Americans work through lunch

[dmcowen674]

8-15-2012

http://news.yahoo.com/happened-lunch-break-142218829.html

What Happened to the Lunch Break?



When's the last time you left your desk and took a real lunch break?
For many workers, the answer is "not recently," a trend driven by a bad economy and high workplace expectations

Although there are no national statistics on lunch breaks, small-scale surveys find that up to two-thirds of workers skip lunch or eat lunch at their desks.

Kristen Pierce, a former employee of a large tech company in the Washington, D.C., area, was one of those deskbound lunchers.

"We generally worked through lunch or ate during a conference meeting," Pierce, now a university marketing assistant in Michigan, told LiveScience.



"It was definitely an atmosphere where if somebody needed you and you were at lunch, that would be taken as a very negative thing — even if it was a completely normal lunch break and you were two rooms away."

Skipped lunch breaks are a growing trend, said Danielle Hartmann, the director for corporate partnerships at Boston College's Center for Work & Family.

"I think the expectation is that more people are expected to work more with less," Hartmann told LiveScience. "Workloads have been exceptionally high and people don't feel like they can take the time to eat."

"Many of the organizations have been downsized, and as a result, folks have significantly more responsibility," said Ron Sims, a vice president at Right Management. "They don't want to be seen as somebody who is not fully contributing."

 

[dmcowen674]

No surprise here.

The rich execs fostered this environment.

It pads their pockets even more.

The Sheeple have complied as they are afraid to complain.

 

[OCGuy]

I guess I can see someone who makes the same pay no matter what they do wanting to take a break. Hell, I would.

But the harder I work, the bigger my check is. I can eat a sandwich at my desk in my office and still answer emails, etc.

If all my employees were only looking that clock to see when they get a break, I would question their work ethic. That isn't to say they shouldn't take breaks, but it shouldn't be the first thing on their mind.

 

[Throckmorton]

A 1 hour lunch used to be part of the 8 hour work day from 9 to 5. Now it's 8 to 4:30 with a 30 min lunch... apparently not for everyone now. There's your class warfare.

 

[Generator]

It is almost to be admired how much dignity has been robbed from people. Anyone see that fast food commercial making light of the subject? How are we as Americans going to develop our diabetes if we are not allowed to leave workplace for some Hardees?

 

[Doppel]

It is almost to be admired how much dignity has been robbed from people. Anyone see that fast food commercial making light of the subject? How are we as Americans going to develop our diabetes if we are not allowed to leave workplace for some Hardees?

Do you not wonder, though, that mcowen's views on the destruction of America aside, that perhaps things are better? What dignity did minorities or women have perhaps 50 years ago confronting many ceilings now removed? Overall working conditions are much, much better than they were in the past. In other areas, too, like OSHA that dictates certain safety guidelines must be met.

In the end we are all just little cogs serving the man but always have been.

 

[hans007]

I guess it just depends on if you are that 9-6 watching the clock leave the minute its time to go type. We have those at work and they tend to be poor employees. Maybe its all I've ever known but we talk shop at lunch... do work lunches and work buys us lunch twice a week at my current job. Our schedules are super flexible though.. we take off early to okay basketball as coworkers and no one minds. But if shit happens we'll I'm emailing people on my phone from the gym.

I guess it just depends on what you see work as.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

How about 12 hours and no breaks?

 

[Generator]

Do you not wonder that perhaps things are better?

What only matters is the flat line that Americans have had to suffer since Reagan in wages/salary. Women and minorities could find work 30 years ago, I bet they also got to take lunch breaks to. All I see is loss of ground. People wonder why they have to deal with unions. Let people fucking eat their slop. I'm sure they've earned the right.

 

[soulcougher73]

Lets do away with the unions to see how bad it can really get.

 

[Brovane]

Where I work you have to take your lunch and by law you need to clock out. It isn't a issue if you are at lunch and unavailable. I think probably more of the issue is that for salary people the lunch time is disappearing. More and more work is pilled on and un-paid OT becomes the norm for people and they are not able to take a break for lunch.

