The average time taken to eat lunch during a working day is just 29 minutes, with seven in ten modern workers not dreaming of being away from their messages and e-mails for a full hour.
That’s the findings on a new study conducted by Branston Pickle, which also reveals that even despite the rise in home working, more than a quarter (26%) say they never down tools or ignore their emails, even while eating lunch.
More than a third (36%) check work messages and take calls during lunch breaks, while 38% of workers are constantly interrupted by work calls and messages while eating.
35% say they don’t have enough time to take a full hour, 25% worry about missing important emails and 21% are scared their boss will think they’re slacking.
The study also found that over half (57%) of workers appreciate that time away from their desk is beneficial to their mental health, and that half (49%) admit that having a proper lunch break helps them feel more motivated about their job.
With the UK’s lunch break in danger, Branston Pickle has launched a Google plugin to help Brits reclaim their lunch break.
Available to download via the Google Chrome store, the plugin will pop-up during workers’ lunchtime and encourage Brits to take that much-needed lunch break from their desks.
Angharad Wilson Dyer Gough, senior brand manager at Branston, said: “When we heard that the UK’s lunch breaks were under fire, we knew we had to do something to encourage workers to step away from their desks.”
