Staff Breaks

[tuffspot]

Just moved from Reception class teacher to Nursery Management and nearly had a heart attack when I discovered that the only break staff get is their lunch break.

 

Loads of questions on this so would appreciate your help before I run in on Monday dishing out breaks left right and centre!

 

1. Is that legal??

2. Is that the norm in nursery settings?

3. How long is the lunch break in your setting?

4. If your staff have a morning break- how long is it?

5. How are "breaks" lunch etc financed in your setting?

ie Do staff only get paid contact time?

 

And any other information about how you run "breaks" in your setting.

 

My goodness you lot earn your money!

[Guest Wolfie]

Where I am - a maintained nursery school - the staff get a half hour lunch break (that's all) and get paid for that. At the Children's Centre I support, the situation is exactly the same.

[Guest]

I work in a day nursery and the only break I get is my lunch break (1 hour). We don't get any other breaks although if we are feeling fraught, we are allowed to leave the room providing there is someone there to cover obviously. Our lunch breaks do not get paid unfortunately so we are paid contact time only.

 

I have worked in another nursery whereby we had half an hour lunch break (shifts were 8-5 or 9-6) but we did get 2 10 minute breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon around tea time. We didn't get paid for these either. We used to get minutes deducted from breaks if we were late back from our half hour lunch break due to doing things for work too. I always wanted to question the legalities of this but didn't have the nerve at the time.

 

Personally, I could do with a quick 10 minute breather in the morning if for nothing else, then just to catch up on some of my mountainous paperwork.

[tuffspot]

thank you.

 

Clare, that is the siutation in my setting at the moment. I'm going to look into this with regard to the legalities!

[tuffspot]

Right1 Here is the definitve answer!

 

Employers must check:

How workers’ working time is arranged and whether they are able to take the rest breaks they are entitled to.

Whether any exceptions or flexibilities apply (see Section 8).

The different rest break periods young workers are entitled to.

 

 

 

If a worker is required to work for more than six hours at a stretch, he or she is entitled to a rest break of 20 minutes.

 

The break should be taken during the six-hour period and not at the beginning or end of it. The exact time the breaks are taken is up to the employer to decide.

 

Employers must make sure that workers can take their rest.

 

http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/employmen...tml#rest_breaks

 

 

there you go.

[Guest]

Interesting Tuff Spot. What are you planning on doing then with regard to breaks at your current setting?

[tuffspot]

Well I think they should have them or at least the option! So I'm looking into the options which I'll then discuss with the staff.

[Marion]

Staff are not legally entitled to a break until they have worked 4hrs (coincides with lunchtime) In schools staff have customarily taken a break when children have a playtime unless they were responsible for supervising but this is not a legal entitlement.

[Andreamay]

our all day staff get 20mins. In from 8.40 til 3.30ish

[Guest]

Hi Tufspot

Welcome to the real world of child care. As more and more teachers move to nursery management/children's centres reality strikes. I think there have been threads on here before about 39 week working versus 48 week. I sometimes think that it is seen as the easy end of child education but this is very far from the truth especially as the 0-4 range are all on very strict financial margins for survival. Slightly off the point but important too, I get so mad when reading reports about the rapidly increasing cost of childcare. What do parents expect why should childcare workers be expected to work for love. Sorry!!!

[tuffspot]

I'm with you there Chill!

 

I'm appalled!

[Marion]

I teach reception in a primary school and don't get a break except for lunch. None of the Foundation Stage staff get breaks as we do not have a playtime for the children.

[tuffspot]

is this becoming the norm in all schools?

[Guest]

Well put Chill, I completely agree with you

We work 8.45 am to 3.15 pm ( we Never get away at that time, due to late parents/carers picking their children up,,then we have to tidy up)

We have a 20 min lunch break

[Guest]

I think you will find, tuffspot, that that 20 minutes includes lunches and is not as well as. So if they work for six hours they are entitled to a 20 minute break within that 6 hours. So, if you work from 9.00am to 3.00pm you are entitled to 20 minutes at some point during that time.

At our pre-school we work from 9.00am to 12.30pm but do not have a break.

Linda

[Marion]

It isn't anything new just in the past most schools have allowed staff to have the morning and afternoon breaks when children are having their playtime but as I said previously this was at the discretion of the school not a legal entitlement. As Linda says staff are only entitled to one 20 minute break during a 6hr working day.

As more schools operate with freeflow access to the outdoors for the younger children there is no longer a playtime break so staff no longer get this "perk".

[tuffspot]

Thanks Linda, I had realised that- think that was what shocked me most!

 

Can I go back to school now???

 

 

At the moment the staff get an hour for lunch. I'll speak to them about whether they would like to have less lunch break time and a break in the morning/afternoon. I'll go with what they prefer.

