Not taking break and leaving early query

[Steven5]

Hi,
my manager is okay with our team not taking a hour break to leave early or even start shift a hour later.

the only thing is he is making us sign in/out the the time we our actually scheduled for on the rota.

I always right on the signing in/out sheet exactly what time I leave and that I took “no lunch”

for some reason he saying not to right your “no lunch” or put the actual time you leave for not taking a break.

I find this strange as I don’t think there’s is anything wrong as the manager allows us and himself to do this….I’m just very cautious as to I don’t want to be accused by the company at some point off stealing hours.

can anyone comment on this ?

thanks

[des8]

My understanding is that Working Time Regulations 1998 provide for a rest break of 20 minutes where a worker’s daily working time is more than 6 hours.

Now you might not object to "taking" your break at the end of the shift and so getting off early but in Grange v Abellio London Ltd, the EAT judge held that employers must do more than merely permitting the taking of rest breaks, and must ‘proactively ensure working arrangements allow for workers to take those breaks during the shift.

So altho' your manager might be OK with the arrangement he probably knows his boss won't be!

I suspect ULA will be along with more info

[ULA]

There are two problems with what you are being asked to do is:

1. As s8 says if you work more than 6 hours you legally have to have at least a 20 minute break or whatever is stated in your contract of employment.
2. These rest breaks cannot be taken at the start of end of a shift to allow employees to start or finish early, they must be taken during the shift.