A recent report conducted by HR firm Chiumento discovered that just 16% of employees take a proper lunch break. A proper lunch break is defined as, 'About an hour's break away from their desk at least three times a week'.
Andrew Hill, who helped carry out the study, said that workers are abandoning their lunch breaks in increasing numbers. "Employees are struggling to keep on top of to-do lists and think the answer is to work harder, eating a sandwich at their desk as opposed to taking a full lunch break.
"But these breaks are essential for staff to perform at their best and cope with the daily pressures of work. Managers should be encouraging staff to take lunch breaks - their performance, and ultimately the business, may suffer otherwise."
It's believed that workers feel that taking shorter lunch breaks not only helps them complete more work, but makes them appear more productive to their peers and managers. The idea in the lunch-skipper's mind is that this improves their job security - after all, in these troubled times, who could let go of such a dedicated member of staff?
Cary Cooper, Occupational Psychologist at Lancaster University, warns against such tactics. "People will want to show more commitment and that means working through their lunch and staying late. Although there are times when people have to work through, they should try to get out two or three times a week for a good hour, particularly in summer. Be brave, because in the end you will be judged by your output, not by your 'presenteeism'."
According to the International Stress Management Association, short breaks can be highly effective if it is not possible to take a fixed lunch hour. They suggest that simple exercises such as deep abdominal breathing can be effective if performed once an hour or when stress levels are rising. It will clear the mind and reduce the flow of adrenaline which 'winds up' the body and mind," a spokeswoman for the ISMA said.
"A quick walk around the area you work in - away from the current task - is also useful for the above reasons."
County Recruit recently placed Alex Tinlin as a PHP scripter for Bourne End based software company KSL. Alex says that the company’s lunch policy influenced his decision to take the role over other positions he had been offered: “At my interview, I was told that everyone is entitled to at least an hour’s lunch break, and we were strongly encouraged to do so.”
Tinlin continued, “If you feel you haven’t got time to take at least an hour for lunch then you’re either not working hard enough or the workload has been unfairly distributed in an understaffed organisation. I’ve worked in organisations where stressed employees eat two slices of value bread with reformed ham in the middle at their desks while continuing with their work. Remember, no-one will thank you for it.”
Skipping breaks and working longer hours can contribute to an increase in stress levels. Stress is the biggest cause of sickness absence in the UK and costs the economy £3.7 billion a year, according to the Stress Management Society.
(Courtesy The People Bulletin)