Double Vent--Lunch Break

[JKATHERINE]

Lunch break. As a full-time employee in Maine, Adam is entitled to have a lunch break of 30 minutes for every 6 that he works. He works 8 hours a day, if not more. His lunch break is supposed to be from 12-1, but working in a dental office, sometimes things take longer than anticipated and they can still be working on a patient when lunchtime rolls around. Well, they have no extra coverage and there is almost always a patient scheduled for 1pm so if they run over on their last patient before lunch, he doesn't GET a lunch. It's illegal and it's bullshit and it pisses me off. It happens at least 3 times a week. Sure, he gets paid for the time that he's there, but there are days that he comes home at night and hasn't even had lunch yet and he's famished. This happened at his last job, too (a small oral surgery office). What makes the situation even more frustrating is that he doesn't SAY anything. Why won't he stand up for himself? I'm sorry, but if I were working at a job and wasn't allowed to eat my lunch, someone would hear about it. It's not his fault if they run late. The office needs to stagger lunch breaks (all lunch breaks are from 12-1, no patients are scheduled during that time) or get extra coverage or not schedule patients right at 1pm. It's illegal for the staff to not get a break and they keep doing it to them because no one stands up for their damn selves and says anything.

Ok, I'm done.

:soapbox

[ahippiechic]

I'd be pissed too, he should say something.

[freeby4me]

Is he allowed to snack on stuff between people?

[iluvmybaby]

Is he allowed to snack on stuff between people?

He needs to start taking four 15 minute breaks then to go outside, stretch, grab something to eat, chill out etc. If they won't allow him to have an entire hour, have him break it up. He still gets to eat, and still gets his hour off, just not in a row

[RNB16]

My DH rarely if ever gets a lunch break. So most the time he'll go all day without eating which is pretty ironic considering he's a General Manager of a resturant.

[Jackie_Blu]

yep it IS illegal and Adam (&the others) should say something. I can see why you are upset:getyou

[sunniekiss]

I never get a lunch break & I work anywhere from 8 1/2 to 9 hours a day. I am fortunate that I can have something to eat at my desk & get paid to do that. But the downsaid is IF someone comes into the office, or the phone rings, or we get a delivery I have to stop eating & take care of those things.

I also do not get paid overtime which sucks but I am the only employee so I really can't make a big fuss.

The good side of it though is like today with the ice we are having, I took the day off & I have enough hours for the past 2 weeks so I am ok.

[Tasha405]

Oh hell no, I would say something too!

[YankeeMary]

Is he allowed to snack on stuff between people?

How funny, when I first read this it was like people is his big meal to eat and is he allowed to eat between eating people...lol. I think I need a nap.



I would be ticked also but I am like Adam. I doubt I would say anything. I would be afraid if I complained then I would be looking for another job.

[ahippiechic]

How funny, when I first read this it was like people is his big meal to eat and is he allowed to eat between eating people...lol. I think I need a nap.



I would be ticked also but I am like Adam. I doubt I would say anything. I would be afraid if I complained then I would be looking for another job.

I thought the same thing Mary and had to go back and read it again, LMAO!
Guess I'm not the only one on here that is warped! :dancing:

[Kyla Kym]

I know how you feel. Where my hubby works it's hard physical labor working with plywood and lumber. It's dirty, loud, either stifling hot in the summers, and freezing cold in the winters, and long hours. He works 12 hour nights. And all they get is a 15 minute lunch break. I still can't get over that. I feel so sorry for him, because he smokes too. So it's either eat or smoke. By the time he gets home all he wants to do is go to the bathroom and then to bed.

[Shann]

he definitely needs to say something. I'm one grumpy person if I don't eat so I'm sure if I was missing lunches, the other employees would NOT want to be around me and I'm sure I'd be getting my lunches after that. Or I'd say something, like I said, I'm extremely grumpy when hungry and I don't hold much back when I'm in a pissy mood...

[JKATHERINE]

I know. And it's not just the "grumpy" factor, either. You lose energy if you skip meals, besides the fact that it's unhealthy to do so...

[earnhardt1]

hope he starts getting his lunch. i know my husband gets sick if he misses lunch or goes without eating for to long.

[tracey74]

do they have OSHA(Occupational Safety & Health Administration) there? because you can always call them anonymously I think and let them know whats going on here is the requirements for breaks and lunches
http://www.dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/meal.htm
it goes by state.but if where he worls isnt allowing it its against the law and the place he works can be fined. look into that and see what you think.

[wobblypops]

You never did answer the question if he's allowed to have something (or someone) to eat at his desk.

If he isn't allowed to do that & if he isn't going to speak up about if there's really nothing you can do BUT if he comes home & takes it out on YOU then there would be a problem & the problem would be turned around & he would be put in his place about this until he does something to fix it.

This happens at a lot of doctor's practices. Around here they always send one person out at noon, no matter what is still going on in the office & that person can come back to cover the desk until everyone else gets their entitled break. Of course, the person who should be the last to go would be the one who finishes up with the patient & does the billing & payment collections.

Does the dentist go without any lunch too? I wouldn't want his shakey hand in my mouth if that was the case.

