UK businesses must ensure their employees are taking lunch breaks. According to recent *statistics only 29 percent of employees are able to take a full hours' break for lunch every day, resulting in lower productivity rates.
With many UK employees not making the most of their lunch break every day, the Ntheation's workers are constantly putting in extra hours, but are the effects of this positive? An average working day is built upon a 09:00-17:30 time-frame, with an hours' break for lunch. However, if a break isn't taken, the number of hours spent working quickly creep up. With people arriving earlier and leaving later, this can often amount to a 9-10 hour working day.
CV-Library is urging businesses to encourage employee breaks and consider how a reduced or no lunch break effects staff productivity. Lee Biggins, Managing Director at CV-Library explains: “Longer hours spent at the desk doesn't necessarily equate to more work being completed. It's only natural that employees will become less productive if they haven't had time to stop for a break. Working lunches are often the result of an organisation's internal culture, placing the onus on businesses to ensure staff are given sufficient time to refuel and rejuvenate over lunch, so that they are ready to work productively for the remainder of the afternoon.”
Latest figures compiled by the Telegraph conclude that a third of employees eat at their desk and four in ten reply to emails or take calls within their lunch break – with work eating into their lunch hour, productivity later in the day can often slip, ultimately, affecting their performance within the business. Biggins explains the ethos he has installed in his own business: “I'm a strong believer that it is best to have staff productive in their core working hours, enabling them to enjoy their full lunch-time entitlement and leave the office on time.
At CV-Library, everyone takes lunch at the same time. This prevents any work-related interruptions, ensuring that every member of the team has an hour to step away from the desk feel ready for the afternoon ahead. It also helps to breed a friendlier and more sociable internal atmosphere. Our model won't fit all businesses, but there is always a way for employers to make sure their staff take a break.” So if you're noticing a decline in productivity in the afternoons, it may be worth encouraging your staff to put down their work and pick up their sandwiches.
