Do you pay staff for there dinner breaks?

[Ivorbiggun]

Problem is there’s to many hero’s in the industry, guys who are willing to work 15/16/17 hour days with out stopping, click the gps button and eat on the go. Once one does it everyone has too. The pressure these guys are put under by the boss is just insane, all because they’ve took on to much land/work. What sort of life is that. Some of you have mentioned h&s, on large farms/contracting outfits, don‘t make me laugh.

 

[ste]

When I was self employed I billed from time on farm to time off farm, was agreed with everyone I worked for and all were happy with it. But I never took the pee and didn't drag things out.

In haulage now and where I am we get paid fully from card in to card out (Owner is meticulus in this and pays to the actual minute on the tacho), so I just crack on and am happy to book a break while waiting to be loaded/tipped and don't stretch things out. Have been at places that do deduct 45 minutes for a break too. I've always made it very clear to them that I will be taking that as a seperate break, i.e don't expect that to be taken while I'm sat in a RDC waiting room for 2 hours as I see that as work and not my break (not my fault the supermarkets want to use your truck as unpaid storage and unload slowly).

My rule is simple, and have said it to many employers, if you deduct any time for breaks I will be actually stopped for that time and have my break, regardless of weather or time constraints, pay me straight through and I'll eat on the move if needs be. Never had any issue with anyone I've worked for over that.

 

[tinsheet]

Old school here, in my self employed days, worked for a well known exmoor family, always fed breakfast lunch and tea, always sat down in the house with the family, unless tractor works then good bought out to me. Still help out there now and again.
Got to the stage were I wouldn't work for people were I didn't get fed. Life's to short to live off sandwiches every day.
Anyone helping me out always gets food offered.

 

[IOW91]

If we have contractors here working past normal hours we always ask if they want some food.

Always offer them a drink when they arrive aswell and through out the day.

Had a chap here baling one fathers day, he asked if we minded that he stopped for a bit as his wife was bringing the kids out for a father day picnic. No problem to us, life's to short for people to miss out on stuff like that if you ask me.

 

[xmilkr]

Don`t have much to do on the farming side now, let family see to that but l do have staff working for me on our farm shop and cafe side of our business, staff in our area are very hard to find so when we do find them we try to look after them, but still lose them, all are paid from the minute they come to the minute they go, lowest paid just above the new living wage, highest up to £25K p.a. all have am and pm breaks, hot or cold drinks free of charge, lunch break choice of sandwich and fruit, free, no time limit is set on any break, all staff take their break in turns as when customers are coming in all day staff have to work round them, used this way for thirty five years and still working on our present staff of usually between forty and fifty male and female staff.
my view has always been that you need those people more than they need you, keep them happy they will keep you happy, life is too short to be fighting your staff.

 

[casemx 270]

Current job if you ve seen my other post about cost of living pay rise , I get why are you stopping for lunch etc or why are you not going at a hundred mile an hour.Can never do enough always want more. Hence time to move on

 

[Robt]

I’ll defend @Spud . He is the boss. He isn’t a schoffe wearing , Range Rover driving ( he thinks his Astra touring ((posh word for estate )) is posh!) he also does a hell of a lot for the industry. He would be a good guy to work for and has a great family behind him. He also wouldn’t expect his family to feed his team. Some on here are just trying to score points . Some are high hour hero’s that won’t make 60 or their first grandchild.
I’m now self employed tradie. I charge good and fair money for a full day (between 8-12 hours depending on job and location ) if I stop for 15 mins to wash my hands and take on some water and food I will charge the customer . If I stop for longer such as popping home or to the local shop I’ll knock the time off my bill.
a very very good boss (sadly taken too early ) once told me . “ it’s not how long you are there ( the office ) it’s what you do when you are there…..

