would you rather have an hour lunch or 1/2 hr and leave half hour earlier

loriedy · February 2011

Ok so I have an hour long lunch and I always wish that I would be able to take a half hour and leave 1/2 hour earlier. I live in CA and the later it gets the crazier traffic is.

Then one day I started thinking and realized that maybe it is best that I have an hour. During my lunch I sometimes get my nails done, take a nap in my car, go to Target (across the street), lunch with my cousin that works a couple blocks away, run errands, and just have some me time that I very rarely have.

I think if I had the choice I still would chose to only have 1/2 hr so I can get home to my LO that much earlier, but I guess it's not the worst thing that I get to have that extra time for me.

What would you prefer?

loriedy · February 2011

mainerocks:

I think probably like you, in the end, I would rather a 1/2 hour and more time with LO, but also like you, I have an hour and use it to get a lot of errands done.

Mondays I do grocery shopping on my lunch break. I also do trips to Target, dry cleaning, post office, library, etc. It's nice to not have to drag LO around on the weekend doing that stuff. I'm going to start trying to squeeze in a little workout at lunch too. We'll see how that goes ;-)

I actually would take long walks for lunch too but it's been cold for so long that I stopped, but yes I gotta get back to doing that too, thanks for reminding me

naclh2otaffy · February 2011

I have no lunch (eat at desk while working) and leave an hour earlier. I like being able to spend extra time with the kids and I *hate* sitting in traffic.

monkski · February 2011

I can work whatever hours I want, so right now, I choose to not even take a lunch (I eat at my desk while pumping and working on my laptop) and I get in at 8:30am and leave at 4:30pm. I have an hour commute so this really helps a ton with childcare and all. Plus I get extra time in the evening to hang out with LOs. If I didn't have to pump at lunch though, it does sound nice to have the time to go run errands and do things for yourself. I think I would still choose the shorter lunch though.

thatjessie · February 2011

I used to have a hour lunch but for me to beat 5 o'clock traffic my boss allows me to do 45 min lunch and leave the 15 min early :-) It changes my after work commute to 45 min instead of 75 min :-)

Printergirl · February 2011

Can you flex at all? I do a 1/2 hour lunch 4 days a week and an hour lunch 1 day a week. It doesn't alter my commute at all (7:30-4 or 7:30-4:30) but it does give me an extra half hour 4 days a week. The one day a week I go to lunch I go out with coworkers, meet DH for a lunch date or run errands.

Leap08 · February 2011

I wish I was able to choose on a daily basis what kind of lunch hour I had. Some days I would like to be able to eat at my desk and leave an hour earlier. Some days I would take 1/2 hour and get away from my desk for a few minutes. Some days I'd take the hour to go to appointments or run errands.

We have to take an hour. It's company policy. We can do an occasional no lunch or short lunch and leave early, but it can't be a regular thing.

AutumnBride929 · February 2011

I'd rather have an hour.

MammaBear81 · February 2011

I'd prefer the shorter lunch. I was able to shift my hours to 8:00-4:30 so I'm home by 5:00 and that makes a big difference (at home and with my commute). If I had the choice I'd also take a 30 min lunch to be home by 4:30, I feel I get so much more done (and get time with the kids) when I don't have to start dinner right when I walk through the door.

EastCoastBride · February 2011

When I worked in the 'burbs, I liked hour lunches because I would do what you mentioned - go to Target, run errands, etc. However, that wasn't every day. I wouldn't need a full hour every day.

But now that I work in the city, I only take a 1/2 hour (if that), and I'm fine. There is no where for me to really go at lunch and I'd MUCH rather have that time at the end of the day to get home sooner.

xtencornfield · February 2011

Since moving to an altered schedule, I only take half hour lunches. Honestly, I don't miss my hour lunch at all and I thought I would. I used to go home, so it saves me a ton on gas. 1/2 hour around here is just enough time that if I absolutely need to run an errand, I can. I now leave at the normal rush hour time but I used to leave at an "off time" and it was great not having to deal with extreme traffic.

Monsieur_et_Madame_Ha · February 2011

I work close to home, so I often go home, throw a load of laundry in the washer, wash the dishes from breakfast, start preparing dinner, etc. It's crazy how much more I can get done when I'm alone (and I don't just mean without kids, that includes DH as well lol) so no, I don't think I would trade my hour lunch for a half hour lunch, even if it meant leaving half an hour early at the end of the day.

MommyCarrigan · February 2011

I opt for the 1/2 and leaving early, but I'm glad the hr. break works for you!

historychick79 · February 2011

I work at a university. During the academic year, we are supposed to do an 8:30 to 5shift with an hr lunch. During the summer, it's 8-4 with a 1/2hr lunch. I definitely prefer the 1/2 hr schedule, but a lot of that is related to the fact that parking on campus is a mess and I really can't leave mid-day; it would take me much longer than an hour. And the reality is I almost always end up working through lunch, so I'd definitely prefer an early departure.