 

[Exterous]

I think probably more of the issue is that for salary people the lunch time is disappearing.

Almost certainly because otherwise you'd end up paying overtime!

I would be interested to see the breakdown by company size. Having worked at a very large, medium and now small company their views on breaks are definitely different. The smaller company is more relaxed on lunch breaks that run long but there is definitely a culture of 'if something needs to be done you need to be able to work during lunch if that is what is required to get it done'

This is not to make the rich richer or anything like that but a matter of 'shit needs to get done so the company survives' and it being financially irresponsible to hire someone else to take some of the work burden off.

Considering 52% of Americans work for small businesses I would think the rough economy would hit the small businesses enough to make working through lunch much more common for them

 

[Phokus]

It's hilarious that the bootlicking conservatives are actually defending the capitalist overlords over this.

I wish the execs would just take away everything the labor movement fought for in one fell swoop rather than slowly stripping it away. It seems the problem is it's not noticeable when it's taken away from you slowly.

 

[Linux23]

considering we just built a new office building in Park Avenue, NY, and there is no cafeteria to even considering eating your food out of, you have to wonder the mentality of what is becoming america. of course you can go out for lunch, but a 10-15 minute walk, 10 minute wait in line, rush to eat your lunch, and then a walk back to the building makes people just eat their lunch at their desk instead, and guess what, more work awaits.

 

[ch33zw1z]

I'm a mobile employee, my lunch break is from 1230-1300. If I work through it, it's 1/2 hour OT. Period.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Almost certainly because otherwise you'd end up paying overtime!

In the cases I'm familiar with employees are mandated to take a lunch but sometimes are rightfully fearful that it will keep them from completing a job that rightfully two people ought to do. So they sneak in some work while off the clock. If the company catches them they are fired, but if the employee is given impossible demands the pressure is to do it anyway. It's not like working conditions are becoming less crushing on the whole, so going elsewhere isn't always a viable option, especially in service and retail.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Almost certainly because otherwise you'd end up paying overtime!

In the cases I'm familiar with employees are mandated to take a lunch but sometimes are fearful of retribution for doing so since it will keep them from completing a job that rightfully two people ought to do. So they sneak in some work while off the clock. If the company catches them they are fired, but if the employee is given impossible demands the pressure is to do it anyway. It's not like working conditions are becoming less crushing on the whole, so going elsewhere isn't always a viable option, especially in service and retail.

 

[Matt1970]

So let me get this straight. No statistics, only a small-scale survey and one interview with someone who worked through lunch. And of course dmcowen674 will see that as proof rich execs are evil.

 

[nehalem256]

Am I the only one who sees the irony of people posting during work hours about not having break time?

 

[ch33zw1z]

Am I the only one who sees the irony of people posting during work hours about not having break time?

Maybe people work 2nd or 3rd shift, or have today off even.

 

[dmcowen674]

It's hilarious that the bootlicking conservatives are actually defending the capitalist overlords over this.

You're surprised?

You heard the fuckers, everything is better.

 

[Matt1970]

Am I the only one who sees the irony of people posting during work hours about not having break time?

LOL

 

[dmcowen674]

considering we just built a new office building in Park Avenue, NY, and there is no cafeteria

No surprise no place to eat.

Next is no bathroom breaks either.

I have a friend in construction and they are purposely only designing in one bathroom, one toilet for facilities that has 100 employees.

Make it 200 employees and you get one more toilet and an extra sink.

Absolute minimum by code to discourage "excessive" bathroom breaks as he was told.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally Posted by nehalem256
Am I the only one who sees the irony of people posting during work hours about not having break time?

LOL

What makes you think you know their work schedule?

Do you think you know mine?

Mine changes every week.

This week it is 1pm to 5pm, then 11pm to 4am.

I work day and night and weekends and Holidays, when do you work?

 

[Anarchist420]

The minimum wage should be abolished.