It was mentioned below that working moms can run errands on their lunch breaks. Does anyone really do this? At every job i have had JI work through lunch for the most part. If I do take a lunch I almost never leave and don't know what errands I would do anyway. I work too far from home to do things like dry cleaning...I don't want to run to the grocery store and leave food in my car all day (or bring it in and try to remember to take it home at the end of the day!).
The only thing I really do is hit up the post office once or twice a year (as needed). I don't go out for lunch either (cafeteria in the building) so maybe that is the difference?
Just wondering who uses lunch to run errands? Maybe I'm missing out on something awesome!
Re: Who does this? Run errands at lunch?
A+S | Met 8/24/06 | Married 9/27/08
Started TTC 12/2008 | dx PCOS 5/2009
6 failed clomid/femara/TI cycles, 1 failed clomid/ovidrel/IUI cycle
Successful Cycle: 5/12/11 - 1000mg Metformin + 100mg Clomid(late response) + TI = BFP
2/13/12 - We proudly welcomed our daughter, Hadley Teresa!
Lots of Luck to all of 3T/IF
I get an hour but I never take the full time, even if I do run out.
I think this is a myth! It is like one of the reasons people give for being a perk to working, "but you can run errands on your lunch break!" Ummmm.....nope!
The idea is laughable. I am on back to back calls today from 9-3. No break, mostly 30 minutes each. I already presented my slide on this one and am frankly braindead already from all the gear changing, so I am on TB for a minute.
Having said that, I love Tues/Thurs because I have a call that drones on enough that I can drive through and get something for lunch. While on the call.
On days that I start work at 6:30 and finish at 5:00 and my mom helps get kids to schools, I sometimes do run out and grocery shop.
Jealous!! Don't you have to clock in/out though? We have sign out sheets if we leave the building..
A+S | Met 8/24/06 | Married 9/27/08
Started TTC 12/2008 | dx PCOS 5/2009
6 failed clomid/femara/TI cycles, 1 failed clomid/ovidrel/IUI cycle
Successful Cycle: 5/12/11 - 1000mg Metformin + 100mg Clomid(late response) + TI = BFP
2/13/12 - We proudly welcomed our daughter, Hadley Teresa!
Lots of Luck to all of 3T/IF
<a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Parenting Tips"><img src="http://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt18dcc8.aspx" alt=" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker" border="0" /></a>
I do. I have an office job and don't have to clock in or out for breaks and get an hour. Usually my supervisor and I take the time to run errands. This was actually a bone of contention with H and I because he was complaining when I asked him to do something and I went on a little tirade about how I do drop off and pick up for daycare and spend every lunch break running errands. It's nice to get out of the office but it makes for a busy day.
ETA - That probably sounds really whiny considering that most people seem to work through their lunch break. But I'm tired and cranky, so running errands instead of relaxing can be my first world problem.
Honestly, I don't really have many errands that I need to run on a regular basis. I also don't usually take the whole lunch hour and I usually didn't leave the office.
Since I know where you worked, I completely understand as I'm still in that little bit of hell myself My boss actually makes us sign out if we leave the building - even on our lunch break. But there's nothing near my office other than taco bell and a bar, so I couldn't really drive anywhere to get anything done anyway!
I have contemplated going to the bar at lunch. There are days when you really need a drink by 12pm!
A+S | Met 8/24/06 | Married 9/27/08
Started TTC 12/2008 | dx PCOS 5/2009
6 failed clomid/femara/TI cycles, 1 failed clomid/ovidrel/IUI cycle
Successful Cycle: 5/12/11 - 1000mg Metformin + 100mg Clomid(late response) + TI = BFP
2/13/12 - We proudly welcomed our daughter, Hadley Teresa!
Lots of Luck to all of 3T/IF
I get an hour for lunch, and I TAKE IT! They're not paying me, so I'm not giving them my free time. Yes, I have a piss poor attitude about it, but they're back to treating me like crap so I'm not giving more than a minute that I have to. I take a lunch every day. I don't always leave, but I do take it. I've gone shopping at lunch, run to the post office, gotten tags for my car, gone to the dr...things like that. So, yes, I'm a working mom who has/can run errands on my lunch break.
ETA: I do not have to clock in and out, and if I'm 5 or 10 mintues late coming back on occasion it's not a huge deal.
