An Italian court rules that coffee breaks are NOT a right

Who'd miss their coffee break?

A full working day can be long, and while we are entitled to out lunch break, and in some cases a 15 minute break, we may still sometimes feel like we need other little breaks and boosts.

And that's often where the beloved coffee break comes in.

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We sneak off for a quick cuppa to give ourselves a quick break - no harm done right?

Well, that's not what one Italian supreme court has ruled.

The case has dragged on for more than a decade for the country's highest court.

The Supreme Court in Rome ruled that the daily routine is not “a necessity”.

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Where did such a case come from though?

The case was brought on when a woman tripped and broke her wrist while heading out of the office to go for her morning coffee.

And the court decided that a coffee break is not a “compelling” need but a free choice made by employees.

It said going to get a coffee was "a risk that was taken willingly by the employee".

According to stuff.co.nz, the case dates back to 2009 when a woman named only as Rosanna, left her desk to go for an espresso with colleagues.

On her way back, she slipped, fell and fractured her right wrist.

While recovering for 40 days, her insurance company, Inail, refused to pay her compensation, claiming the incident didn't happen at work.

The woman took then to court, won but the company appealed higher and the case eventually landed in the supreme court.

Twelve years later, the court has handed down a definitive verdict, saying that Inail should not have had to pay compensation.