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Comment by irrational | Hacker News Reader

How common are "coffee breaks" still in businesses? I've never worked for a company with mandatory breaks (coffee or otherwise), but maybe that is because I am engaged in more mental that physical labor?

Ironically, my company does have a number of fitness facilities on campus and it is entirely kosher to take an hour plus break each day to workout, i.e., engage in physical labor.

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A very common ritual in Sweden is the activity “Fika” which is essential time to drink strong coffee and eat cake at work. Usuall mid morning. Said with tongue in cheek: it’s mandatory.

In Finland too. The ironic thing is that most companies worldwide would probably claim that coffee breaks help employees share experience and news of what is going on, but in my experience in Finland, no one actually talks to each other during the coffee break. Everyone just enters, maybe nods in greeting to their coworkers, grabs their coffee, drinks it in silence, and then leaves.

Aren’t Finns famous for avoiding small talk?

Sounds like I'm moving to Finland!

Here in France it depends on the colleagues, some are gathering during the coffee break to complete the crossword of the day together and some non work-related chat, but some just do it like you describe. But I've seen that managers are more likely to talk about work, but mostly to complain about other managers.

(of course all it was pre-covid outbreak, now everyone work remotely)

And It usually correlates with pause cloppe (cigarette smoking) time. But yeah , it happens pretty organicaly.

The Finnish coffee break sounds like it was directed by Aki Kaurismäki.

Life imitates art.

Not mandatory, but I know a lot of construction jobs have “smoko”, which is a short break before and after lunch for a smoke or coffee

It makes more sense when teamwork involves physically working on the same thing. With information work, which most of us do, there is no real need for a specific coffee break.

I'm aware of people whose work social interactions revolve largely around coffee rituals.

Breaks are legally required. I'm guessing tech companies get away with saying employees have "unlimited" breaks. My company runs a manufacturing & order fulfillment facility. Our employees get breaks on a schedule.

Most tech companies have salaried employees and they're usually "exempt" from those requirements for breaks and other things.

Salary vs. hourly doesn't determine exempt vs. non exempt status, technically, but in practice it becomes that

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