Thursday Afternoon, got this email (sent to everyone) from Nancy (our company’s office manager)
“Hello All,
As we all know, meal breaks are important to employee health and company productivity. Therefore, I would like to remind you that it is encouraged that you take regular meal breaks but meal breaks should not exceed 60 minutes.
Thank you.“
I went to the bathroom and cried. This means that our boy might be starved when I send him to the day care after school.
Most of the time William would not eat much during breakfast and lunch provided by school; so every day when I pick him up, I’d bring him 2 pack of juice, 2 mini corn dogs and a little bag of cookies and let him eat them in my car before taking him to school. In order for him to finish the 2 corn dogs and juice, it’d take at least 30 minutes. And he’d finish his chocolate filled cookies while I’m driving him to the day care. And we can’t do this within 60 minutes!
Driving from Work to Lincoln School is about 18 minutes, from school to Children’s World Preschool is about 11 minutes; from Preschool to Work is about 20 minutes so total of 50 minutes of driving. I need some time to stop by the house to get his snack (5 min), which is only 1 block away from school. So in total I’d need 70 minutes, and that doesn’t count any delay in traffic. To keep 60 minutes requirement from the company, I’d have to reduce his eating time from 30 minutes to 10 minutes. The boy has to eat faster!
If they’re starting to count the time, should I start to count the time that I’d willing to work at nights to fix bugs or to meet deadline? Of course I didn’t get pay over time for those extra hours! Also, the company offers 15 minutes break for every 3 hours which I never take.
I just wish that I don’t have to work so that I can take William home after school and care for him. But if I don’t work, we’d be in deep financial trouble because I make twice as much as Tim makes a month.
Dreaming for winning the lottery, hopefully one day my dream will come true!
