Sunday, August 27, 2023

Rest and Meal Breaks

By Carla Brink, Representative

Your collective agreement contains a section that shows the break times for different lengths of shifts and which ones are paid or unpaid. (You can normally find it near the middle of the agreement; check the table of contents).

The section also explains when breaks should be taken (for example, no sooner than a specific time from the start of the shift).

It is vitally important to take your break when at work, even when it is busy. The workplace break entitlements are in your collective agreement for a reason!
Health and safety – Your body needs a break. Having a break reduces the risk of injury and other errors related to health and safety.
Refresh time – your body and mind need a little time to calm down and rest, maybe have a snack or a breath of fresh air outside. You will likely be more productive after a break.

Following the collective agreement, you are not only allowed and entitled to take your breaks, you are required to. Just make sure you keep track of the time so your break is the correct length.

Not taking your break can create an unhealthy environment where there is an unrealistic expectation of what can be accomplished within a shift. In the long run, this is not helpful for anyone involved.

If there are issues with taking your breaks due to workload,

• prioritize tasks,

• keep coworkers and management informed of what was not completed or leave a note for the next shift in your work area,

• document any unusual conditions that interfere with your ability to complete your assigned tasks, and/or

• ask your manager to authorize overtime or have them prioritize what needs to be completed and what can remain unfinished.

If you are working at a reasonable pace to the best of your ability within your scheduled hours of work and take your breaks, more than that should not be expected.

If you have any questions about your breaks or have any problems related to breaks, please contact your union steward or representative.

Rest and Meal Breaks

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