Funny you should say that, because I almost said I know where you work, and I can't believe they actually make you sign out for lunch. Actually, I totally can believe it. My boss watched us come and go out her window (and watched the time sheet for flex time) but we didn't have to actually write down our lunches. That is, until my supervisor made me keep a "journal" of how I spent my days because he was convinced I was stealing agency time. I was at the end of my pregnancy by this time and so fed up with them that I literally documented every second, down to my bathroom breaks. After two weeks he asked me to print my journal out for him and it was 200+ typed pages. Jerk.
In regards to the bar you mentioned, one of the girls in my training class came from an office with a very different atmosphere, and she said that she and her co-workers would go out for drinks at lunch on a regular basis! Can you imagine? My boss would have lost her mind!! In retrospect, I should have tried it...
My lunch breaks are my only time to get stuff done. Fortunately I work across the street from my bank and Costco. The grocery store is around the corner. Going grocery shopping at lunch! I put a big post-it on my keys to remember to get my food out of the kitchen.
So it sounds like I need to take advantage of the hour and get out! Today would have been a good day to do groceries, it hasn't really gotten abouve 5 degrees so I wouldn't have to worry about keeping the food cold!
I do sometimes, especially now that there is a new "City Target" a few blocks from my office. But honestly, usually several days go by where I am thinking about how I should really run out at lunchtime for xyz but don't have time, and then the weekend comes and I do it then instead....but once in a while I am able to get out and get something done, which is a nice perk of working.
But what I find more valuable is having time to make phone calls, or pay bills, etc. while I'm at my desk. I can accomplish 100x more in 30 minutes in my office than I could with my two kids around.
I went to BJs and got milk, eggs, and some fruits and veggies and it's nice to not have to run home and drop it all off since it'll be fine in the car today. It's definitely nice. Being able to go at lunch actually saves me money because I'm able to go to a few different stores each week and hit up different sales rather then just running to the closest one at night when we really need something.
And it gets me out of the office and my coworkers drive me nuts.
Serves your boss right to have to read 200+ pages of daily activity. My boss watches our bathroom breaks too. If you spend more than 15min total in a day, you can't take your 15min breaks .. it's awful. When I was pregnant, I never got my breaks because I was in the bathroom every 10min it seemed!
My friend and I talk about going over at lunch all the time. We have gotten carry out (they have really good food), but feel like it's too risky. We both have babies and low alcohol tolerance as a result
A+S | Met 8/24/06 | Married 9/27/08
Started TTC 12/2008 | dx PCOS 5/2009
6 failed clomid/femara/TI cycles, 1 failed clomid/ovidrel/IUI cycle
Successful Cycle: 5/12/11 - 1000mg Metformin + 100mg Clomid(late response) + TI = BFP
2/13/12 - We proudly welcomed our daughter, Hadley Teresa!
Lots of Luck to all of 3T/IF
Ha! Lunch here is a half hour. VERY occasionally I will slap my break onto it and run across the street to the mall to eat something quick there and pick up a card or a small gift if pressed but...
And that's only because the mall is literally right across the street. If I had to drive I could never ever manage it.
My nonprofit was a different story... While I was still a salaried employee and thus wasn't required to punch the clock for lunch, I was expected to be available most days at lunch, so I rarely left the office for any longer than it takes to pick up a sandwich. Plus, I worked in a completely different city from where I live so it's not like it was convenient to run to the dry cleaners.
Yeah right, I'm a teacher and have 45 minutes. I'm lucky if I eat lunch, I often have kids in during my lunch to make up tests, complete work, or give extra help. It's rare for me to even pee!!!!!
I do run errrands at work if needed, I work in/out of my office. I work all over town going to meetings, houses and feild work. If I need to stop at the bank or go pay a bill it isnt a big deal. Ladies I work with take their kids places if needed but I dont think anyone has time to grocery shop.
Although I work 8-5, my work is not based on time I spend at the office (that would be better actually) If the amount of work that HAS to get done gets done, then I dont have to be there 8-5. Problem is you can never do all your work in that time frame. We have more work to do than anyone can understand, if you arent working alot of the time you are there you will miss deadlines.
Also I am the director so my time isnt questioned, I dont question my employees time either because if their work isnt getting done it shows and I know they have to be spending alot of time working if they are getting it all done.