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Working time - Demise of the lunch break?
October 2008
Long hours Britain. It’s already a well known fact that UK staff work some of the longest hours in Europe. But if new research is anything to go by, it also seems that the concept of the “lunch hour” is now a thing of the past. But is this necessarily a good move?
Desk dining. Reed Employment surveyed nearly 5,000 workers in order to find out how they spent their lunch break. They found that: (1) 80% take less than half an hour’s lunch break a day/ / (2) 41% of employees feel guilty if they take a full lunch hour/ / (3) 33% work through their lunch break: and (4) Only 18% take a full lunch hour.
Working culture. 55% had bosses that did’nt take proper breaks, so they felt that they couldn’t. Yet, in practice, this culture is often non-productive (and unhealthy) due to tiredness. Remember also that there’s a legal requirement to give at least a 20 minute break after working for six hours. So look at your own company and if necessary, encourage staff to take lunch breaks away from the workplace. Their work should improve as a result. Though of course you don’t want to give them carte blanche to exceed their allotted time either!
New research has found that 80% of staff take less than a 30 minute lunch break. Apart from being unhealthy it makes them less productive and leads to resentment. So encourage them to take a proper break.
Source: Tips & Advice (Personnel) – Indicator September 4 2008
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