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We start at 7.30. 'Breakfast' 10.00 - 10.30. 'Lunch' 1.00 - 1.30, 15min cup of tea somewhere mid afternoon. Finish at 5.00. All phone calls/texts to be made during the breaks - unless to me!
No problem when on the maintenance round as the breaks are fitted in easily. I do say that a little subtlety doesn't go amiss, eg having your break when you have finished a garden, rather than moving on and sitting outside the next garden for half an hour before starting.
If we are on site for any length of time on a large project I usually let the client know our break times - mainly to avoid well meaning cups of tea appearing between our breaks. Although a cuppa when we get on site is most welcome!
I agree with you Gaynor re curtain twitchers - we work a long hard day and I've had to explain that on a number of occasions!
I don't think it matters when you take your breaks as if the job gets done it's not in the client's interest to keep watch on this matter. As long as you don't park the van with a full view inside their front room I'm happy to sit before, after or during a visit and have a coffee or lunch when on site.
I will have about half an hour a day total but give staff a bit more (i.e. at least the legal entitlement).
pretty much same as paul. If your working a number of hours on a job you deserve afew decent breaks.
I have a regular 2 days per week maintainance job ( 8 hour days on day rate ). within the day I have 2, 15 min breaks, half hour for dinner and sometimes a couple of brews throughout the day while working. On one occasion the customer questioned my breaks but i simply answered, ' That how i work, and inbetween breaks i work hard.'
I've been there 4 years now.
most jobs are done on a price basis ,so its up to us.
but usually have a break at sensible times ie 1.before starting ;) 2. whilst driving 3. whilst filling up fuel or putting new strimmer wire on. 4.when emptying grass bag or going to start to rake up hedge cuttings.
4. when made a cup of tea. 5.when u cant carry on ! 6. when it rains 7.when its too hot ;) !! 8. when your hungry. 8b. when your thirsty 9. when you have finished. 10. when you get home......... lol
breaks help you carry on working harder --- holidays too (if possible/affordable).
without a rest you end up crippled and no use to ANYONE. they also allow you to :THINK' and organize so therefore can 'save' time.
Gardens4u.co.uk said:
I usually work straight through the day maybe a 10-15 minute break for something to eat, plus a big bottle of water to keep the fluids in every so often, and whenever the customer makes you a brew, but on the whole just get my head down and try and finish the jobs, only doing maintenance at the minute but if I finish earlier it gives me more time with my young daughter, plenty of time to rest when she has gone to bed.
We stop for breaks either when we are going from job to job on a multi-stop day or if in a large estate we might stop 2-3 times, depends what we are doing really, if its physical hot work we might stop more often, lighter work not so often, all us guys just want to get through the work before it rains or to be home sooner than if we had loads of breaks but a balance is needed.
I usually stop for breaks in between jobs,
but if i'm on a longer job i stop when i feel the need to, I'm not bothered about curtain twitchers if they don't want me to have a break then they can do it themselves.
having said that i've never come across anyone who had a problem with breaks.