 

I am shocked by it though!

[Guest]

Marion we are the same as you. Work in a foundation unit - Nursery/ Reception and now year 1. Children on continous provision and stafff move round areas so children if not in Lit/Num lesson have the option to go out. It is difficult for staff because you are continually in charge!! of an area you actually have to ask someone to just watch the children if you need a quick toilet break. Junior staff in our school would be horrified - still in staffroom at playtime and most of lunchtime.

[Guest tinkerbell]

I work in school too and the TAs who used to have a break. They had a shock a couple of years ago when we said yes at playtime go to the loo and get a coffee but then get back to the classsroom and help the teacher prepare for the next session.(unless they were on duty)

We were finding that some TA's arrive at 9.00 and then were having a 15 min break at 10.30 and they finished at 12.....the teachers were busy getting ready at playtimes for the next session and they had been in school since 7.30-8.00 !

Tinkerbellx

[Guest]

I work in an early years unit 8.30 till 4 and get an hour for lunch (well if there are no parents that want to talk ) and we have cleaned up already.

A teacher that works in year 1 gets a morning break= 15 mins and also goes for her dinner at 11. 50 untill 1.10= 1hour 20 mins.

so overall from 8.55 to 1.10 she gets a totall of 35 mins more than foundation staff.

make no wonder we are all shattered in early years.

we are not legally allowed a break so what can we do.

[Guest]

We are a pre-school working from 8.30 till 3.30, we only have a 20min break, which we have to take on our own because of ratios!!!

[Guest]

Hi tuffspot,

 

I work in a private nursery in the Pre-school rooms. Shifts rotate weekly so, either earlies 7.30am - 5.00 pm. In that time frame my morning break would be at 9.00 am for 15 minutes, then lunch time 11.30 - 12.30, finish 5.00pm. Lunchtime I am not paid for.

 

Lates. 9.00 am to 6. 30 pm. Lunchtime 12.30 - 1.30 again not paid. Afternoon break at 4.00 pm for 15 minutes. Hope this helps. And good luck

 

Angela

[louby loo]

Just to highlight another area - in full day care - if staff are not paid for lunch, they should have set times .. which THEY may or maynot choose to change to help ratios problems.

 

Also they SHOULD NOT be counted in ratios even if they choose not to leave the premises, and are in clear view of rooms.

 

However if you pay your staff for lunch you can expect more flexibilty from them + you can count them in ratios whilst they're still 'on site' but at lunch.

 

xx

[Lucy P]

I run a day nursery 7.30 - 6.00.

 

All staff work 8 hrs with an hour lunchbreak (unpaid). They also get a 15 min paid tea break either morning or afternoon.

[Guest]

Hi! We do work for our money!! I teach in a Foundation Stage Unit in a primary school and the only break we get is at lunch time. Our children don't have traditional "playtimes" as they have free access to outdoors throughout the day. Therefore, we don't have that break time which KS1 and KS2 staff get(unless they are on playground duty and then they are out with the children.) our morning session stops at 11.30, I have lunch with the children until 12 and then get a short break, 10 minutes or so, then prepare for the afternoon session beginning at 12.30. It's jolly hard work!!!

[Guest]

I am preschool, staff start at 8:15 to set up, if they do it quickly they get 5 min break before we open at 8:45

Staff have a 5 minute 'breather break' during am & pm sessions ( one staff at a time to maintain ratios). All staff have half hour unpaid lunch break, however they can sit and eat their own lunch with the children ( which most choose to do) and this is paid.

 

sessions end at 3:15, staff are paid untl 3:45, if they clear up quickly they get to go home ealy but still get pad.

All staff have one hour per week non contact time paid) for paperwork. Staff meetings, out of hours are paid, as are external training.

 

Peggy

 

p.s. Business is currently running at a loss , subsidised by me. I work a 10 hr+ day for less than minimum wage and pay others to cover my breaks.!!

[tuffspot]

thanks Peggy- think I may be joining you in that.

We are running at a loss- my job is to change that. One of the problems is high staff turn over and low morale- So I'm introducing measures to try and address that.

 

thanks everyone for the information.

[Guest Wolfie]

Peggy, your post made me smile - that's exactly what I did for the five years that I ran my nursery! The people I work with now can't believe that I paid myself that little for a job with such long hours and so much stress but you just do it, don't you!!

[Guest]

I work in pre-school an 8 hour day - sometimes I can't even leave the room for a drink or toilet trip as their aren't enough staff. we get half an hour unpaid lunch - which I am lucky if I don't get interrupted by phones or parents. i am also supposed to have a paid 15 minute break as I am 6 months pregnant but I have never had one yet as their is no -one to cover me. i have been spolid from working in a school where I got 15 mins in am and pm and an hours lunch! x