This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

I work in retail, do a 5 hour shift and dont get a single break, is that legal?

unknown demon

Not legal are all you people crazy?

If you work more than 4 hours. You're entitled to between 15-30min break. Depending on how much longer than 4 hours you're working.

If you work more than 6 hours. You're entitled to between 1hr-1h.30min. Again, depending on how much longer than the 6 hours you're working.

That is according to my employers in retail anyways.

whilst working at spar, I was entitled to a 30 min break if doing a full 8 hour shift, if anything less than 6 hrs you get nothing.

Reply 41

Sky_Dream

16

DMed

That's a big no no, you need 11 hours between shifts (so while you may not complain, the employment inspectors probs wouldnt be too keen).

I know, i don't really like it to be honest, it leaves me feeling exhausted afterwards. The person who does the rota just says 'don't tell other managers' though.

Reply 42

AWSLC

14

priceless_beauty

Hi

basically i work in retail in a well known clothing store.

I work 5 hours on saturday (9am-2pm) and 5 hours on sunday (12am-5pm)

basically on both sat and sun i dont get a single break and have to work 5 hours straight with no break.

I asked the manager and she said that because i am 18, if i am working 5 hours or less they do not have to give me a break at all, its only if i am working 6 hours i will be entitled to a break, but a friend of mine told me that by law i am entitled to a 15 minute break if i am working 5 hours straight regardless of age

Can anyone shed some light?

Should i be getting a 15 minute break, or is what they are doing perfectly within the law.

Your manager is correct, as soon as you hit six hours you are entitled to a minimum of fifteen minutes break, but any less than that there is no entitlement.

I work 11 hour shifts, 5 hours on, an hour break, then another five hours.

Reply 43

AWSLC

14

unknown demon

Not legal are all you people crazy?

If you work more than 4 hours. You're entitled to between 15-30min break. Depending on how much longer than 4 hours you're working.

If you work more than 6 hours. You're entitled to between 1hr-1h.30min. Again, depending on how much longer than the 6 hours you're working.

That is according to my employers in retail anyways.

Reply 44

56gs47qr0ghe9454fe268st

10

DMed

Yep, all legit, on shifts less than 6 hours any break is a goodwill gesture.

Basically the main biggies are:
*a 30 minute break for each period of 6 hours (or any part thereof beyond 6 hours)
*no more than 48 hours in any given 7 day period
*an 11 hour break between any two shifts
*at least one day off a week (need not be at a weekend)

However you can opt out of the working time directive.

I'm not sure the thing in bold is true, people work more hours than that all the time!

I regularly worked til 10pm and then from 6am the next morning as well, I believe that may well be illegal though.

Reply 45

Heyjude

You are entitled to a 30 minute break for every 6 hour period you work. And 11 hours between each shift. No more than 48 hours a week, however you can opt out of this agreement in your contract which allows you to work more than 48 hours a week.

But its completly legal to do 6 hour shifts with no break because its up to and including 6 hours.

I've done a 10 hour shift with no break before - try being a waiter! :whip:

Reply 46

Ghost

20

When I worked in a supermarket, I actually did find the shifts tough too. I was always gagging for a break. Not because it was phsyically or mentally tiring, but because it was so unbelievably boring. Scanning items through an EPOS for hours on end is a hellish activity, so I do sympathise with attempting to get any breaks you are entitled to.

Thank god those days are over. Academic research job ftw.

Reply 47

DMed

15

Abhead

I'm not sure the thing in bold is true, people work more hours than that all the time!.

That's what it says on the direct gov website:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10029426

Only people who are the exception are:

directgov

•

jobs where you can choose freely how long you will work (eg a managing executive)

•

the armed forces, emergency services and police are excluded in some circumstances

•

domestic servants in private houses

•

sea transport workers

•

mobile workers in inland waterways and lake transport

•

workers on board sea going fishing vessels

•

people who formally opt out of the agreement

Reply 48

56gs47qr0ghe9454fe268st

10

DMed

That's what it says on the direct gov website:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10029426

Only people who are the exception are:

Maybe it was the last one, god knows what I signed.

Reply 49

xXMessedUpXx

15

Yes its legal, think you have to work 6 hours to get a break

I used to have a job with 5hours shifts though to be honest it usuaslly flies by and is no where near as bad as 12 hour shift i ended up doing at another job

Reply 50

Kanharn

echo_magic

it's prefectly legal.

But god when you get a real job you will **** your pants. I do 10hr night shifts, i get a 30 minute break, not a great deal you can do at night.

Its legal pal.

Just pray you never get a ****** job like Echo Magic.
10 Hrs and a 30min break lol, If that's not a good reason to do well at school I don't know what is lol.

Reply 51

cdsmith1990

11

LOL, I worked 7am-7pm for about a month straight over winter in a uPVC window / door factory..

Factory was unheated, metal tools were ice cold, carrying around porch doors and patios all day, loading them into vans in the snow, taking deliveries of 20+kg pieces of glass..

And we only had a 15 minute break all day cause we were holding the company together through the recession...

Don't mean to sound arrogant, and yeah I was getting around £220 a week at 17/18 for doing those hours, but for most part I'd have given anything to go back to my warm part time retail job working 10-4 5 days a week :P

Reply 52

Smile_Please

5

priceless_beauty

Hi

basically i work in retail in a well known clothing store.

I work 5 hours on saturday (9am-2pm) and 5 hours on sunday (12am-5pm)

basically on both sat and sun i dont get a single break and have to work 5 hours straight with no break.

I asked the manager and she said that because i am 18, if i am working 5 hours or less they do not have to give me a break at all, its only if i am working 6 hours i will be entitled to a break, but a friend of mine told me that by law i am entitled to a 15 minute break if i am working 5 hours straight regardless of age

Can anyone shed some light?

Should i be getting a 15 minute break, or is what they are doing perfectly within the law.

#

Hello
Unfortunately your manager is correct.. if you are 18 or over you can work up to 5 hours and then you have to have a break.
I work in retail and we queried this with our manager and unfortunately they aren't ENTITLED to give you anything... What my manager does and it very decent is she lets us have couple of mins off here and there to grab a bite to eat and drink as leave snacks/drinks on a shelf just out the back.

Hope this helps... and maybe suggest if you are thirsty/hungry you could keep a discreet drink/snack out the back to munch on as you go past/up to the stock room!
:smile:

Reply 53

somethingbeautiful

18

Yes, that's legal. At my workplace we're told we're only entitled to a 20 min break after we've done 6 hours...in practice though we do 10/11 hour shifts with no breaks at all - actually I did have a 5 min break when I did 11 hours the other day.

I work in retail, do a 5 hour shift and dont get a single break, is that legal?

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you