Tea breaks.

[brightspark]

There is no entitlement to tea breaks but rest breaks are a legal entitlement although they can be altered by your contract.

i once said to my gaffer stop the tea breaks at 3 o clock and u will regret it I wont work as hard and u will loose

 

[angellonewolf]

i go for coffee when i feel like some days none same days quite a few

 

[Robotstar5]

You could always go on strike if you don't get one, like they did at BL Longbridge - Link

 

[-Matt-]

It doesn't matter about any legal entitlement to a break. Rule states that as soon as you sit down, the phone will ring or a customer will come in with a "Can you just?".
Every.
Bloody.
Time.

That said, we start at 7. A sandwhich van comes round at about half 8 so people have a quick snack in the workshop. Then proper break at half 9 til 10. Lunch is then at half 12 until 1. We then stop at 3pm and a have a 5 minute break for 10 minutes and start again after a quarter of an hour. We're very relaxed and people are free to have drinks or whatever at their bench, as long as the work gets done.
Best way to be, I know of places that freak out when people have a bottle of water (for example) in the workshop when it's warm weather. I know that if I were somewhere like that the response I'd give would be censored by the forum :P

Matt

 

[knighty]

wow you guys all have a lot of breaks

we have an hour for lunch, but no breaks, you can have a break if you need one, but no-one ever does, doesn't matter if it's a 10 hour day or a 14hour day

we all drink while working, and the smokers smoke, no good stopping for things like that, we'd never get home!

 

[brightspark]

only 3 official ones the rest are in between while working

 

[Toleman]

I don't stop all day. Quite often have half a sandwich on the nearest clean offcut.

I'd rather not loose the momentum and I like to leave earlier to beat the traffic home.

I'm home for 4.30 most days but I do leave at 6.30 in the morning.

I don't get these people that get to the job, read the paper for half hour then chat to the customer for 20 minutes, do 2 hours then repeat. The lad who works for me smokes in his car so why get to the job then spark one up and smoke it leisurely while I struggle on my own.

I'd love to be able to leave work at work but anybody who owns their own business can't.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I don't stop all day. Quite often have half a sandwich on the nearest clean offcut.

I'd rather not loose the momentum and I like to leave earlier to beat the traffic home.

I'm home for 4.30 most days but I do leave at 6.30 in the morning.

I don't get these people that get to the job, read the paper for half hour then chat to the customer for 20 minutes, do 2 hours then repeat. The lad who works for me smokes in his car so why get to the job then spark one up and smoke it leisurely while I struggle on my own.

I'd love to be able to leave work at work but anybody who owns their own business can't.

Other than the fact I don't eat till I get home I'm the same. Monday night home for 5 kids fed and in bed and out with the laptop. Gone 9:30 by the time I really finished work. Got 5 days off. Still gonna be working in one form or another.

 

[Spark plug]

I have worked in some places that are strict and some that are very laid back, imo the laid back approach leads to better productivity when you have a decent bunch of lads.

 

[Wedg1e]

used to go do 6 or 7 jobs a day sometimes and got offered tea at most jobs . had to turn them down as was peeing all day

When I used to drive a hearse, one of the Directors (Irish chap with the blarney) usually managed to get all the drivers invited into the wake for a quick nip, especially if the weather was inclement.
Trouble was, depending on how they fell (the funerals, not the deceased) you could attend five in a day...

 

[knighty]

The lad who works for me smokes in his car so why get to the job then spark one up and smoke it leisurely while I struggle on my own.
I'd love to be able to leave work at work but anybody who owns their own business can't.

tell him to keep up then!

big deal to me is I always worked harder than anyone else, there's times I used to work till my hands started to shake and I felt like I was going to puke because I was running on adrenalin... I'd wolf down some chocolate and pop then keep going

everyone kept up with me pretty much because they had to - and because they took pride in it, pride in working hard and pride in doing a good job

I learnt that from my dad, I can remember being 20 and not being able to keep up with him - and he'd have been mid 50's then

I was in an accident so I'm a bit knackered now, can hardly work at all, but everyone remembers what it used to be like, and they work hard, I guess I don't really show it but I'm bloody grateful for that. we've had a few new lads in and most don't last a week

it works both ways, I see someone who always works hard taking a break I know he's earnt it and he needs a break, if I see him sitting down I'll check to make sure he's ok, if he's late one morning or needs to finish early I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

in my experience - and to be fair this is mostly dealing with younger lads - they're happy to help if you tell them what to do, what needs doing, or just tell them go help someone, "you jump in the van because you're young and flexible, we'll pass you the stuff" - is always received well, they're happy to help and (I think) happy to feel needed