A customer service employee’s clip has gone viral on TikTok after depicting what a 30-minute lunch break looks like in a video that resonated with office workers everywhere.
In the video, which has been viewed 3.7 million times as of Monday, user HealWithHadahyah (@healwithhadahyah) broke down the minutes between 12pm and 12:30pm.
According to the video, she spends most of her break walking instead of eating. At 12:14 p.m., she is only just getting her food. By 12:25, she’s sitting down at a table to eat, only managing a bite or two before she has to begin the walk back to clock in.
@healwithhadahyah I cant be the only one who feels like this smh they give you just enough time to use the bathroom, take a breath and think about how u wish you had a longer break! #workingontheplantation #fyp #foryoupage #wfh #hybridjobs #customerservice #alljobs #mentalhealth #lunchbreaks #humor #reality ♬ original sound – HealWithHadahyah
“I can’t be the only one who feels like this,” her video’s caption reads. “They give you just enough time to use the bathroom, take a breath and think about how you wish you had a longer break!”
In a similar video posted on Apr. 5, user Daniel (@zac.daniel) posted a TikTok of him driving back to work after picking up food from Bojangles. Because he only had 30 minutes for lunch, he was forced to eat and drive at the same time.
“30-minute lunches should be illegal because why do I have to eat like this otw back to work???” the video’s text overlay read.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there is no federal law dictating whether or not employers must provide lunch breaks. Any meal time, including a 30-minute lunch break, is not considered a work period and is non-compensable.
Users under HealWithHadahyah’s video expressed sympathy for her, sharing their own office lunch experiences. “Working for a call center used to be like this,” a social worker revealed.
“That’s cuz if they gave us more time to think about leaving, we probably would!” user Durinda Buffington (@something_clever_88) replied.
“Can’t even think about going to grab something,” user Liel (@lielslooneytunesshow) said. “Gotta basically eat on the way and snack at the desk a little.”
“The break doesn’t start until I start breaking lol,” another joked. “Break technically started at 12:28 for you.”
One user suggested that the tikToker request an hour for lunch, saying that usually, employers will add another 30 minutes to either the beginning or the end of a shift.
“I have not but I am going to though to see what they say,” HealWithHadahyah responded. “This is a new position I’m working.”
In the comments section, she revealed that she used to work from home, but ultimately quit and returned to an office job after her previous employer did not increase her pay after several years.
The Daily Dot reached out to HealWithHadahyah via TikTok comment.
