ChatterBank7 mins ago
Custom And Practice
29 Answers
I have worked for the same company for 23yrs and irrellevant to what hour's I have worked have alway's enjoyed the benefit of paid tea break's (not lunch) I appreciate that it is not alway's common practice for employer's to pay for break's but as we have alway's been paid does this form part of an unwritten contract ie Custom and Practice and if so can my employer suddenly stop doing so without my agreement ?
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.I think we need clarification here.
Isn't the 20 minute break a lunch break?
Have they said you will get less money?
If you mean tea breaks and they want you to work through them then that won't be a cut in pay will it? I think they can 'consult' on the change, confirm it, give notice and say if you don't like it you can look elsewhere if you wish
Isn't the 20 minute break a lunch break?
Have they said you will get less money?
If you mean tea breaks and they want you to work through them then that won't be a cut in pay will it? I think they can 'consult' on the change, confirm it, give notice and say if you don't like it you can look elsewhere if you wish
No the 20min break is what we call morning break for people that don't work all day, but all staff get a paid morning break, staff that work all day get a paid morning, paid afternoon of 10min's and a unpaid 30 or 60min lunch break. We have now been told that we will have to take break's and anyone that has lunch has to take an hour all unpaid. Which yes this will result in a loss of earning's.
>Would that not be a breach of contract though ?
No- contracts can be varied (in the employee's favour or otherwise) in the way woofgang has described
>we sometime's run over our contracted hour's by a few minute's and they are now saying that even so they are only going to pay us our contracted hour's surely this is not legal.
Yes it is legal to pay a weekly/monthly salary and not add on for a an extra few minutes. It's just part of the job. Some employers will just add a catch all to the effect of " work the hours necessary..." . You can make representations in the consultation process and maybe they will compromise in some way- eg say you can go a few minutes early on other days to make up.
No- contracts can be varied (in the employee's favour or otherwise) in the way woofgang has described
>we sometime's run over our contracted hour's by a few minute's and they are now saying that even so they are only going to pay us our contracted hour's surely this is not legal.
Yes it is legal to pay a weekly/monthly salary and not add on for a an extra few minutes. It's just part of the job. Some employers will just add a catch all to the effect of " work the hours necessary..." . You can make representations in the consultation process and maybe they will compromise in some way- eg say you can go a few minutes early on other days to make up.