Break Periods During A Working Day?

[Bulbarra]

My daughter recently started working at a Care Home for the elderly doing 7 hour shifts, i.e. 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. The only break she gets to grab a sandwich or drink is 15 minutes. Is this really allowed?

[woofgang]

should be 20 minutes
https://www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work/overview

[Maydup]

20 minutes is the minimum, but its pretty poor show to offer the minimum on a 7 hour shift of what it very hard work. I'd expect half an hour but remember breaks are unpaid, so any increase in break time will reduce the earnings.

[pixie373]

Yes, 15 minute paid break for 4 hours or more, plus a half hour unpaid for shifts OVER 6 hours.

[Psybbo]

Good lord, that is unbelievable, they should be paid a lot more and have appropriate breaks, I could not do that job.

[pixie373]

I might add, from the links posted, I think they qualify that as "when reasonable". It is usual to finish a shift at 9:30/10 pm and start the next day by 7am. Care homes can and do get around it.

[bednobs]

your first answer is wrong pixie

[pixie373]

Maybe officially - but that is what happens and that is how they get around it.

[bednobs]

no, i mean it's wrong as 15 mins for 4 hours

[pixie373]

Ok. That's what ours had. There was an argument with social services about hours and breaks, after some complaints by staff. The home won saying it was an "exceptional environment" and it remained the same.

[woofgang]

pixie, employers can give more and pay for breaks but the minimum enforceable is as I posted, a 20 minute unpaid break if you work a shift of six hours or more.
So the answer to the OP's question is no, 15 minutes isn't allowed but 20 minutes is.