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Multitasking eats the lunch hour. More people than ever in America are skipping lunch hours and eating at their desks instead.
Employees in Hong Kong’s financial district staged a protest last week because their lunch break of 90 minutes was going to be shortened to only an hour.
Here in the United States, lunch hour is unheard of for many U.S. workers, yet nobody is marching in the streets over it.
Americans don’t seem to have enough time for an actual lunch break. Only 35 percent of employees in this country say they almost always take a lunch break, according to a web survey in 2011 of about 750 respondents by Right Management, an HR consulting firm. Another poll by the company taken in 2010 that surveyed 2,300 found nearly 50 percent of U.S. workers consistently took time off for a midday meal.
“Lunch patterns allow us to infer a few things about the North American workplace; and one thing that we already know is that the pressure for productivity and performance can be relentless,” said Michael Haid, senior vice president of talent management at Right Management. “This pressure is showing up in various ways like our finding that one-in-three employees are very likely now in the habit of taking lunch at their computers and phones and with supervisors and colleagues.”
About 65 percent of employees either eat at their desk or don’t take lunch breaks at all, according to the company’s recent survey.
It’s not just rank and file workers. A study by CareerBuilder found that about 40 percent of corporate executives brownbag their lunches, while only 19 percent eat out at a sit-down restaurant, and 17 percent get fast food.
And it’s women executives who seem most lunch-away-from-the-office adverse. More than half, or 57 percent, of women polled said they brought their lunch from home, compared to 36 percent among their male manager counterparts.
Sure, it looks good if you’re busting your butt to get work done, especially in this tough job market, but not taking time out for a healthy lunch could have far-reaching ramifications.
The lunch hour was always seen as a time to get away from the office or factory floor, and that's what workplace experts say workers need to get the full benefits of a meal break.
It's critical for workers to leave the office for lunch, said career and executive coach Rebecca Weingarten, in order "to clear their heads and gain perspective on what they're working on. Also if you're stumped with a problem, thinking about something else actually helps the brain process and come up with a solution."
And Doug Wright, head of clinical development for European insurance firm Aviva Health, which published a report on workers eating habits late last year, added: “It’s well documented that eating more healthily can improve general wellbeing and life expectancy, so there are countless benefits to adopting this approach in the workplace, It’s also important for people to take a break from their desks where possible as this can help improve both morale and efficiency for employees.”
There are no federal laws mandating lunch breaks. “It’s actually something that’s regulated on a state-by-state basis,” said Marc Mandelman, an employment attorney for Proskauer in New York.
Photoblog: Adios a la siesta? Spain's long lunches under threat
In New York, he explained, “you have to provide at least a half an hour lunch break to employees in most situations. But depending on the industry, there may be different requirements.”
There are 22 states with some sort of meal-break mandates on the books, according to Department of Labor data. See this chart to find out if your state is one of them.
Most white-collar jobs, Mandelman continued, generally provide about an hour for meal breaks.
Even so, that doesn’t mean workers are taking the time to munch in peace.
“I wonder if the reluctance to take a break is an expression of devotion or a negative consequence of the unrelenting pressure some organizations are exerting on their workforces to get more done with fewer resources,” said Haid. “Taking time away from one’s desk for lunch would help reduce tension and boost energy. But our research results might lead us to ask is that still a real option for people now?”
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I would much rather give up my lunch break to be able to go home in 8 hours rather than have an hour break and have to be away from home for 9 hours. 30 min is too long in my opinion, I don't even know what I would do with a 90 min lunch break. (I know this story seems to imply the 8 hour day in addition to working the allotted, unpaid, lunch break - just saying......)
You can have my bologna sandwich when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
I remember when I worked in NYC in the 1970s. Office hours were 9-5 with an hour for lunch. I was shocked when I left NY and had to start work at 8:30...moved to Texas and work started at 8.
Hmmmm! No union = no lunch! Yes lets get rid of the unions!
Americans are getting screwed compared to other Western countries such as Holland, Denmark, Germany, and Australia. They not only get benefits such as insurance without paying a heap of money, but they also get 4 to 6 weeks paid vacation each year to go travel and do anything they want to do. Why do companies want refuse to pay us in America and then turn around to treat us so badly? It's a crap economic system and job market.
Go to GREECE. They get even more all free!!!!!!
Jello heads!
Scott what compaines are treating you so bad? Its not a crap economic system, we have crap government that caters to cry babies and low lifes. Head on over to those countries you mention.
I worked in a Wal-Mart distribution center loading trucks. If you have ever been in a distribution center or seen one they are enomorous buildings. Trucks were loaded in the back of the building and the breakroom was in the front.
30 minute lunches and two 15 minute breaks were provided. You'd have to clock out at your station and walk about 500 yards to the breakroom and be back in time to clock back in. The line would not stop if you clocked out. Not even worth it.
Try loading 8-10 tractor trailer rigs with about 1500 to 3500 boxes each in a single shift. This is what cheap crap at Wal-Mart looks like.
I've since bettered my situation and have not set foot in a Wal-Mart in 10 years.
All over the place they had signs about "time theft". Screw em.
Wow...a lunch break?? I think I vaguely remember what one of those is. I haven't had a real lunch break in decades.
