Lunch

[weeze]

lol that's funny stuff right there. i actually love ramen noodle soup lol. would get old eating it every day though.

[CL&T]

Personally I always bring my lunch. No way am I going to pack up just to go and find some place to eat. In the heat of the summer I'm not hungry anyway, so as long as I have water I can wait till quiting time. But that's me. Give your guys an hour to do whatever they want. But it's an hour, no more.

[Will P.C.]

Around me, these Mexican woman drive around in a little Pinto packed with hot food to the different construction sites/landscape jobs. For 5 bucks, you get a giant plate of hot food and it is different everyday. The food is actually really good and I often eat it if I can flag one of these cars down.

I think it a draconian to expect a laborer to work a physical job w/o a lunch. Would you start your lawnmower up with the tank on empty?

I think it is a law as well that after 5hrs, the guy needs a lunch break. Take him off the clock for an hour.

[94gt331]

Good topic, I'm sure we all have issues with our lunch break policys. I allways took my guys out everyday to a sit down resturaunt for lunch but I'm changing that this year to mon-thurs the whole crew packs there lunches and we eat on the job or if they want to leave the job they can but the minute they leve the jobsite there off the clock until they get back to the jobsite. Friday's will be a free luch to my guys on me at a sitdown resturaunt. It cost me so much this past year with being careless with lunch breaks.

[bdlawncare]

Originally Posted by Cat 320D LRR

i am not a big fan of the sit down lunch break. I feel like people shut down after sitting for that time. The 1 guy who cut with me this year we had a place we would stop at each day and grab something quick eat on the way to the next lawn. He didnt mind it and neither do i. Next year when their own there own im gonna try and meet up with them as much as possible for lunch. Most days we could go somewere like wawa have cold drinks hot food and was more than just a sandwich that sat in a cooler all day. We could be in and out in 10 minutes but between driving to and from and being inside it took right around a half hour

I agree, had two new guys work for me this year, and we always switch up our lunches... Deli, Pizza, whatever... Both of them told me they would prefer not to stop so long for lunch because it " kills momentum" and they feel slow after sitting down and eating for an hour. they would rather spend 30 min on lunch and finish 30 min earlier at the end of the day. I feel the same way sitting down for a long time makes me lazy, i'll sit down at the end of the day when all the work is done, and then im not getting up! hahah

[CL&T]

Originally Posted by bdlawncare

... Both of them told me they would prefer not to stop so long for lunch because it " kills momentum" and they feel slow after sitting down and eating for an hour. they would rather spend 30 min on lunch and finish 30 min earlier at the end of the day. I feel the same way sitting down for a long time makes me lazy, i'll sit down at the end of the day when all the work is done, and then im not getting up! hahah

That's absolutely true and it's a scientific fact. Eat a big meal and your body diverts energy to digestion, so you feel tired. In the winter you will feel cold also.

[GreenI.A.]

we don't do maintenance so it is a little different for us but here is how our crews work lunch.

Construction and install crews: get a 30 minute paid lunch half way through the day. They bring their lunch with them. A couple of the guys have a routine that a couple days a week they order sandwiches and have them delivered to the site they are on, they call them in early and request that they be delivered at a certain time.

Fert techs and irrigation/lighting service guys also get 30 minutes and can either bring their lunch or stop on their route for fast food or take out. If they have to go out of the way of their route for food, that additional drive time is part of the 30 minute break. For normal days they are not allowed to stop and eat at a customers property, they are expected to stop for lunch between accounts. If they are at the location for an extended period of time, such as a large 4hr fert app or an irrigation repair that takes 1/2 a day, and it is around break time, then they are allowed to take the break on site.

Construction crews always have a cooler of ice and bottled water, many choose to bring their own gatorade. I picked up an icemaker of craigs list real cheap. The grocery stores are always running sales on 24pks of water.

Also every Friday lunch for the guys. In the am we grab orders from the guys on the construction/install crews, then someone goes and grabs it or we have it delivered later on. I don't leave the other guys out, everyone not on the instal crews gets a $10 gift card on friday morning. I keep a number of giftcards for a few different chains in my desk. btw if you talk to the manager and are buying a couple hundred in gift cards you can usually get a good discount, I usually pay between $5-$7 for $10 cards.

[Toro 455]

The law says that after 4 hours of work employees must get a minimum 30 minute break for lunch away from their work station (not riding in the truck).
To not do this would get you in trouble as much as not making them wear mandated safety equipment.

Some of the biggest offenders of workers rights I've seen were Hispanic crew leaders. Those guys can be harsh! Not to mention illegal.


Back in the day when I ran crews I bought their lunch and paid them to eat it. I left the ole payroll clock running right thru lunch. Their production was impressive.
I led by example. They worked their butts off trying to keep up with the old man.


"THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTILL MORALE IMPROVES!"

[weeze]

Originally Posted by CL&T

That's absolutely true and it's a scientific fact. Eat a big meal and your body diverts energy to digestion, so you feel tired. In the winter you will feel cold also.

this is true if you eat the wrong thing. don't eat burgers, steaks, or any red meat for lunch. that will make you more tired than anything. stick to things like fish or chicken. they don't slow you down so much. don't eat till you are totally full either. just eat a normal sized meal. hope this helps.

[Patriot Services]

Originally Posted by ponyboy

For guys with crews do you make your guys bring lunch?
I'm starting that this year 30 minutes turned into 10 to go to their deli then 10 minutes to order then 10 to drive to next lawn then 30 for lunch
So no it's being lunch or work some where else looks like I'm loosing one guy who has been with me for 8 years over this but I'm ok with that
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Why do keep starting threads on ways to make your guys lives miserable. You must be a real joy to work for. The way it sounds is money is getting tight and you want everyone to shoulder the burden. The loss of an 8 year employee should be a wake up call for you. Lose the newest or weakest link and find non employee ways to save money.
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