Most people think that the law is always in favor of an employee but this is not actually correct. The truth is that employees have specific rights but they are far fewer than what many believe. Generally speaking, people started to think that they have some specific rights when the law did not say anything about them. Unfortunately, this led to many different misconceptions that you need to stop believing.
As a general rule of thumb, in the event that you are not aware of the rights you have as an employee, talk to a specialist, like noll-law.com/personal-injury. Besides this, here are some myths that should be dismissed.
The One Hour Lunch Break
There is no one-hour lunch break that is included in employment law. You want to contact the local authorities to see exactly how much is available where you live but in the UK as an example, the employees that are over 18 years old and that work over 6 hours daily can receive a rest break of 20 minutes. This is to be taken during the day. What is offered extra is the choice of the employer.
Employers Have To Allow Short Breaks
This myth appeared because of the fact that there are many employees that now sit for a long time at their computers as they work. Some employees ended up thinking that this is a right when the truth is that it is just a recommendation. While there are many employers that have absolutely no problem in offering extra breaks to help employees be more productive, this is not something that is required by law.
If The Office Is Too Hot Employees Do Not Have To Work
During summer it is possible that temperatures go really high. The misconception is that whenever this happens and the office is way too hot, the employee does not have to stay at work. In reality, there is no such thing as a maximum office temperature that needs to be respected. According to the HSE, the acceptable temperature inside an office is between 3 and 30 degrees Celsius. This is a recommendation. Employers do not have to offer air conditioning. Also, the staff does need to have an appropriate set of clothes, according to the indications offered.
One thing that needs to be said is that the employer does have to offer drinking water supply. Even so, if drinkable tap water is available, it is enough.
Overtime Pay Is Mandatory For Unplanned Overtime
This is a misconception that many have but the truth is there is absolutely no legal basis to offer more money for the extra hours. Also, there is no statutory level for the minimum overtime pay offered. Even so, average pay rate should not be under national minimum wage, which is bound through law.
Final Thoughts
These are only some of the misconceptions employees think are correct. Whenever you have a question, it is important to talk to an attorney that can actually tell you what is guaranteed by law and what is not.
