Average lunch break 'down to 22 minutes'
Work is eating into the average lunch break which now stands at only 22 minutes, a survey has found.
A poll of 2,672 employees across Ireland also found a jacket potato is the most popular food followed by fruit, pre-packed salad, pre-packed sandwiches and chips.
The average lunchtime has been sliced from 45 minutes to 20 minutes since recruitment firm Peninsula carried out its previous survey in 2005.
The poll also found that almost three in four employees are now choosing to spend their breaks at their desks.
The traditional pub lunch was second food choice in 2005, but now no longer features in the top five.
Peninsula Ireland, which also advises workers on employment law, said a shorter lunch time can lead to unproductive staff.
“Irish employees are considering their lunch breaks as less important and an increasing number are actually taking a shorter lunch as they find themselves too far behind to take a full lunch hour,” said Peninsula Ireland chief Alan Price.
“They choose to catch up on work during their lunch hour, thereby not giving themselves enough time to properly rest. This is counter productive and only leads to poorer quality of work and an increase in tiredness towards the end of the day.”
Mr Price said Irish employers are legally obliged to give employees an hour break for an eight-hour shift.
“Employees are well within their rights to demand they are given appropriate breaks and I would advise them to ensure that they take their full hours entitlement. A full break allows workers to rest and refresh themselves so that they are ready for the afternoon.”
“People should ensure they are taking their full breaks and employers should ensure they are encouraging and not discouraging staff from taking these breaks.
“There are laws in place for a reason and it is actually less efficient for employees to only take a short break as they often find that productivity and work rate suffers towards the end of the day.”
