system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Postdoc question: are you being told how long of a lunch break and break to take?

Asking a Q for a friend. What are your breaks like? Do you have to follow a lab schedule imposed by the manager of the lab who is NOT your supervisor? 

My friend was contracted to work from 9-5 daily and was told that there are rules to follow. Some examples:

 (1) lunch break 45 minutes - if late an email will arrive to let him know that break is 45 minutes not 50 minutes; 

(2) he gets to take two breaks every day totalling 15 minutes a day between 9-5.

(3) Needs doctor's notes if he wants to take a break of more than 15 minutes. 

(4) Cannot take naps (to clarify, he can use that 45 minute to take naps). 

(5) If he arrives 10 minutes late, he has to work 10 minutes more by end of the day. 

Also the person who does this basically looks at him all the time to track his movement and how many breaks he takes. It's an open cubicle and there are only undergraduate students around and another postdoc. 

All this was not communicated before signing a contract - the only rule given was that he has to work 36-ish hours per week. Do you think he should talk to HR?
gpt
Most postdocs have pretty minimal oversight -- check-ins once or twice a week (or sometimes even less) unless you're really actively collaborating on something. 

What you're describing is absolutely fucking nuts, not normal.