Feds - how does your agency handle your lunch "hour" - ?

Artslvr · January 2012

I'm fairly certain at most agencies you have 30 minutes for lunch. I've heard stories about agencies who are lax about this, and employees can stretch it to an hour without calling too much attention to themselves. (not sure if the rationale is that employees are supposed to get two 15 minute breaks throughout the day, and they're tacking that on to the lunch 30 minutes - I'm not sure if the 15 minute breaks are myth or not).

What does your agency do?

kastle · January 2012

my previous agency "gave" us an hour b/c we didn't have a cafeteria or other food services on site.

Artslvr · January 2012

PS, if it's better to PM me the answer - feel free!

tomandcourt · January 2012

Artslvr, I think your hunch is right. Technically, at my office we have a half hour, plus two 15-minute breaks throughout the day. We're supposed to take our lunch some time between 11:00-2:00 (so you can't take it 4:00 and leave early, or something). Most people I know just take an hour and not the breaks, or 45 minutes and get coffee. But they're not real sticklers about it--it's not like someone is watching the clock.

NicoNiko · January 2012

Ours is technically a half hour, but no one really watches.

alliapistor · January 2012

We have to bill our time in 15 minute increments and are expected to account for 8 hours but work 8.5 (or bill 9 and work 9.5 if you flex). I definitely know people who take hour long lunches, but am not sure how they account for their time.

schydukes07 · January 2012

30 mins for hubz. He works straight through it though (I wish he didn't; we all need breaks). I'm certain that there are those on his team though who take an hour, somehow.

Mrs.Handy · January 2012

It's funny since this came up recently with our new supervisor. We've always done the one hour combined breaks thing. But our new supervisor didn't want our telework agreement to reflect this since it's "unofficial" so she made us change it to a 30 minute lunch. Kind of silly.

But whatever, no one really cares that much about our hours as long as you don't abuse it and play by the rules for the most part.

ch ch ch chia · January 2012

I take it whenever I want (whenever I can) and don't really pay attention to the time. Some days, I take an hour. Some days, I don't take lunch at all. Sometimes, I take 10 minutes to go grab something, and eat it while I work.

MrsPhilDunphy · January 2012

I assume the formal line is the 30 min + 2 15 break thing, but everyone takes an hour. We even have hour long WW meetings and yoga classes scheduled during lunch. I can't think of anyone that "officially" leaves for a break in the morning or afternoon though.

0225eiluj · January 2012

ch ch ch chia:
I take it whenever I want (whenever I can) and don't really pay attention to the time. Some days, I take an hour. Some days, I don't take lunch at all. Sometimes, I take 10 minutes to go grab something, and eat it while I work.

This is how most of us at my agency do it. There are of course the rule-crazy people who do strictly 30 minutes and don't dare ask them a question (even though they are sitting at their desk.)

The 15 minute break thing is not a Federal law. A specific agency would need that in their policy for it to be applied.

jenn248 · January 2012

Ours is 45 minutes, but they technically make us start 15 min earlier (8:15 instead of 8:30). Of course, everyone's start time varies, given that most of us are here well past 5:00, so no one really pays attention to that. I would say most people take 45-hour for lunch, if they're not eating at their desks (which many of us do).

tomandcourt · January 2012

ch ch ch chia:
I take it whenever I want (whenever I can) and don't really pay attention to the time. Some days, I take an hour. Some days, I don't take lunch at all. Sometimes, I take 10 minutes to go grab something, and eat it while I work.

Same here--this is what most people in my office actually do, regardless of "policy." The only people who are super strict about lunch time are the admin people, because it's the only time they can get away from their desks.

WinesNotWhines · January 2012

When I started working at my agency, I was told we have a 30 minute lunch and two 15-minute breaks, and we could combine them into a 1-hour lunch (which is what most people do). I'm not sure if this is technically true, but I think 99% of people here use that as the guideline.

Artslvr · January 2012

I'm trying to figure out if the two 15-minute breaks are documented anywhere government-wide, or if that is a per agency thing. I'm not sure it's in any of our agency directives, more just part of the culture and maybe just a myth? Trying to research this...

WinesNotWhines · January 2012

Artslvr:
I'm trying to figure out if the two 15-minute breaks are documented anywhere government-wide, or if that is a per agency thing. I'm not sure it's in any of our agency directives, more just part of the culture and maybe just a myth? Trying to research this...

If you learn anything, let us know!

Then again, if we're all wrong, do we really want to know??

Mrs.Handy · January 2012

I was looking this up the other day.

This is the guidance OPM has on breaks. Everything else differs by agency.

http://www.opm.gov/oca/worksch/html/lunch.htm

Jitterbug2668 · January 2012

Most days I don't leave my desk but there's been a day here or there that a GF of mine will want to go out to lunch and I'll spend an hour - hour & half at lunch and there's been zero issues. I've even driven over to Tyson's without any issues.

Temp536318000001135 · January 2012

Here it is 30 minutes plus 2 15 minute breaks. No one (at least in my office) watches the clock. The gym is a busy time from like 11 - 1 so I'm guessing other offices don't care either if people just take an hour.

Personally I eat at my desk every day and keep working or eat and surf the internet for like 15 minutes.

Simpsongal1 · January 2012

Funny you ask, our policy is changing on Monday. We used to have a mandatory 45 minute. lunch. Some people would stretch it out a bit, other busy feds work through lunch (pretty lousy).

Next week we're going to a 30 minute lunch. Each departments can choose whether that lunch is optional (I think it will be for our department). Here's the tricky part -- every day, you have to write how long you take for lunch on the sign in sheet (e.g., 25 minutes, 35 minutes, etc.).

Artslvr · January 2012

Simpsongal1:

Funny you ask, our policy is changing on Monday. We used to have a mandatory 45 minute. lunch. Some people would stretch it out a bit, other busy feds work through lunch (pretty lousy).

Next week we're going to a 30 minute lunch. Each departments can choose whether that lunch is optional (I think it will be for our department). Here's the tricky part -- every day, you have to write how long you take for lunch on the sign in sheet (e.g., 25 minutes, 35 minutes, etc.).

Eeek! This is what I'm afraid of. I'm hoping we don't go to a hard and fast and on paper 30 minutes. Boo.

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