RESEARCH INTO PRODUCTIVITY

CALL FOR STAFF TO TAKE LUNCH

RESEARCH by online job board CareerJunction shows that only one in three South Africans take their full lunch break. Conducted among 3 000 South African working respondents, the research suggests that more than a third of South Africans skip their lunch break altogether between two to four times a week.

“The average South African works two and a half years’ overtime during their lifetime because of unused lunch breaks. That amounts to a staggering R512 465 worth of free work and unnecessary time spent at their desks instead of taking a break,” said Odile Badenhorst, CareerJunction’s communications manager.

Despite there being no written rule, employees have an unhealthy belief that it’s expected of them to skip lunch.

“In this fast-paced world of work, it’s a common, and unhealthy, mindset that the more hours we work, with no break, the more we’ll be admired or rewarded,” she added.

The truth is quite the contrary. According to research, it has long been proved that regular breaks, and a healthy, well-balanced lunch break in particular, increase employee productivity, improve mental well-being, boost creativity, and encourage healthy habits in the workplace.

The “Cost of a lunch break” survey confirms this. When asked how skipping their lunch breaks makes them feel, most respondents listed unhappy, indifferent and stressed as emotions that accompany them when working though their lunch breaks.

Badenhorst is currently calling on employers to encourage their staff to take regular breaks away from their desks and enjoy all the benefits that come with this. | Staff Reporter