Working through lunch may be a common practice today, but it has risks for workers, expert say
NEW YORK POST
Many people think that if they “work through lunch” and eat at their desk, they’re saving time so they can get more done and finish their day at a reasonable hour.
But is working at your desk through lunch really the best lifestyle and career decision?
Two experts weighed in on whether eating at your desk during a busy workday is really the best way to fuel up and maintain productivity for the rest of the day.
Here’s what you may not realize about the implications of not taking a real lunch break.
What’s behind the work-through-lunch trend?
The ezCater 2023 Lunch Report, which surveyed 5,000 workers across the U.S., found that nearly 48% of people are skipping an actual lunch break at least once a week.
The factors involved in their decision to work through lunch are varied.
The report revealed that 23% of the people said they did so in order to finish their work on time, 22% feared that they wouldn’t have enough time to get their work done if they didn’t work through lunch, and 20% said they had too many meetings to take a break.
“This data suggests that employees are thinking about the short-term impact on productivity, and are losing sight of the big picture,” Diane Swint, spokesperson with ezCater in Boston, told Fox News Digital.
“In the long-term, not pausing to refuel leads to burnout, stress and less mental clarity,” said Swint, who works with companies, universities and organizations who want to use food to improve culture, productivity and overall job satisfaction.
On that point, 48% of workers said they are less burned out when they take a break, the Lunch Report showed.
“While workers might feel that skipping midday breaks saves time, the reality is that this habit decreases focus and lowers productivity,” said Swint.
Why taking a defined lunch break is so vital
The benefits of taking a lunch break showed up in the Lunch Report, as 53% of workers revealed they had more mental clarity when they stopped for lunch.
“And 78% of workers say taking a lunch break improves their job performance,” Swint told Fox News Digital.
In today’s fast-paced work culture, many individuals find themselves caught up in the common practice of working through lunch, believing it’s a time-saving strategy to ensure an early or on-time departure from the office.
