[Lucy22459]

I have run into this also – people routinely having to skip lunch or eat at their desks and continue working. I think it’s terrible. Regradless of what the laws says, it is just good business to let your employees refuel their bodies during the work day. Our brains require that fuel to work efficiently, and hungry employees will not work at their optimum level. They will be slower and more prone to mistakes. The lunch break also serves as an opportunity for people to take a time-out from their work day, maybe get in some exercise or to socialize. This is esspecially important when the work day is 10-12 hours long. When people are not allowed to take their lunch breaks, they become burned out, angry, and feel that they are being used by the company. This also effects the overall efficiency of the employees. Regarding the legality of not allowing lunch breaks, it really depends if the employees are hourly or salaried. For hourly employees, the law is very clear. On an 8 hour work day, and hour lunch must be given between the 3rd and 5th hours of work. The company does not need to pay for this hour and the employees are free to go and do whatever they want. The employer is also required to give two 15-minute breaks during the day, one before lunch and one after. These breaks are paid by the employer, but the employer can designate where these breaks are to be taken. In the case of salaried employees, the law is a lot less detailed. This is because salaried employees are usually professional people and have more influence with their employers than hourly employees. It is the belief that professional people are not as easily taken advantage of by their employers. My opinion is, that regardless of the labor law, it just makes good business sense to allow people to take their lunch breaks. Employers who think they are gaining by requiring people to work through their lunch are really very short sighted.

User Detail :  

Name : Lucy22459, Gender : F, Age : 26, City : San Jose, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Author]

Posts