Know the importance of breaks and avoid working without rest

Know the importance of breaks and avoid working without rest . Obviously, the word rest is closely related to the word work. Work, whether physical or mental, requires an effort that entails wear and tear, so the rest of the working day takes on an essential role for the worker since, thanks to it, they will recover and continue to perform all their qualities at full capacity and without diminishing their talent.

But, in addition, rest at work is essential for the worker. Still, it is also of vital importance for the interests of the employer since it ensures the long-term performance of their employee.

In this article, we want to teach you the importance of taking a break from work and the benefits you can get in your work performance.

Who has the right to rest from work?

Many countries have labor laws that clearly state it is necessary to create specific hours for employees to rest to ensure optimal job performance.

Whenever the continuous daily shift period exceeds six hours, a time for rest should be established of no less than fifteen minutes. This rest period will count as an effective working time when established by collective agreement or employment contract.

This article shows that all those workers whose working day exceeds six hours of continuous activity have the right to rest. Rest is always mandatory for working days that exceed 6 hours (except for split days) and must be enjoyed during the day. Never at the beginning or end of this.

The importance of breaks: How much rest time corresponds?

Some organizations worldwide define minimums on the extent of these breaks and indicate when the worker has the right to them but do not define what a break is.

In addition, it is a scant regulation and not descriptive. Nor does it show aspects such as what activities the worker can carry out during said break, so it will be determined through the collective agreement. This will be the way to complement the details. The extent of the break can increase, or the working time granted by the company to the worker can decrease.

Successful and highly recognized companies worldwide (such as Google and Apple) know the importance of rest during work. That is why they have taken charge of adapting their facilities to be as comfortable as possible. They have game rooms, dining rooms, gyms, and a wide variety of entertainment accessories that allow their workers to take a pleasant break and continue working with the best attitude and energy.

There are some exceptions to this kind of regulation since there are still many companies worldwide that do not give any mechanisms for their employees to rest. This significantly affects the work performance and productivity of the company. For this reason, it is essential that people know the importance of resting, even if it is only for 15 or 30 minutes.

Smokers: does it count as a work break?

The answer is yes. In many countries, the rest period recognized by law for workers whose working hours exceed six hours per day will count as an effective working time when established by collective agreement or in the employee’s employment contract.

If according to the collective agreement, this rest time counts as effective work, then it will be paid. But in cases where the collective agreement is silent in this regard, it will be considered that it does not count as working time, nor is it paid, unless there is an agreement to the contrary.

It will depend on what is established in the collective agreement or the employment contract.

The importance of breaks: Rest not enjoyed, rest paid?

But suppose, because of the type of activity, the rest cannot be enjoyed. In that case, it must be paid because otherwise, it would entail overtime.

Likewise, not taking breaks during work can affect your physical and mental health, especially in heavy jobs such as construction, masonry, blacksmithing, and others.

Likewise, any type of work that requires some kind of mental effort is extremely exhausting. Suppose you want your employees to work at maximum capacity. In that case, you must give them a break schedule of at least 30 minutes to clear their minds and get ideas for continuing with their job duties. This is the best way to guarantee the optimum productivity of the company and the well-being of the workers.

The importance of breaks: The role of collective bargaining in breaks

By agreement or collective agreement, the workers of a company can request breaks during work. Similarly, they can determine how long the break lasts and what kinds of activities they want to do during it.
In this sense, the company must comply with the demands of its workers and generate the best working conditions for its employees.

The importance of breaks: Types of breaks in the working day

Many types of rest can improve the work performance of employees:

• Between the end of one day and the beginning of the next, there will be a minimum of twelve hours.

• When the continuous daily shift period exceeds six hours, a rest period shall be established of no less than fifteen minutes. This time will count as an effective working time when agreed upon by collective agreement or employment contract.

• When the continuous daily shift duration exceeds four hours and thirty minutes, workers under 18 years of age will have a rest period of a minimum of thirty minutes.

• Workers will have the right to a minimum weekly rest, cumulative for periods of up to fourteen days, one day and a half uninterrupted, which, as a general rule, will include Saturday afternoon or, where appropriate, Monday morning and the full day on Sunday.

• The duration of the weekly rest for those under 18 years of age will be at least two uninterrupted days.

Now that you know the importance of breaks during work, you can create the best mechanisms to organize rest times during your workday and that of your workers to guarantee the best performance and productivity.