So, I work in purchasing, and from time to time vendors will set up meetings and take me and/or my co-workers out to lunch. Its always nice to get a free lunch, although obviously there is more to the meeting than just the meal. It is usually at my discretion to take vendors up on these meetings, although I’m sure my boss would prefer I met with as many as possible (although I’m also sure he could care less if it were for lunch or not).
I am paid hourly, and generally work an 8 hour day with a 1 hour unpaid lunch break. We don’t really punch in or out, but basically I’m supposed to be in the office from 8-5, except I can leave for an hour break during the day, basically whenever I want.
Now, on the days I go to lunch with a vendor, that counts as my lunch break. I have no problem with that, because like I said, a free meal is always nice, and the lunches generally get me out of the office for a bit longer than an hour to boot. But, there are days when to be honest, I’d rather have my own time for my lunch break. There are a lot of days when I have other things besides eat that I’d like to get done on my break, and if I go out with a vendor that can’t really happen.
So, my real question is for other dopers who get taken out to lunch for their jobs: Does this count as your lunch break, or do you still get a “lunch” break once you get back?
When I am teaching I take my class out to lunch. (Company provides lunch for me and the students)
I feel your pain. I can’t run to the bank or the drycleaners on my lunch break. On the other hand, I get a free lunch.
::: shrug:::
Comes with the job. I do my errands at other times.
Every time I’ve been in this situation, it counted as my lunch break. YMMV. You should really ask your boss; she will have the only answer that counts. Does she post here?
Thanks for the replies, I appreciate the feedback. Just want to clarify that I’m completly fine with this counting as my lunch, and I think its perfictly fair. I’m not trying to score 2 lunches out of this (although that would be cool), and I think I’m getting a good deal either way.
I was more interested in finding out how other employers handled these lunches, because I already know how mine does: it counts. I was just wondering if this was typical, or if other employers might not consider a lunch meeting to be a lunch break.
In my experiance generaly it is unpaid. I’ve had saleried managers take me out to lunch not and make me punch out. It kinda irked me as I didn’t want to spend my lunch hour with someone I didn’t really care for if I was getting paid for the time I wouldn’t have cared. My current job is lunch is paid time as long as most the time is spent at the store. ie I can go down the street to get something and bring it back and be ok assuming it took 15 minutes or so to do. I still help customers when they come in. (very little foot traffic anyhow the main business is not retail)
My work situation is absolutely identical to yours. I work in purchasing, I am paid hourly, I don’t punch in our out and just need to be in the office for my 8 hours (arrive between 8-9, leave between 5-6), with a one hour unpaid lunch break, pretty much whenever I want to take it.
I also get taken to lunch courtesy of various vendors, and while I don’t think my boss or anyone else gave explicit instructions on whether to count them as my unpaid lunch break, I always do. I count them for one hour, although they almost always last closer to two.
It is also at my discretion whether or not I accept any invitations, and my boss doesn’t really care if I do or don’t.