Hi everyone,

How many of you in the UK are only allowed to a 20-30min break a day? Do you feel burn out? Do you go home and just have enough energy to sleep? Not do the things you loved to do because of being overworked? How many times you couldn’t even take breaks or had to work longer hours?

30 min break during a 8 hours shift isn’t enough. So far the break isn’t paid in the UK compare to other EU country. But to make it worse, you are only allowed at 20min min break uninterrupted. Which means that legally your break can go as little as 20min.

Breaks are important to minimise burn out, and help you eat better and digest properly. Having less damage on your health moving forward and therefor less cost for the NHS if you end up with IBS or IBD. Or better to handle any conditions gracefully in the long run.

But it shouldn’t be okay to give only 30min break to people working 35/40h a week.

Most company offer an hour, but lots still do the bare minimum of maintaining a business structure that overwork the staff and ask them to leave if they are not happy with the policy of 20-30min. Because they can, because this is currently the UK law. Sometimes even less, while being only on a National minimum wage.

We need to get together and rewrite our human rights, to make sure that everyone gets at least a break of an hour so they can bounce back efficiently to work. Even if sometimes you have to split it, let’s say. But you should be guaranteed an hour.

It’s not about working hard and playing hard, it’s about working smart and inspiring the next generation to be mindful of others and their own health. Not everyone is build the same and not everyone wants to go to work sick.

This law only profits the business owners, on the back of the workers. Let’s make a change and voice our concern. An hour break shouldn’t be a privilege or negotiable. It’s our human right.

The next step would be to make the employers pay for the lunch break. If the business model can’t afford this, it should be changed. We need to stop asking people to slave away so we can build our dream on their back.

Let’s make a change. Let’s make life healthier and better for everyone.

Thank you,

Samin