[DrGrin]

Lunch break. As a full-time employee in Maine, Adam is entitled to have a lunch break of 30 minutes for every 6 that he works. He works 8 hours a day, if not more. His lunch break is supposed to be from 12-1, but working in a dental office, sometimes things take longer than anticipated and they can still be working on a patient when lunchtime rolls around. Well, they have no extra coverage and there is almost always a patient scheduled for 1pm so if they run over on their last patient before lunch, he doesn't GET a lunch. It's illegal and it's bullshit and it pisses me off. It happens at least 3 times a week. Sure, he gets paid for the time that he's there, but there are days that he comes home at night and hasn't even had lunch yet and he's famished. This happened at his last job, too (a small oral surgery office). What makes the situation even more frustrating is that he doesn't SAY anything. Why won't he stand up for himself? I'm sorry, but if I were working at a job and wasn't allowed to eat my lunch, someone would hear about it. It's not his fault if they run late. The office needs to stagger lunch breaks (all lunch breaks are from 12-1, no patients are scheduled during that time) or get extra coverage or not schedule patients right at 1pm. It's illegal for the staff to not get a break and they keep doing it to them because no one stands up for their damn selves and says anything.

Ok, I'm done.

:soapbox

If he won't stand up for himself, there isn't much you can do. Unless you call the state labor relations board.

[SLance68]

I don't think you would get anywhere with OSHA. And like other's have said if he won't say something then nothing is going to change. Are they deducting the 1/2 hour from his pay and he is not getting it or does he get paid for the actual hours he works? That is the important part as far as wage & hour boards go - if he is getting paid then there isn't much that can be done. But if they are deducting the 1/2 hour from his pay then you need to call wage & hour board.

[YNKYH8R]

There are a couple of factors that play into this whole mess.

1) The OS I work with on Tues. Wed. and Thurs. and I agreed to make the days go by quicker by working through lunch (and getting paid for it) so that we could operate all day without inturuption.

2) In the GPs office we're hardly ever running on time. So if I take the 11:00 patient and assuming it's a typical day he/she won't be workied on till 11:30 or 11:45 or later. So that runs through a lunch hour. Although I do snack on stuff and drink coffee when I'm not assisting. These are on Mon. and Fri......

3) On Monday my my hours are 11-8pm and Friday is 8-5pm. Jamie works till noonish on Monday and is off on Friday. So ideally it would be nice to come home from work for lunch. But my round trip from work to home (depending on time of day, traffic, and lights) can be 10 to 15 minutes round trip leaving only 40 to 45 mintues at home. That is assuming that I can even leave because the afternoon patients show up on time around 1:00pm or so. BUT....there is only one doctor and 3 or 4 patients all show up for the same appointment at the same time.

4) The other OS I worked for informed me upon hiring that he paid for us to work through lunch.

[JKATHERINE]

Blah blah blah. Regardless of whether you get paid or not, it's still ILLEGAL to not allow you to have a break.

And, wobbly, no, he doesn't take it out on me. It is ME who gets upset over it, not him, hence the 2nd part of the vent. Nothing (ok, almost nothing) bothers Mr. Adam...ever. He's Mr. EasyGoing. Mr. NotACareInTheWorld. Mr. I'mNotGonnaRockTheBoat. Mr. NiceGuy. :D

[Jenefer3]

At one job, I had the option of taking a lunch or I could just work through it and go home an hour early. I usually just worked through lunch...of course I started work at 5 am so lunch was at 9 am, which I wasn't really hungry at that time so it didn't matter.

The dental office the kids and I go to is nothing like that.The office is closed from 12 to 1:30 pm and there are no exceptions. We had an appointment at 11:15 one time and they were running behind and then 12 pm came and the staff actually told me that they were closing for lunch, the dentist had just finished with the previous patient and that I needed to leave and come back at 1:30 and then we'd get to see the dentist.

I'd try telling my husband that skipping lunch isn't good for him at all and that I'm just concerned about how this will affect his health in the long run and that the kids and I need him to be healthy and happy....or something like that.

Good luck!

[Bliss]

He agreed to work through lunch. It's his choice whether he wants to take lunch or not. According to his post he doesn't want to take lunch, he stated he snacks, he's not starving.

The dentist office I go to does not make appointments for 1 pm, they are always set at 2 pm after their lunch break,

[JKATHERINE]

He agreed not to take lunch on the days he travels with the oral surgeon, not on the days that he works at the home office, which is my problem (I should have clarified). Yes, he snacks, but that's still not as healthy as taking a break, getting off of his feet and eating his meal.

[freeby4me]

But Jaime, its his job. He needs to handle it. If he wants to change it, then he can go about it. You pestering him is not going to help. Believe me, I know. Im in practically the same sitaution. SO has gone upwards of 3 weeks with no day off working 15 hours a day. To me, its Bull Shit. To him, its his job. Me hounding him does nothing but upset our time together.

[Katt]

loll sounds like medical practice. We work 12 hour days, if we are lucky we get to go pee at least once in there. I don't think I've had a lunch break in the last 8 shifts I've worked. We are supposed to have 30 minutes during that 12 hour shift. Unfurtunately, the people have to be seen first.

After a while, you build up a tolerance. Could be why it doesn't bother him much. ;)

[Bliss]

But Jaime, its his job. He needs to handle it. If he wants to change it, then he can go about it. You pestering him is not going to help.


Exactly!