Entitled to a break.. what is the law?

factorycat · Post by **factorycat** » 06 Aug 2018, 17:30

We are going through a resign at the moment and a new start time/break/finish times.. what is the law on how long Royal Mail can make you work before your entitled to a break??

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 06 Aug 2018, 17:40

Rest breaks at work
Workers have the right to one uninterrupted 20 minute rest break during their working day, if they work more than 6 hours a day. This could be a tea or lunch break.

Taking breaks
Employers can say when employees take rest breaks during work time as long as:

the break is taken in one go somewhere in the middle of the day (not at the beginning or end)

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 06 Aug 2018, 17:43

so i would say the maximum amount of time they could let you work without a break would be 4.5 hours into shift, otherwise it would fall into the end of the 6 hours worked for where a break is entitled. But as you can see the language is pretty vague and open to interpretation.

factorycat · Post by **factorycat** » 06 Aug 2018, 19:44

Postie45 wrote:so i would say the maximum amount of time they could let you work without a break would be 4.5 hours into shift, otherwise it would fall into the end of the 6 hours worked for where a break is entitled. But as you can see the language is pretty vague and open to interpretation.

they are getting us to take our break at 9.00 after being in the office for only an hour... and then working through till 2.45pm... seems a little long to me..

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 06 Aug 2018, 19:51

imo this is too near the start of the duty, although not outside what the letter of the law says it certainly seems to be outside the spirit of the law where it says the break should be somewhere in the middle of the work day

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 06 Aug 2018, 20:08

The law is to be interpreted as RM wish to interpret it due to their own rules? That would probably be for them that there is no set time, for example, if you are walk-sorting, they will expect everything to be walk-sorted 1st before you go for a break. If you were on a break and then a van arrives, the managers would be allowed to stop you from having your break and get you back out sorting. I tend to have a 20 minute break whilst I'm out in the van.