Break entitlement in a pre school setting

Question

Q – “I am new to working in a Pre school so am unaware of how they normally run. So I work 9-3 and we don’t get breaks. We eat at the same time the kids do with the children sat in the same room supervising them. We are also existed to stay for 2 hours every other Friday unpaid for planning & meetings? Is this normal and acceptable?”

Answers

A – No and i would not expect anyone to stay over that period of time with nothing in return.Id be looking elsewhere for a different job. Staff do work up to 6hrs without a break n we do allow staff to work little longer in order to have breaks. Its all anout taking care of your staff too.

A – If you are over 18 yrs old it is not illegal to work without a break for 6 hrs. Any more than 6 hrs and you are entitled to an unpaid break. Re planning meetings, it shouldn’t be expected that you work unpaid! If this is the case you will be earning under the NMW if you calculate these unpaid hours to your paid hours.

A – Your employer is with in there legal rights with regards. I break but best practice would be a 20 minute break in the middle to improve work. But the in paid work is not right you are with in your rights to refuse to stay they could offer this time back in Luei though.

A – i cant believe that people are expected to work for 6 hours without a break at all where else does this get a job in a school you break at playtime and at lunch except when its your playground duty paid or not how many who make these rules have coffee breaks whenever without ever thinking about it seems like some take the mick out of nursery workers its a joke.

A – By law you must work over 6 hours to be entitled legally to a break. Our nursery have staff to come in and cover lunches etc and they do work 6 hours without break if they want to. Breaks are unpaid so they can have one if the want one but some don’t if they work 11-6 as they eat before starting or 7-1 they just eat when finished. We do staff meetings out of hours and get toil time for this.

A – Isn’t it if you work over six hours? Even if just by five minutes, we don’t get a break from up to and including six hours whether that’s 7:30 am starts or not…, doesn’t bother me to be honest.

A – Isn’t it if you work over six hours? Even if just by five minutes, we don’t get a break from up to and including six hours whether that’s 7:30 am starts or not…, doesn’t bother me to be honest.

A – Bring this to a unions attention as it’s not right you have to basically work 9-5 some Fridays with no break and no pay. I’d tell them I wouldn’t do it. 6 hours is fine to work without a break it’s hard but not illegal but I don’t like the idea of not being paid for the planning and meetings but I bet the managers are being paid.

A – So if a member of staff is on a break (rightly so) isn’t it hard to make sure the adult to child ratio is still correct with one staff member down? Staffing is the biggest outlay of funds, our setting couldn’t afford to take on another staff member to cover breaks.

A – I work in an all day nursery. I get 30 minutes out in the staff room at lunch time and I work 7:50-6 four and a half days a week. I get paid to come in extra time like meetings etc. Although at a previous pre school I worked 8:30-3:30 and we ate lunch with the children.

A – I’ve been to a place on agency where we ate with the children as the place was so small there was no one to cover lunches. I wouldn’t expect to work over on Friday though unless I was getting something in return (payment or time back).

A – I’d get in touch with the union. Also 6 hours no breaks? That doesn’t sound right. Where I am now we’d get 20 mins. Eating with the children is a good idea, but I think you’re still entitled to some me time.

A – The general rule on breaks is that you are entitled to a break of 15 minutes after a 4 ½ hour work period. If you work more than 6 hours you are entitled to a break of 30 minutes, which can include the first 15-minute break.

A – You need a 15 min break on those hours. With the meeting time if it is unpaid you should be able to ‘take the time back’ off another shift or shifts if they cannot pay you for it. Deffo look elsewhere.

A – I work 8:30-5:30 and get a 30 minute unpaid break. With planning, meetings etc we get either time owing or paid. We also get the option to eat with the children (if we are covering lunch) then go on or break.

A – By law you should be offered a break, although I remember reading in a place where there is no downtime of customers (hospital, fire brigade, zoo) it’s acceptable.

A – I work 8:30-3:30 with no break, only the apprenterships get an hour lunch the rest of us eat with the children, we have our meeting on inset days and we r paid for them.

A – The ‘no break’ is right, 6hrs before you’re allowed, as for planning without pay, the law says that if you are on the premises working, you should be paid.

A – Unfortunately that is allowed, you can work for 6 hours before you get a break. I know a few people have commented otherwise but take a look here https://www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work

A – All the commenters should read this because most of them are wrong, it’s you have to work 6 hours and 1 min to be entitled to a 20 min break.

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