Are lunch breaks really for wimps?

Are you reading this article while eating a sandwich at your desk? If so, you are not alone.

Monster recently commissioned a survey into working habits among the UK working population as part of its Bring Back Britain’s Lunch Break campaign.

The results showed that 19% of people take less than 15 minutes for lunch and over 10% admitted they never take a break at lunch time. If they do, the most popular activity is catching up on emails and phone calls, which means never leaving their desks.

But according to Andrew Hill from HR firm, Chiumento, 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."

A lunch break, he says, achieves three things: it helps the mind and body recharge; it enables people to step back and focus on what's important; and it makes them feel valued by their employer.

If you are business owner or manager, you may wish to act on the findings from this research and give your team’s productivity a boost!