Long work hours and skipped meals are often spoken about in passing, especially in physically demanding jobs. But for one electrician, asking for time to eat during a 10-hour shift allegedly cost him his job. His account, shared online, has now triggered a wider debate about work culture, legal rights and how crews treat those who push back. The worker detailed his experience on Reddit in a post titled “Got fired for demanding to take a lunch break.” He said he was recently let go after insisting that he be allowed to take a proper lunch break during long shifts.
According to the post, he asked about break policies during orientation. HR reportedly told him that “some crews take an hour or 30 minutes depending on the job.” However, when he joined his assigned site, he was told that the crew did not take lunch breaks at all.
He wrote, “we worked 10 hour days and are not allowed to take a lunch break.” After reaching out to HR again, he said he had to sign documents to formally be allowed to take his breaks. That decision, he claimed, upset the rest of the crew. “The entire crew hated me for it but i didn’t care is hard work and i need to replenish,” he stated.
The electrician explained that he lifts weights and practices martial arts after work, making it necessary for him to eat properly. From the beginning, he also set boundaries that he could not stay past 4:30 pm. While the schedule was initially four 10-hour days, it later shifted to five 10-hour days because the team was behind. He said he accepted that change but refused to remain on-site until 7 or 7:30 pm like others. “i value my time and dont live to work,” he wrote.
Tension with foreman escalates
Matters became more strained after a confrontation with his foreman. The worker said temperatures were around 10 degrees with wind, and his hands were wet and freezing. He stepped into the van to warm up because his fingers had gone numb. He alleged that the foreman shouted at him to return to work even though they were just packing equipment to leave.
“Told him i was cold and he had to wait,” he wrote, adding that the foreman insulted him. He said he reported the incident to HR, but no action was taken because the foreman was the owner’s grandson.
Online reactions and legal debate
The post drew a flood of responses. One user commented, “Trades aren’t the problem. Exploitative companies are the problem.” The original poster responded, “Yeah… the job itself wasn’t bad. i like being active. but i used to dread every morning going there.”
Another person wrote, “you got fired for not playing along in a crew culture that runs on ‘shut up and grind.’” A separate comment read, “they fired you for exercising a legal right. classic retaliation. bet they’ll keep breaking labor laws until someone makes it expensive for them.”
There was also confusion over labor laws. One commenter said, “In the US this is very illegal. You’d file a complaint with the department of labor I think.” Others clarified that rules differ by state. The worker later replied, “Yep, Ohio do not legally require us to take our lunch breaks sadly. i did all this research.”