Brits are effectively ‘giving away’ up to £29 billion worth of work annually by not taking their full lunch breaks. A survey of 2,000 adults in full or part-time employment revealed that those who do take a lunch break typically utilise only 70% of their allocated time, and those who don’t use their full break end up completely skipping it twice a week.
For someone in full-time employment, working an average of 233 days per year and based on the average full-time salary, this equates to approximately £1,012 worth of time each year they’re missing out on.
Almost half of those surveyed admit this is due to having ‘too much work to do’, as well as feeling pressured to return to work. Over a third consider their lunch breaks ‘too short’ – with the average time allotted to them during a workday being just 39 minutes, and don’t see the point in taking one as they don’t have enough time to go anywhere.
In an effort to give working Brits back their afternoon breaks, bakery brand St Pierre established a ‘respect zone’ in Potter’s Field Park – paying tribute to the sacred lunch break and urging Londoners to ‘eat avec respect’.
The area was designed to whisk lunch-breakers away to Paris, encouraging workers to ‘do as les Français’, who are renowned for making the most of their relaxed and leisurely lunches.
A spokesperson from the brand remarked: “Lunchbreaks shouldn’t be a luxury – and especially not something we feel pressured to forego. Even though life is busy and work is important, we need to remember to take time out for ourselves to really get that break we need – and go back to work energised, refreshed, and satisfied by a delicious meal we were able to properly savour.”
A fifth believe Britain doesn’t give enough respect to lunch time, especially compared with other European neighbours like the Spain, Italy and France. Four in ten also feel that companies should actively encourage staff to take complete breaks.
Those who do carve out some lunch-time nourishment, over half admit they juggle it with work tasks like checking emails or taking calls. Yet, 37% agree not taking a lunchbreak on a regular basis can lead to burnout and can negatively affect work performance.
St. Pierre’s spokesperson added: “It’s a sad state of affairs that our main break during a long day of work isn’t really being treated as one – and that we can’t seem to switch off even when given permission.”
They suggested drawing inspiration from across the Channel, adding: “There’s something to be learned from the French here – taking that moment to really unwind and enjoy a delicious meal, without thinking about other things.”
Highlighting the missed chances for camaraderie and conversation, the spokesperson concluded, “We’re also missing a prime opportunity in our everyday lives to connect with other people over good food and conversation.”
