Not exactly sure about my local laws, but anywhere I’ve worked more than a 7 hour shift, I’ve been REQUIRED to clock out for an hour lunch.
An hour is more than enough time to eat, but not enough to do much of anything else. The fact that I’m basically stuck at work for an hour every day not being paid feels like bullshit.
I understand that there is a law in place intended to “protect” worker’s meal break, but in reality, it just allows employers to keep their staff on-site an extra hour a day for free.
It really hit home when I started having to pay for child care and realized that these “breaks” were costing me money. I’ll take an extra hour of sleep every morning over twiddling my thumbs in a sterile break room for ~45 minutes a day.
If I’m AT work, I MUST be paid.