The meal breaks law

I always regarded the law passed last year legislating for rest and meal breaks was a solution looking for a problem.

It now turns out the solution was somewhat flawed, as it imposed a national requirement that doesn’t take account of the flexibility needed for some individual businesses. The Herald reports:

Legislation allowing workers to take meal and breast-feeding breaks may be changed because it would cause the cancellation of nine domestic flights, Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson says. …

The current legislation meant regional airport control towers were being closed down while workers took breaks, she said.

Pharmacies, schools, meatworks and sole attendant operations had also raised concerns about the law, she said.

Imagine a parking building has a sole attendant. How would you feel if you were unable to leave the building for 10 minutes because the attendant is on their statutory break?

Or do you force the business to double its staffing budget just to cater for the ten minute breaks, and have two staff working, even though you only need one?