Legislation governing taking of lunch breaks in UK ?

**SueEllen** · 23 April 2016, 11:04

No you are not. It comes under the Working Time Regulations which you can opt out of.

However the client's on-site Health and Safety Regulations trump your rights not to take breaks.

So if the client is, for example, classed as a manufacturing business where everyone in the plant has to take a break after 6 hours then by default the office staff have to as well.

Edited to say: I contracted at a client who had plants in different parts of the UK. While we were all "office staff" at that location we were subject to the same H&S regulations. This was drawn to all our attention when there was a death in a plant due to breach of them.

**PurpleGorilla** · 23 April 2016, 22:43

Originally posted by Boo View Post

Hi, Sorry of this turns out to be a duplicate post but I can't find the original I made yesterday.

I know that employees in the UK are legally required to be given breaks after working a certain length of time but I am trying to discover whether it is also the case that a contractor who is the director of their contracting company is legally required to take lunch breaks in the same way as employees ?

If so I would be interested to know what legislation specifically governs this and if not then I would be equally interested to know what actual legislation gives the excemption ?

Many thanks,

Boo

Take a break, get some fresh air, smell some flowers.

**DaveB** · 24 April 2016, 06:43

Originally posted by PurpleGorilla View Post

Take a break, have a KitKat.

FTFY

**Boo** · 24 April 2016, 11:21

Originally posted by PurpleGorilla View Post

Take a break, get some fresh air, smell some flowers.

Not helpful.

Boo

Legislation governing taking of lunch breaks in UK ?