advice on job breaks

A question about : advice on job breaks

Hoping someone can shed some light on this, worked in same place for 2 years, in that time, I've had 4 managers, 2 said yes I can nip out for quick smoke after 2 hours, fair enough, when they left, was told no you can't, that managers not gerre now. I have been told I need to work 4 hours before I can have any kind of break. So why do some people get away with it? Also not one manager waits 4 hours for break, they have break after 2 hours. I've been told by new manager, can split my break in 2, just been told she's changed her mind, can she do this? So unfair how some people don't need to wait 4 hours?

Best answers:

• The basic point is that there is no legal right to a smoke break at all - you are entitled to one uninterrupted 20 minute break (unpaid usually) if you work 6 hours or more. Anything else is a matter for your contract - so unless your contract allows for smoke breaks other than your "lunch break" then they don't have to let you have one at all.
  Whilst they should be fair and consistent if there is an official policy, it may be that there is no policy to allow smoke breaks and the managers are using their discretion (differently) to allow some kind of break. As far as the manager goes RHIP applies (Rank has its privileges!) and it may be that their managers are applying different rules possibly because of different requirements of the role.
• Can I split my break into 2?
• Ok thank you xx