1st job I have, who's a lot older than I am, said he's NEVER had a paid lunch break and act's like it's sooooo weird to have a paid lunch period. He stated that you NEED to make up your hours if you take a lunch break. He acted like it was SO weird that where I worked got an hour of paid lunch!
I just want to know for etiquette for when I get a new job. Is it normal to request a paid hour lunch? Or Is it normal to NOT get a lunch-break like at this job I'm at?
Maybe I'm crazy -- but I feel like a half-an-hour paid lunch should be justified. But according to him, you need to make up the hours. It's just weird working in an environment where I feel bad for taking a lunch! Lol.
Federal law does not mandate meal breaks. You would have to check with your state to see if they require meal breaks.
In my experience meal breaks are common. The length of the meal break and whether it is compensated or not is up to the employer if it is not otherwise stipulated by law.
A paid lunch period is not customary but if the employee is not relieved from duty then it would be mandatory. That is a different issue than state break requirements.
In over 40 years of employment I've never had a paid lunch break. I've always had a 10 minute paid break after two hours, then a 30 minute unpaid lunch,followed by a paid 10 minute break the last two hours of the shift. Things vary of course when OT is involved, but that's the gist of it.
Paid lunches usually come with contracted salaried jobs. No, they're not the norm.
If a factory/workplace runs (3) 8 hour shifts lunch breaks are usually paid otherwise you would only get 7 1/2 hours of paid work in each day or overlap shifts.
Weeeird. I wish we got paid lunches! :P that's just me dreaming I guess.
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