UK workers skipping lunch as 'too much work to do' costing them £1,000 per year

North Wales Live

2 days ago

Hardworking Britons are, in effect, 'giving away' as much as £29 billion in labour every year simply by not taking full advantage of their lunchtime breaks.
A study of 2,000 employees holding either full-time or part-time positions has shown that those who do take a break for lunch generally use just 70 per cent of the time they're given, and those who don't take the entire break often skip it altogether twice a week.
For someone working full-time, with an average of 233 workdays in a year and the average full-time salary taken into account, this tallies up to an astonishing £1,012 worth of time each person annually misses out on.
Almost 50 per cent confess that it's usually too much work that prevents them from stepping away, whilst others feel pressured to get back to work or see no point when there's barely enough time to go anywhere during their break.
More than one-third consider their lunchtime pauses 'too brief', reporting an average length of only 39 minutes per day to refresh themselves.
In an effort to restore the sanctity of lunch hours for the British public, St Pierre has established a 'respect zone' in London's Potter's Field Park – an ode to the preciousness of the midday interlude, calling upon Londoners to engage in dining 'avec respect'.
The special area intended to transport office workers to Paris, inviting them to follow the French example of enjoying unhurried and relaxed mealtimes.
A spokesperson from St Pierre remarked: "Lunchbreaks shouldn't be a luxury."
They added: "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 of Brits feel that lunchtime rituals are not given the respect they deserve, particularly when compared to European neighbours such as Spain, Italy, and France who are seen as more appreciative of their midday meals.
Yet, even those who manage to set aside time for lunch often end up multitasking with work-related activities like checking emails or answering calls.
For those accustomed to working through their lunch hour, over 20 per cent admit it would be difficult to alter this routine even if they had the chance.
This admission comes despite 37 per cent acknowledging that regularly skipping lunch breaks can lead to burnout and negatively impact 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.
"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. We're also missing a prime opportunity in our everyday lives to connect with other people over good food and conversation."