Poll: Should workers be paid for lunch breaks?

Following changes to how the HSE pays locum doctors, we ask, should workers be paid for the lunch breaks?

THIS WEEK, THE HSE has announced plans to stop paying locum doctors for their lunch breaks.

Although they will not be paid for breaks, the doctors will still be entitled to a 15-minute rest for every four hours worked and a one-hour lunch for every 9-13 hour shift.

According to some of TheJournal.ie reader comments, this is common practice in the private sector.

So, it got us thinking about how employees in Ireland are paid.

There is no compulsion on employers to pay workers for the breaks they are entitled to – even if they work through them (which is often the case).

The current economic atmosphere has brought with it longer working hours, which are not necessarily accounted for in the weekly or monthly pay slip. Then, is there an argument for paying people for taking a comparatively short break during a long working day?

What do you think, should workers be paid for their breaks?

Poll Results:

Yes (1828)

No (861)

I don't know (120)

Yes
No
I don't know

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