How much time do your workers spend at lunch?

The average lunch break is now just 28 minutes and only 17% of British workers take around one hour for lunch, according to online research from Mastercard and Ipsos MORI.

Two thirds of workers (66%) eat their lunch at their workplace. Those working in offices are among the worst, 70% don’t eat out of work.  A hardcore one in eight of workers (12%) never or hardly ever take a lunch break.

Around 3 in 5 (62%) bring a packed lunch and 36% say they never eat out at pubs or restaurants for lunch during the working week.  Of those who do this less than once a week, 42% say it is because they don’t have the time.

Margaret Mountford, businesswoman, lawyer and star of The Apprentice is backing Mastercard’s research and said: “Throughout my career in so many different workplaces I’ve seen employees hunched over their desks wolfing down a sandwich. It makes workers less productive, hampers creativity and numerous studies have shown it’s bad for health, so why do we still do it? Bosses should lead the way by encouraging a culture of lunch breaks –it will boost productivity, creativity and morale as workers feel better and take on the afternoon revitalised. It’s time to stamp out the culture of not taking a lunch hour.”

A survey looked at 1,300 British adults aged 16 to 75.

ALSO READ: The best time to get lunch

Photo/ 123RF