According to a study, four out of 10 office workers never take their full hour-long lunch break.
The poll, which surveyed 1,200 workers, discovered that nearly 23% feel ‘pressured’ not to take a full break during the midday period.
Additionally, a third skip lunch to catch up on office admin tasks such as compiling notes or filling in timesheets.
It was revealed that 22% have missed a medical appointment due to work encroaching into their free time, and 20% have been unable to attend an event at their child’s school.
Some have had to sacrifice exercise (29%), meeting someone for lunch (23%) or even cancelled a date (7%).
Neil Sawyer, Managing Director of HP’s Northwest Europe market, which commissioned the research, stated: “Everyone is entitled to a lunch hour, but it seems many aren’t taking it as they should.”
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He added: “But while it might seem like you are too busy to take a break, you can end up feeling more refreshed and therefore more productive than you would if you worked through.”
The company is introducing an AI PC to help office workers reduce time spent on admin. Neil added: “AI is set to be a significant driver of change in the future of work, increasing productivity and allowing workers to enjoy their jobs more by taking simple and repetitive tasks off their plates.”
The survey disclosed that heavy workloads (53%), and looming deadlines (37%) were among the top reasons for not taking a lunch break.
However, a smaller percentage admitting to skipping lunch on purpose – 6% confessed to skipping it to appear busier, while 4% do so in hopes of securing a promotion.
On the other hand, nearly half (49%) of those surveyed admitted they feel more rejuvenated if they fully utilise their lunch break, and a quarter even claim they feel more productive afterwards.