Working 8 1/2 hours for 8 hour workday

Here’s my story: I’ve been working at this company/school since this summer as an intern, and this week I got hired as a Web Developer. While I was interning, I had the luxury of working 9AM-4PM, but now since I’m full-time the hours are supposed to be 9AM-5:30PM. They supposedly count the work day as 8 hours plus a 1/2 hour lunch break (which is unpaid). Now, I never really take a lunch break as I would prefer just to get my work done and leave. I talked to Human Resources and they confirmed that even if I didn’t take a lunch break, I’m still supposed to work the 8.5 hours, so they basically force you to take a lunch break. Full-time employees also get 2 - 15 minute breaks so I just use that as my last half hour of work, so I get my 8 hour work day. :hugegrin:

I was just wondering has anyone else had experiences with employers like this that are that strict about their hours? Keep in mind that I just graduated from college, so this is about all the “real-world” work experience that I have with a company.