We understand some staff aren’t always getting to take their meal breaks, so this is a breakdown of what you're entitled to:

• If you're rostered to work in excess of 4 continuous hours you're entitled to take a meal break of 30 minutes
• All meals breaks for shift workers are paid breaks
• If you're a day worker who's unable to leave the facility and may be called upon to return to work during a meal break, the meal break is paid
• If you're on a paid meal break and are interrupted during the break by an authorised call to duty, you're allowed a meal break as soon as practicable during the remainder of your ordinary work hours

 
You are able to claim overtime for the interrupted meal break.

• If you're on an unpaid meal break and you're directed to work during your unpaid break, for all work performed during such period and thereafter you are to be paid at the rate of time and one half of your relevant agreement rate until a meal break is allowed

If there are circumstances where there are so few workers that you can't safely leave the floor to have a break, you're essentially being directed to work, so make sure you put the claim in.

Not having breaks is a serious workplace health and safety issue and should be treated as such.

If you’re having issues with breaks or claiming overtime when you work through a break, please contact HACSUassist.