Hour for lunch? Who gets an hour? I worked for 35 years and I get 30 minutes for lunch!
Any benefit which does not contribute to the bottom line is viewed by management as a negative. America is no longer a land of opportunity - it is a land of wage-slaves who vote against their own interests in the hopes that the 1% will eventually take pity on them and trickle down some of their ill-gotten wealth.
Keep hoping.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Obama appoints another Wall Street Bankster as his Chief of Staff. And why not? The GOP will reprise its role as "monster" and scare "sane" Americans into continuing support for a guy who advances the 1% interests and discards the 99% the minute the election results are tallied.
Johnathan, since you know so much about business and think so much of Obama, why haven't you put your knowledge to work by starting a business?
I have to eat and so do my employees. In Texas!
We go to lunch everyday at one of two restaurants across the steet. I take 2-3 employees...not always the same ones five day a week.
It is not a "break". We are working and discussing the business.
I pay for lunch for everyone and deduct the expense from my corporate taxes. No, I do not send a 1099 to my employees and make them report the free lunches as income.
Jello heads!
Well, occasionally one of the head office honchos will fly into town to mingle with us peons. We all go out to a restaurant for a "working lunch" but everybody is expected to pay for their own food.
I'm 28 and haven't had a lunch hour since high school. It's always 30 minutes at jobs. That's barely enough to sit down and eat, much less go out to a restaurant. My last job repairing computers expected us to keep working while we were eating until I pointed out that was an illegal requirement for a full shift. Employers don't care about human needs - they want robots.
I would not want you...poor attitude....
BooHoo arteu. Quit crying and start your own business then. Oh wait..that would mean that you would be the "man" and have to start looking at your bottom line and make the hard decisions.
Arteu has a bad attitude because he wants his employer to obey the law? Wow! just...wow.
Hong Kong with 90 minute lunches? I thought they worked those people like dogs!
Nah, those are all office workers in Hong Kong. The peasants in the factories work across the border in Shenzhen.
I used to use my lunch time to work out and get some exercise. I'd stay at my desk for breakfast and eat some snacks there throughout the day while working. Better to graze in the office rather than eat a full meal. I don't see how some of these people get away with breakfast, breaks, lunch and several cigarette breaks every day. Same people show up 30 seconds before the day starts and run out of the office 1 second after the day is over. They consider sick time extra vacation time. I was happy to take work home on my time to get the job done right. Same people are still there, pulling the same stunts and I'm out looking for a job.
My story to the tee! I came in early and left late and worked through lunch. Others? 5 cig breaks a day, lunch, regular breaks. In fact, I feel that's one reason we can't compete globally. The 'gang' keep themselves looking good and employed and are parasitic to the company and the workers are expendable when the cuts come.
Not sustainable.
When I enter my electronic time card each week, I am asked if the hours are correct and that I took the proper time for lunch. I am paid hourly and if they want me to work, during my lunch hour, that are supposed to pay overtime, which they don't want to do. It's all about money! I actually leave the building, for lunch, so that I can eat in peace and not be interrupted. If I eat in my office, 90% of the time I get stopped and asked to do something which cuts into my lunch hour. My lunch time is to eat, relax, think, and regroup my thoughts. Oh yes, it also gets me away from my A-hole, cocky, pompous, arrogant, & egotistical young boss who thinks that he is perfect and right all the time. It's not a lunch break, in reality, it's a mental health break.
Thank you for letting me vent a little steam!
From:
A highly abused worker, who is hopefully going to find another job cause management, up to our HR department, doesn't want to do anything to stop the on-going abuse. Only 5 years of it and I'm not going to take it any longer!
Insane.
All humans require rest and if you fail to do that if nothing else, besides breaking the law, you fail your customers that end up with incompetent work.
My X company made it clear that you were to take lunch. They also made it clear that X amount of work was to be done in a day. The funny thing was many times lunch was brought in for the anointed and the left overs was always so much that a ton of it was left for us to pick over and run back to our desk.
We waited daily for the "Left overs in the breakroom!" email. I was happy the company over-purchased and fed us while they broke the law making us punch out on ADP while we were still at our desks, working away eating our left-overs.
If you have time for lunch, then you aren't busy enough... you'll be first on the termination list. /sarcasm
Of course, taking an hour for lunch usually just means the stress of standing in line somewhere for 20 minutes, waiting 30 minutes for the food to arrive, then having to vacuum the food to get back to the desk in time.
Sure, you can take your lunch break, but expect passive aggressive behavior from your boss.
Do you still laugh when someone says this currupt, oppressive government of ours and their Corporate cronies are at work making this a Nation of slaves? Fools! Get serious and take control of your government before it's too late!
" take control of your government"
Be careful what you say the CIA and FBI and Homeland security and I.C.E. and a couple dozen more Govt agencies are watching. (all on the Govt dime ..... ha ha ha ha)
ahhhh don't worry about those guys....THEY ALL WORK IN AN OFFICE!!!! kkkkkkkkkkkk!
"Here in the United States, lunch hour is unheard of for many U.S. workers, yet nobody is marching in the streets over it."
That's because they love it.
$$ = fear..........Chinese business model coming to your city soon (if it's not already there) and Sick Barry of the American Empire and his "good cop, bad cop" buddy The mormon Boy Wonder are at the helm.