Tea breaks

[paranoid android]

Mind you used to get a regular tea break in mornings and afternoons at work - doesn't seem to happen so much these days.

How the f**k did employers manage to stop folk taking breaks? 

And why? 

c***s.

 

[SweeperDee]

Mind you used to get a regular tea break in mornings and afternoons at work - doesn't seem to happen so much these days.
How the f**k did employers manage to stop folk taking breaks? 
And why? 
c***s.
 

In the NHS department I work in, you’re entitled to a 15 minute paid teabreak, and a 30 minute unpaid lunch; however you’re essentially shamed to not take the 15 minutes and just take an unpaid 30 minute lunch. Requests for the 15 minute break are met with humphing and moaning about work load, being busy etc. That’s why you don’t ask permission for your legally mandated paid tea break, and just take it. Either that or you add it onto your lunch break and take 45 minutes all at once.

[ICTChris]

18 minutes ago, SweeperDee said:

In the NHS department I work in, you’re entitled to a 15 minute paid teabreak, and a 30 minute unpaid lunch; however you’re essentially shamed to not take the 15 minutes and just take an unpaid 30 minute lunch. Requests for the 15 minute break are met with humphing and moaning about work load, being busy etc. That’s why you don’t ask permission for your legally mandated paid tea break, and just take it. Either that or you add it onto your lunch break and take 45 minutes all at once.

It’s funny when I saw this thread I immediately thought of when my wife gave birth and the midwives were very stringent on taking their breaks, telling you they were taking their tea break and having a colleague come into the room to cover them. 

This is, of course, a good thing, they need to be fresh and rested properly.

In my job we don’t have set breaks but often people will take screen breaks or grab a coffee with no issues.

I worked in an office in Italy for a week and they all went for an espresso and a cigarette at set times, everyone went and stood out on a specially built terrace. Very cool.

[Raithie]

At my previous job we had an allotted 30 minute tea break and an hours lunch. Was cushty however to begin with the tea breaks were numbered 1, 2, 3 each at different times (2 x 15 mins) and each day we were allocated what times to take. This was eventually dropped where staff were allowed to take their tea breaks when they wanted (with some stipulations due to us being 9 til 5 - no breaks before 10am and no breaks after 4pm) and you were allowed to scatter the 30 minutes throughout the day. These days I've been working from home, and still am, so tea breaks are whenever I feel like it and for how long I wish. 

[Left Back]

The guy that used to own the company I work for had another company as well and the glasgow office was shared between both companies.  All the guys in the sister company used to go into the lounge every morning and afternoon at the same time for their scheduled tea break.  I'd be amazed if they don't still do this now.

I always thought it was bizarre behaviour.  I've never had a contract of employment that says you're entitled to a tea-break.  Maybe they did or maybe it was just accepted under custom and practice.

[The Moonster]

51 minutes ago, paranoid android said:

Mind you used to get a regular tea break in mornings and afternoons at work - doesn't seem to happen so much these days.

How the f**k did employers manage to stop folk taking breaks? 

And why? 

c***s.

 

I do. Find a better employer. Or take more shit breaks. 

[Jacksgranda]

Any place I worked had tea breaks, authorised or otherwise.

The last few places you just made tea/coffee as you wished and usually carried it back to your desk, rather than sit in the kitchen/canteen (which would have been impossible in the last two places I worked as there was no room).

I never worked anywhere with more than 10 office based staff, so it was all pretty informal, a big place that come and go as you want system maybe wouldn't have worked

[scottsdad]

The worst place for me was a supermarket i worked in as a teenager. Shifts were 3 hours 45 minutes each. If they were 4 hours long, they would need to pay us to take a 15 minute break. 

[Melanius Mullarkey]

I often find myself having a 15 minute wind down before taking a tea break. Followed by a 15 minute wind back up again before reaching my optimum productivity. 

[coprolite]

Covid's accelerated the decline of people doing tea rounds. This is a good thing. 

My contract doesn't stipulate any tea breaks. Mind you it doesn't stipulate exactly what "work" consists of either. Most tea breaks end up as bitching sessions about how shite or lazy or stupid colleagues are and can reasonably be described on my timesheets as "resource and performance discussions". 

[Empty It]

We get an hour long lunch break and stop when we want for breakfast.

[GiGi]

My last 2 jobs have been similar. No set break times as such but if you want to piss off for 10 mins to grab a coffee or go for a walk or whatever no one will notice or mind as long as you don't kick the arse out of it and the work gets done. 

Even easier working from home once you actually get in the habit of making yourself take screen breaks, even when you're busy. 

 

[jimbaxters]

Worked in a factory for a few weeks and they are very good at making sure you took your break although you usually had to wait until a supervisor could cover you on the line. Was usually within 15 mins either side though. 

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

39 minutes ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

I often find myself having a 15 minute wind down before taking a tea break. Followed by a 15 minute wind back up again before reaching my optimum productivity. 

[NotThePars]

We have 30 minutes unpaid lunch and I’m not sure about tea breaks but it’s pretty relaxed in general. I couldn’t imagine having the dossing about overly monitored although I know of teams in our org where it’s much worse.

[Barry Ferguson's Hat]

I worked on a construction site in New Zealand where you had to start the morning with a 15 minute break. It's not like you could just turn up 15 minutes late, you had  to be there for the start of the break or you'd be docked pay. Then we'd get a 15 minute morning break, an unpaid half hour lunch break and another 15 minute afternoon break 45 mins before we finished. It was bizarre.

You were also able to turn up 15 mins early in the morning if you wanted, scan in and get paid to sit about doing nothing for the first half hour, although this practice was stopped just before I left. 

The work was conducting earthquake repairs on a still-functioning hospital, meaning no equipment could be left on the staircases while we were on our breaks. As a great deal of the work required scaffolds to be set up, an unbelievable amount of time was spent putting up and taking down scaffolds before and after breaks. it was also a 10 minute walk to the site compound so that had to be factored in too.

Was some skive.

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Barry Ferguson's Hat

[Melanius Mullarkey]

Why would one start work with a 15 minute tea break? Other than the fact that everyone does f**k all during the first 15 minutes at work anyway?

[Venti]

2 hours ago, The Moonster said:

I do. Find a better employer. Or take more shit breaks. 

Mind I used to work at Mimtec (now Amazon) between school & college.

Nothing quite like the stench of shite & cigarettes.

[The Derry]

We get a 15 minute tea break in the morning - I take 1 hour.

We get a 30 minute lunch - I take 1 hour 30 mins.

We get a 10 min break in the afternoon - I don't work between 2.30-4. 

[Left Back]

12 minutes ago, The Derry said:

We get a 15 minute tea break in the morning - I take 1 hour.

We get a 30 minute lunch - I take 1 hour 30 mins.

We get a 10 min break in the afternoon - I don't work between 2.30-4. 

^^^ doing it right.