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Should your boss tell you when to eat?

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    Dr. "Woody" discusses the California Supreme Court's ruling

  • Duration 5:39
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-- -- Who is going to talk to us about let me put up also if I could -- -- our question of the day.

-- have because there is a case.

Now talking about employer and employee at lunch breaks and -- weren't out of your employer should be able.

-- -- -- To have lunch only.

During your lunch break.

I'm moving -- -- I would go back to my office in need of foreigners should I be able to actually I'm on now I think after you know watch that you're doing it and make sure you do it at the appropriate time when what is.

And we are not really -- my stomach to ground that -- I'd.

Think's out now and here's the problem so last week there was -- from the California Supreme Court where.

One of the labor agencies in California was trying to make the case that they should be able -- force employers.

To mandate not only when you take your lunch breaks but to make sure that they monitor whether you eat or not during your lunch break in other words.

They want to institute basically a lunch police in companies.

I think we all know right now relief absolutely.

And this is crazy as a workplace -- Hauser in it drives me it's an issue that's important in their.

-- region but not every -- Where but so would it would ultimately include employees on the left coast shirt like the California Supreme Court actually struck that part of it down in their ruling they actually said we cannot.

Imposed on companies this idea of creating lunch police or patrols to come in -- lunch room and watch and make sure that you're eating your lunch.

During the set period.

And not doing any kind of work during that time period it's just crazy and I think that they made the right decision in this again.

I'm not an attorney -- -- workplace psychologists and -- so tell me the psychology of it what should employers want where the lunch break is good record.

And what do employees want and need here's the thing I think this is important for both employers and employees is you cannot.

Legislate routine or just natural life functions like you mentioned if you're hungry you -- -- get a snack he should be allowed to.

If you need to make up call or do something during a lunch break.

He should be allowed to do that.

It's just it gets so so crazy when you try to legislate.

Every little bit of human behavior at work -- only gonna get into trouble you're actually gonna stifle creativity.

For example some people might like to work while they're eating and that might be okay.

Some people are slackers some people want to skip lunch seeded big dinner maybe they have a big breakfast who knows but the last thing you know one of the company -- company and and stand there and watch you as you eat your lunch it's just it's ridiculous that you would advise employers to be flexible gas in terms of allowing employees to eat when they -- what about where they want.

Jake do you have to provide you think a lunch room should they be allowed to eat at their desk and they closed the door are often I think it would even be an excellent people go outside and and I still like we have here in New York today to get a little -- that's not a bad thing.

At the end of the day what I want.

It's for companies.

To have the flexibility to manage their business the way it makes sense in their industry we can't do a one size fits all which is because what's California was trying to do.

So and the other thing uses sometimes taking care of disliked the business of life things.

Like you're making a call for a sick child or scheduling a doctor's appointment may -- need to do that during your break.

And I think it's okay to let people do that but I think sometimes employers can hear of people doing personal things network and they don't know or not.

In fairness whether or not -- right -- that all day your it was just that one single -- but and then when it comes down to how much do you really want to monitor.

-- there are certain companies that monitor more than others that's for sure but I certainly don't want to legislate monitoring I think that just takes it too far.

-- -- productivity though is really key right now for companies -- got to be efficient they need to.

Maximize every puck they spend on employees they aren't hiring new ones.

What advice you have for the employees.

To make sure they don't.

Go over the line in terms of lunch breaks phone calls that Red -- I'm always.

In favor of setting boundaries and taking personal responsibility in setting boundaries and that starts of communication.

So if you have a -- you feel like -- unreasonable or unfair or not letting you do the things you need to do you have a conversation about that because nine times out of ten.

It's really about a conversation the -- may not even realize you need extra time for this take care -- a sick child or whatever it is.

Deal with any kind of business of life type things you know it usually people are reasonable if you come -- -- and say but here's my solution I'll make sure that I get the work done.

It'll be done when you needed and how you need it just give me a little bit acts of flexibility I think it's -- at least try to have that conversation.

Can one comment from Charles Reece is oh so now our employers are becoming dictators I thought that was the government's job -- -- And Dolores is if we lose the -- -- -- the way we want there is no hope for this country he said over regulation.

It sounds like you got to let people be reasonable and remember.

Small businesses.

Don't have the money to set up.

Extra -- -- monitoring and policing.

That that's an extra person get up to higher just to do that job I would always be the launch monitor at any company can imagine calling us amateur way.

-- -- -- -- All right folks that's gonna do it for me doctor woody thank you so much will always check out your articles at foxbusiness.com.

Keep them common there -- go.

Why we don't being the last police of course the faces -- and learn to protect that sock photo people.

And thank you --