I definitely recommend all workers check the break allowance in their employee handbook. My company’s policy is I get a one hour break, half of which is paid. When I got hired, I was told by the boss that I only get half an hour and “we’ve never paid for breaks.” Unfortunately for him, I worked for this company before and still had a copy of the handbook so I knew what I was entitled to. Later on, the deputy outright accused me of fraud for taking my full hour. I showed her the handbook, she tried to pretend I was misunderstanding it. I told her what it says here lines up with the rota software. She said, well from now on, you need to tell me if you’re going to take the full hour. I said it’s already accounted for on the software. She said she’ll “overlook it (my alleged fraud) this time.” Later she checked the software and said I was right. Yeah, next time you want to accuse me of fraud, get your facts straight first.

My colleagues have been getting underpaid for years. I’ve tried to get them to join a union to do collective action for backpay, but none of them seem to care and carry on doing unpaid overtime. What can you do?