Boss schedules ‘urgent’ calls during employees' unpaid lunch breaks, employee decide to stop joining after realizing they can wait: ‘It started wearing on me’

Author image for Cata Holmes
Cata Holmes • Writer
Oct 2, 2026 8:45 PM EDT

Since when does being a 'team player' mean donating your lunch hour?

Working in the corporate world comes with all sorts of rules. Some of them have to do with the lunch break. For some companies, it's important that the employees get some rest for an hour before having to go back to work, while for others… they don't really care. They just pretend their employees can hold out during the whole workday without any specific breaks. What a great company to work at!

A frustrated employee decided to reach out to the internet community because of the odd situation he was facing with his current boss. This man decided to start scheduling urgent and unexpected calls during his lunch hours. An unpaid lunch hour… Anyways, he started calling him and at first, the employee would respond. Of course. Especially because it was something urgent.

Week after week, he was eating cold sandwiches and realizing he didn't have a break during the day. And that started to take a toll on him and wear him out. One day, he decided not to take his phone during lunchtime and skipped the call. When he came back, he had two missed calls and one text message from the manager asking him where he went. He was called out for not being a team player, and that nobody likes working on their lunch break, but since they had "urgent" things to do, he should have answered.

Later that day, he realized that the call was not urgent at all: they just wanted his input on a very basic and simple thing that could have easily waited until 1:30. He doesn't understand why some employees can take their lunch hour in peace, but in his case, he needs to keep working. 

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the boss you have and how the company decides to handle these types of situations. If I were him, I'd totally have a talk with my boss, or maybe HR, and discuss this issue. I wouldn't let them get past me.

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  • An overwhelmed employee sits in front of his laptop, holding his head on his hands.
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    An overwhelmed employee sits in front of his laptop, holding his head on his hands.

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  • I work as a project coordinator at a construction firm. Our schedules are tight, I get it. But for the past two months, my manager has developed a habit of booking meetings at 12:30 PM ― right in the middle of my lunch break. Not occasionally. Every single week.
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  • At first I just ate at my desk and joined the calls. But after a while it started wearing on me. I wasn't getting a real break. I was eating cold sandwiches while pretending to be engaged in budget reviews.
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  • So last week, I decided to actually take my lunch. I went to the break room. I left my phone on my desk. I ate a real meal for once.
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  • When I came back, there were two missed calls and a message: "We needed you on that call. Where were you?" I explained that I was on my lunch break, which is an hour I'm not paid for.
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  • His response: "We're all busy. You think I like working through lunch? It's called being a team player."
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  • Here's the frustrating part-the meeting wasn't urgent. A coworker told me afterward they just wanted my input on a timeline that could've waited until 1:30. Nobody d d. No deadline was missed. But now I'm the one being painted as uncooperative.
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  • The thing is, I've watched other people on our team take lunch without issue. Nobody calls them out. But for some reason, when I do it, it becomes a problem. I don't know if it's because I'm
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  • newer, or because I'm the only one on my team without kids (so apparently my time is less valuable?), or because my boss just doesn't like me.
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  • I've started documenting everything dates, times, what was said. Not because I want to go to HR yet, but because I have a feeling this is going to keep escalating.
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  • Has anyone dealt with a boss who treats a legally protected break as optional? How did you handle it without making yourself a target?
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  • A stressed office worker sits at his desk with a laptop.
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    A stressed office worker sits at his desk with a laptop.

    Photo is a representation of scenes.

  • sad spilt_martini If you are hourly, and normally are paid for 8 hours excluding your lunch break. Take the meetings and start putting in the overtime onto your timesheets. The calls should stop pretty quick.
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  • CanadianCigarSmoker Take your lunch from 1130- 1230.....
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  • Psychological Memory0 Boss is not a team player
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  • whatdoido8383 What the heck man. I just block myself out of office for my lunch break. If someone tries to schedule something in there like a auto decline. , I have it
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  • Difficult-Ad2084 Schedule your actual lunch for after the call (like at 1 instead of 12) and if he complains about you taking a later lunch tell him to sk it. That way you still have a good relationship with clients without going into complete burnout.
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  • Tzukiyomi I don't see how this even happens. I don't have a work phone. I would not accept a work related call through my personal. You go eat your lunch and forget the place exists.
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  • A frustrated office worker sits at his desk while a colleague speaks behind him.
    via Unsplash+ (via Getty Images)

    A frustrated office worker sits at his desk while a colleague speaks behind him.

    Model representation. 

  • robjohnlechmere Your boss stated to you that he also works through his lunch as a reason that you need to sk it up. But then you say in your post that the other people take their lunches just fine.
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  • Leading-Reason6789 If you use Outlook, block out the time you go out for lunch, and indicate/show as you're out of office - my manager does that, but if there's an urgent meeting she'll reschedule her lunch break.
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  • Reasonable_Club_6165 in your calendar, book a recurring meeting at that time. Mark it private. then decline every meeting invite during that time since you are already scheduled. also start documenting.
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  • Own-Eagle-2135 i think you're stuck here, honestly, unless you're willing to leave.
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lunch break employee manager urgent calls toxic manager unpaid lunch break
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