Half of employees work through their lunch breaks,

Posted on Monday, February 18th, 2013 by

More than half of employees (54%) regularly work through their lunch breaks in the office, research from the BBC has revealed. The research also showed that many employees (53%) believe there is a widespread culture of working through their lunch breaks and continually working over their designated hours. Commenting on the findings, TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady, said: “These figures shine a spotlight on Britain’s long-hours culture. Far too many employees are failing to take lunch because they have too much work to do. “It is essential that employers recognise the damage this can do to their staff and to the productivity of their workforce. “Workers who skip lunch and don’t take time away from their desks in the middle of the day are likely to become less productive as the day wears on and are also taking risks with their health.” She added: “We need to change the culture – prevalent in far too many workplaces, that it is acceptable to eat lunch at your desk, and not leave your workspace.” http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hro/news/1076223/half-employees-lunch-breaks-bbc-poll-reveals