Is 30mins break in a 13hour shift legal?

Question

Hi i am a nurse and work 13hour shifts. I am given a 10minute break in the morning and a 20minute lunch break, both of which are deducted from my wage. Is it legal to get only a 30minute break in a 13hour shift? I am in the UK if this makes a difference, thanks in advance

Answer 1

i think by law u are intitled to a break every 6 hours in uk  

Answer 2

NO.

You are to get coffee break, meal break, another coffee break... at a minimum.

Abd, allowed to break to use rest room.

Answer 3

No you are suppose to get a 30 min lunch and two 15 min breaks

Answer 4

Sounds appalling and also sounds like they are taking advantage.

I used to work for Wetherspoons and we were entitled to 15mins paid and 15mins unpaid (half hour total) per 6 hours of work.  I believe this was in line with government recommendations/legislation.

To be sure you should look in your Directorate's Policy and Procedure manual.  Your trust should also have a web version available.  I work for the NHS now (admin) and all this stuff should be readily available to all employees.  Alternatively, you could ask your Ward Sister for a copy.

Answer 5

In the US it can depend on the industry you're in and I think with Nursing it could be exempt.  You can't have a Nurse in the middle of a code blue suddenly go "sorry I'd love to help with the CPR, but it's time for my tea..." Same thing goes for fire-fighters.  But I don't know about the UK.  Breaks in the US under 15 minutes are not deducted from wages.

I had a factory job doing continuous heavy lifting in a bakery for 12 hours in 110 degrees and we got two fifteen minute breaks-once every four hours.   I did that all summer for four days a week and with shift changes.  I've also never gotten a break more than 10 minutes when I was a line cook.  It just depends on the job if breaks are mandatory.

http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/ObjectID...

Answer 6

i think you should get 30 mins after every 5 hours.

Answer 7

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/E... this may help

Answer 8

2 breaks in 13 hours...you lucky sod.  That means your only working stints of 4 hrs and 20 minutes at a time.   I don't understand what your issue is here???

Answer 9

no coz if you work nine hours you're supposed to get an hour for lunch and a 15 min tea break, well in ireland anyway

Answer 10

Under the working time regulations you are entitled to a 20 minute break in a six hour period.  So normally if you are working 13 hours then you would be entitled to a total of 40 minutes break - this can be paid or un-paid depending upon your contract of employment.  

However, the right to rest breaks does not apply where the job requires round-the-clock staffing as in hospitals and residential institutions.  In these cases you are entitled to compensatory rest and the 10 minutes you are missing out on you should be receiving elsewhere.  Check out the RCN website for further information on this.

Answer 11

yeah, but i think you should also have more time for break in a 13 hour shift, thats legal as well i guess.

:)

Answer 12

As far as I am aware a person is entitled to 20 min break for every 6 hours of work.

I found this link to the government website:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/E...

Hope this helps.

Answer 13

Legally you're entitled to a paid half hr break every 4 hrs