 

[Jasper]

I once helped two brothers move some sheep of some meadows that were about to flood .We didn’t have time to stop but every load that we took home went past a McDonald’s all I had was two quid so I got two cheese burgers I had one and the brothers shared the other one the first brother kept on nibbling away while the other brother kept saying that’s enough I want some when he finally handed it over it looked like it had been cut with a shear grab

 

[suffolksmallholder]

I had a bit of help, with stripping out the innards of my derelict Victorian farmhouse, from a bunch of local builder lads. They worked hard from 7.30 each day.
Mrs SS did cake Friday for them. Each got to chose their favourite cake on Fridays and if there was any remaining they took this home.
Those lads who had been off on another job suddenly turned up to ours so Fridays were often very productive
The labourer, a big gentle fellow, wanted smarties and ‘sprinkles’ on his cake, bless him.
SS

 

[PI Stsker]

I had a bit of help, with stripping out the innards of my derelict Victorian farmhouse, from a bunch of local builder lads. They worked hard from 7.30 each day.
Mrs SS did cake Friday for them. Each got to chose their favourite cake on Fridays and if there was any remaining they took this home.
Those lads who had been off on another job suddenly turned up to ours so Fridays were often very productive
The labourer, a big gentle fellow, wanted smarties and ‘sprinkles’ on his cake, bless him.
SS

My wife’s extended family are Turkish, they have just had a load of work done on a new house and it’s customary to feed your builders lunch and tea and as much lemon water as they can drink

 

[Ben B]

Last bloke I worked for employeed a couple of backpackers to cook for the crew of 19 plus his family. Would have cost him a bomb but gee receiving a hot meal lunch and for dinner was a highlight of the day. Made working late or putting up with the other shinaigans of harvest a lot easier. Made a lot of my friends jealous when I'd send them photos. He put on beers at the end of harvest too. The little things like that make a difference to me ateast.

 

[SD 9378]

I will make the point that if you aren’t paying your staff for breaks, don’t expect them to react positively if you try to “talk shop” to them on their time. Been there, had the disagreement.

 

[ollie989898]

Always think that farmers that feed the contractors get a little bit extra out of the drivers shows a bit of appreciation and when they ask if you can work on most of them do

I can't say I would ever expect a customer to feed us but those times when they did it was very much appreciated. Living on a lunchbox endlessly can be pants. Lunch out of a bag is one thing but not two or three meals.

 

[PI Stsker]

I will make the point that if you aren’t paying your staff for breaks, don’t expect them to react positively if you try to “talk shop” to them on their time. Been there, had the disagreement.

It works both ways. Pay them there lunch break they will happily pick up the phone on a Sunday afternoon when your wondering where they left that set of link balls or hitch pin. They will also happily call in to a dealer on the way home FOC to pick up parts for the next day. Start being picky you could end up making life much harder.

 

[cubby]

Depends on the employee if they turn up at 8.10 and stop for lunch at 11.50 start work at 13.10 then scrutinised time sheets

however the one that turns up at 7.45 flat out by 7.50 sees everything needing done never question any actions or time sheets he will be paid just looking at his total on invoice

if you won’t work for more than you are paid you will never be paid more than your worth

 

[ollie989898]

Last bloke I worked for employeed a couple of backpackers to cook for the crew of 19 plus his family. Would have cost him a bomb but gee receiving a hot meal lunch and for dinner was a highlight of the day. Made working late or putting up with the other shinaigans of harvest a lot easier. Made a lot of my friends jealous when I'd send them photos. He put on beers at the end of harvest too. The little things like that make a difference to me ateast.

My friend did a few harvests in the US with custom harvesters, apparently meal times were a pretty big thing and the whole crew stopped for them and virtually lived together on the move. Sitting with each other for meals was the expected norm, some of them were also quite religious which may partly be the reason they operated as they did?

 

[ajd132]

My friend did a few harvests in the US with custom harvesters, apparently meal times were a pretty big thing and the whole crew stopped for them and virtually lived together on the move. Sitting with each other for meals was the expected norm, some of them were also quite religious which may partly be the reason they operated as they did?

They also operate over a much longer window on a custom cut crew. It’s not a 6 week bash.

 

[Vader]

Compared to what. It will be costing to employ them so I'd think as a percentage its not alot. If it's a problem get new staff. Someone else might work through his dinner and break stuff. 3 grand on dinner break might be cheap for the right worker!

I used to pay 8-4.
Break included.
If you get a good worker they worth looking after.
If we did crappy job like cleaning out the grain bins, soon as we done, I let him go early to go get a shower and changed.
Extra 1/2 day off to see kids at school play. Have it as a freebie.
He appreciated it and as was a mechanic as well paid for himself easily fixing stuff.