Do you get paid for your lunch?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2008

I've never been paid for lunch. Every single job I've ever had, nursing or non-nursing, has always required employees to punch out for lunch. If one forgot to punch out, the payroll department would automatically deduct 30 minutes from that shift.

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 10, 2008

Never have been any place I worked. But we do clock "no lunch" when there is not time for a lunch break.

morte, LPN, LVN · Sep 10, 2008

there are always strings attached......if you mean getting paid because you worked thru lunch.....or getting paid routinely for that 1/2 hour....the second would mean they "own" you even on your lunch time.....

hikernurse · Sep 10, 2008

I'd love to have lunch paid for :).

aprilr · Sep 10, 2008

I have never been paid for lunch if I actually got a break. It was a big deal in our hospital for a while that people weren't taking breaks and just worked through lunch breaks. They didn't want to pay that much overtime because anything over 8 hours a day is overtime for us. So we NEED to clock out for a half hour, but if there isn't time we have to fill out an overtime slip and get it approved.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Sep 10, 2008

I get my lunch paid for :) My unit (an ICU) is *excellent* about lunches actually. It is one of the reasons I decided to become an RN there! LOL! The charge nurses, even if you have a horribly busy patient will almost always cover your lunch break. Isn't that awesome? There are some days where everyone is super busy and all you have time for is to down a slimfast drink or munch on granola bars or something....but that isn't often.

No strings attached, just a very kick ass unit I work on :)

I work 12 hour shifts, get a 1 hour lunch/dinner break and I get paid for the whole 12 hours.

nickola · Sep 10, 2008

so does this mean you can leave a 1/2 hr earlier? or do you do work an 8.5 hr day?

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Sep 10, 2008

there are always strings attached......if you mean getting paid because you worked thru lunch.....or getting paid routinely for that 1/2 hour....the second would mean they "own" you even on your lunch time.....

No, we get paid for lunch routinely, OT if we work through lunch.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Sep 10, 2008

so does this mean you can leave a 1/2 hr earlier? or do you do work an 8.5 hr day?

We do 7-7:30 3 days a week and get paid for 40 hrs.

lpnflorida · Sep 11, 2008

We do 7-7:30 3 days a week and get paid for 40 hrs.

That sounds like a great deal. Working 37.5 hours/ and being paid for 40. I would vote for that

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2008

Yup! We get paid for our 1/2 lunch break. Although, you can't leave the building premesis. You can go outside but you have to be within hearing distance of the paging system. So that means, no going for a walk, no leaving to go grab something to eat at the deli's, fast food, etc thats really really close to us, no going to your car etc.

Then again, I have NEVER gone through my entire 1/2 hr without being interrupted. I guess thats why we get paid for our lunches. Since technically, we still have to work if a call comes in, or if we are paged back to the floor etc.

The CNA's, and other unlicensed personnel don't get paid for their lunch. They get to leave the building. They can go/do anything they want on their lunch breaks (many go out for lunch etc).