I really can't comment on your local council
But I have worked within the NHS and social services for 9 years, and I can assure you that the established culture is that of no lunch breaks at all (I certainly haven't taken one since I was band 4 - ie earning about £11,500 in a graduate job, you can't really blame me!). Flexitime is common yes, of course, to enable call out for emergencies etc., wouldn't you be grateful of this if someone close to you needed care at night or weekends?

As for a 37 hour working week. We are all contracted to work 37.5 hours under A4C. I would estimate my average working week to actually be around 60 hours. And there is no such thing as overtime pay (for the vast majority of staff anyway).

I have done more 'proper' jobs than I am able to blot out the memory of - including working in the city, in admin, as a librarian, as a waitress, in sales, as a runner, and in probate. If 'the real world' means working less than a 45 hour week on a reasonable salary with no chance of being physically assaulted, not having to witness the worst of societies pain and suffering, then yeah, it would be a shock to most of my colleagues.
(cherrynicola, Wed 28 Jan 2009, 15:01, Reply)