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[DontKnowMe]

Chicago Woman Fired for Doing Work at Lunch Wins Unemployment Claim - Yahoo!

Sharon Smiley had worked for 10 years as a receptionist and administrative assistant at a Chicago real estate company until she was fired for skipping lunch one day. After a two-year battle, an appeals court in Illinois has found that denial of her unemployment benefits was "clearly erroneous."

Smiley, who had passed her 10-year anniversary with the company more than a month before, said another manager told her it was time for her to go to lunch and step away from her desk, but she refused. That manager observed Smiley working on a spreadsheet on her computer, answering the phone and responding to questions by people who approached her desk, according to a filing from the appellate court of Illinois.

[PhilsEagles08]

This woman must be my twin.

[CaptainStubing]

how DARE she work through lunch!!!

[YEAH DUDE!]

I did that shit all the time, if your behind on paperwork how is going out to lunch supposed to help? Stupid reason to get fired.

[Dragonite]

So wait...you can get fired for NOT taking breaks now?

[mj1987us26]

Originally Posted by Dragonite

So wait...you can get fired for NOT taking breaks now?

Federal working laws requires an unpaid break be taken after 4 hours of an 8 hour shift.

[Dragonite]

Originally Posted by mj1987us26

Federal working laws requires an unpaid break be taken after 4 hours of an 8 hour shift.

In Ohio thats only if your under 18 otherwise its optional.

[Dragonite]

Unless my previous employer lied about working laws to make me work during break.

[mj1987us26]

Yeah they lied, during an 8 hour shift, an employee is allowed a 15 paid break(can be broken up for smokers) and a 30/60 minute unpaid break. Most often though if the employee dosen't want to take a break and work through then most of the time they don't push the issue.

[mj1987us26]

Also, they were probably getting fined or close to it for the woman not taking a break for breaking labor laws.