Breaks

[cleverclowns]

Hi,

 

Need to let off some steam and get some advice please

 

Staff in my setting currently have a 15 minute AM break, 30 minute lunch and a 15 minute PM break.

Because of several issues that have cropped up I now want all staff to take 1 hour for lunch. Staff are paid for their breaks unless they go off site.

 

What do other settings do?

 

I am changing this because:

 

* Some staff are taking the michael coming off their breaks late, which makes others late. This results in breaks and dinners taking over the whole day...

 

* The Key Person is available during the start/end of day and not on break...

 

- My Contract of Employment states 'your normal contracted hours per week are_____, within an agreed time frame of 8am-6pm, You may be required to work additional hours when authorised and as necessitated by the needs of the business. We reserve the right to change your normal working hours according to the needs of the business from time to time. You will be given not less than 1 months notice of any change to your normal working hours...'

 

Will this allow me to change things without any reprisals regarding custom and practice????

 

ANY advice appreciated

Thanks

[Cait]

It's my understanding that there are regulations regarding breaks, but my staff and I have agreed that we don't actually take them during our contact time. We have non-contact time to work on files and do planning etc and a decision was made that it was better to 'save' this up and make t a worthwhile length of time over the course of a week. Now staff are paid an hour and a half to two hours for non-contact time each week

[cleverclowns]

It's my understanding that there are regulations regarding breaks, but my staff and I have agreed that we don't actually take them during our contact time. We have non-contact time to work on files and do planning etc and a decision was made that it was better to 'save' this up and make t a worthwhile length of time over the course of a week. Now staff are paid an hour and a half to two hours for non-contact time each week

Is your setting open from 8-6pm Cait?.

 

I own and manage a private day nursery and staff shifts do vary, I have 8 full time staff and 1 part time staff member. Usually staff work 7 hours or more so, initially i thought it wise to apportionate out breaks....now I wish I just would have set down a dinner hour :-(

[Cait]

No, we're only open 9 - 3, so a lot different from your day. I'll have a search about for you

 

 

here's one

Edited May 22, 2010 by Cait

[Guest]

Unless it has changed, I believe the rules are 20 mins for every 6 hours worked, to be taken during the 6 hours and not at the end.

the majority of my staff work an 8 hour day so they have an hours lunch break, which is unpaid, making their day 9 hours long. They are very good at getting back to work on time, if they weren't the person waiting to go on lunch would have something to say I am sure, and I rely on the room seniors to monitor this.

[Guest]

Hi

the rules used to be 20 minutes every 6 hours (within those 6 hours) but for under 18's it's half an hour every 4 hours which can sometimes be hard to manage. I've not worked in nurseries for a couple of years though so this could have changed.

 

When I started at the last nursery I was at they were doing as you do am break, half an hour lunch and pm break, however I managed to persuade them to just have 1 hour for lunch it is much more managable

 

Rapunzel

[redjayne]

We are a full daycare setting - my staff work 8 hour days with half an hour for lunch,paid. and no teabreaks but they know they can make a drink and have it when convenient and if they feel they need a break ( as one who is pregnant needs at times) then they only have to ask . We couldn't do teabreaks even if they wanted because as others have said it all tends to chop the day up and become hard to manage.

[Guest]

Mine get a 30 minute unpaid break.

[Guest jenpercy]

You need to consult the staff when changin terms and conditions - however, if you have a business case for the change, you are allowed to bring it in anyway allowing one week's notice for every year that the longest serving person has worked for you, maximum 12 weeks

[Greenfinch]

I'm the same as redjayne.

Most staff, I think, would prefer the half hour paid break rather than hour unpaid but it does depend on the setting and if it can be staffed etc.

[cleverclowns]

Thanks for all your comments - It's good to get different points of view.

 

I feel I need to stop the AM and PM break and just offer a paid 1hr lunch but only if they stay on site. I think that is the fairest way to do things. I will implement the change effective 1st July just to give people an opportunity to have a moan!! I feel I have a valid reason to do so - RATIOS!!!

 

Edited May 25, 2010 by cleverclowns

[anita.kennedy]

Thanks for all your comments - It's good to get different points of view.

 

I feel I need to stop the AM and PM break and just offer a paid 1hr lunch but only if they stay on site. I think that is the fairest way to do things. I will implement the change effective 1st July just to give people an opportunity to have a moan!! I feel I have a valid reason to do so - RATIOS!!!

 

In my setting we have eight full time staff. My hours are 7.45 to 4.45 and I get paid for one half hour lunch break. We do not have breaks inbetween. Staff get one half hour folder time paid one day a week with no contact. I think you have been very generous with your breaks.