Lunch breaks

[Ikkle me]

Hi, am new to this forum and I'm not sure if this has been addressed before. I would just like some input on this.

I have had quite a few bookings for Boots/alliance via my agency. The information from the agency states that no lunch break is included. I have then I have had my lunch in the dispensary while still being RP and providing full services. Now my claim has been put through but less 30 min "as I need to have a lunch break".

I rang the agency asking for guidance, they were not very helpful and just suggested I speak to the booker (area coordinator) . When phoning booker, I am told this is at manager's discretion. (?!)

I am thinking that since I agreed to work the hours without lunch break (assuring that I could get sufficient rest breaks through the day and eat in dispensary) they should pay me the full hours?

Had the agency said that lunch break was to be taken, I would sign off as RP and be free to leave the pharmacy as I am not being paid for that and thus would not be RP.

What is your opinion??
any input greatly appreciated, even if you think I'm being unreasonable, please feel free to say so.

[johnep]

You should have signed off and gone out for half hour. What they expect is for you to stay on the premises and be available as necessary. Some multiples will pay if you do not leave the premises, ie in staff room. Ask them to clarify the position, if they say cannot leave premises, get it in writing and forward to PDA.
johnep

[Sofia]

Your position is tricky because you've got to pleasing both parts, and your vital human needs too!.
Out of both parts I would go with whatever the coordinator for Boots recommends you to do: he'll give you the job, agency will be happy too and other Boots Pharmacists eat lunch as well, the techs will tell you then. Take some sweets with you in case lunch is later than you expected.
Solved. Next question.

[Defblade]

Not at all unreasonable - the company is having their cake, eating it, and putting the weight gain on you. Fantastic for them.

You work for free, carry the RP can, and also give them the get-out-of-jail-free card of failing to take a break under WTD, which means any mistakes made in the afternoon their lawyers can put down to your triedness after not taking a break.

It is their responsibility to provide pharmacist cover for their opening hours, not yours.

But if you stick up for yourself, you may lose the work.

What a lovely bunch of regs we've had stuck on us.

[Sofia]

Agree with you Defblade.

[Pharmanaut]

I'm changing from a 1 hour unpaid lunch hour where I left the premises as I pleased, to half hour paid lunch. I remain on site signed in as RP. Any errands for me will be run by one of the junior staff. This is saturdays, so shop is not busy. Afternoon is mostly 'glad there is a chemist open' antibiotic and other sundry OOH prescriptions.
Will let you know how it goes.

[Ikkle me]

Thanks for all your replies. I have given this a bit of thought and will from now on check with the pharmacy in regards of lunch breaks in the beginning of each day so I know what I will/won't get paid for.

Johnep - I definitely see your point and I was considering contacting the PDA to see what they say. However, I very much doubt that I would get anything in writing from Boots/alliance, probably cos they know they are on thin ground.

Will keep you updated
thanks again

[SolomonQ]

the best way is to find out if you will be paid for the so called lunch/rest break and go from there.

if you get paid, you can quickly go out and get a sandwich and be signed in as RP while you're having the break.

If you don't get paid sign out as RP, let the shop staff know this, and do whatever you want with the time-off.

I find the best way for both parties is a sort of understanding where the pharmacist is allowed to nip out for a few minutes and have a decent rest break but at the same time stay on duty (i.e. as RP) and get paid for it.

End of the day despite being a locum, the pharmacist on duty (RP) in technically in full control of the pharmacy or atleast the pharmaceutical side of the operation, so no harm in telling people that Rx will take extra 10-15 minutes because the pharmacist is on lunch, Also it is the pharmacy managers who really need to push for these breaks, if you find the pharmacy cannot function as efficiently if a rest break is taken then the pharmacy is inadequately staffed.

[roper]

Prior to RP I often found that I got paid straight through lunch (arranged via agency) in shops that had a policy of deducting 30min lunch for all employed staff, regardless of whether they had staffing / MUR target problems that meant that the employed manager regularly had been working through their lunch!
Ex-Alliance branches of Boots have often paid me while I ate in my 30min break on the premises. Original Health and Beauty branches I have always been required to take unpaid lunch (2nd pharmacist post) and have chosen to go out. Agency told me it was straight through but I cleared up the confusion before noon!

[Shaeeb]

I think all matters need to be communicated clearly and transparently between the pharmacy staff, locum coordinator and the agency that arranged the booking.

If you were to stay on site during your half an hour break, it would be nice to sit down in the staff room without dispensers and asisstants bringing you baskets of medications to check while you are on a break! How many times has that happened, what a pain!

Other healthcare professionals get a complete lunch hour break, without people nagging you, "could you check this and that." We're not robots.

!!!