Taking a lunchbreak does not go down well

From the archive, first published Wednesday 28th Sep 2005.

ONE in four workers are not taking a full lunch hour for fear of looking bad in front of colleagues and bosses.

A new survey reveals that almost two-thirds of employees do not leave the office for lunch, and nearly half eat at their desk, raising health concerns about stress in the workplace.

A poll of more than 2,000 British workers found 45 to 54-year-olds take the shortest lunch breaks, with a fifth taking less than 15 minutes.

Many bolt food down and coupled with stress this can have a knock-on effect for health, with almost four million UK workers suffering heartburn.

The survey, commissioned by the indigestion remedy makers Rennie, found 16 to 24-year-olds were most likely to enjoy a longer lunch break, with more than half taking 30-60 minutes.

Those aged between 25 and 34 said they felt the greatest pressure and were least comfortable taking a full hour away from their desk.

Healthcare workers, who recognise the stress-busting benefit of getting away from the job, took the shortest breaks out of all the professions, with one in five having less than 15 minutes to eat.

In the media, almost one in three workers felt pressure from colleagues to impress bosses and carry on through lunch and almost three-quarters of them ate at their desk.

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