Quality breaks in the workday play a crucial role in boosting productivity and enticing employees back to the office, says Deirdre O’Neill
Napoleon established 200 years ago that an army marches on its stomach.
Now employers who encourage longer, better quality, more frequent breaks are key to unlocking productivity, improving employee well-being and enticing people back to work.
New research by Compass Ireland and Mintel found that the time workers spend on their main lunch break varies worldwide.
It averages 54 minutes in China, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, but just over 20 minutes in Poland. In Ireland, though, lunch breaks average 33 minutes.
Analysing insights from 35,000 workers across 26 countries, the Compass Global Eating at Work Survey 2023 shows that, on average, workers take just 35 minutes daily for their main lunch break if they have one.
Full-time employees (working five days a week) were found to skip one lunch break a week, including those surveyed in Ireland, while a third of workers eat their lunch alone, reducing opportunities for socialising.
One percent of Irish workers report taking no breaks during their working week, risking burnout. However, this figure is considerably below the global average of 5 percent.
Better breaks equal better results
The research indicates that employers who invest in good breakout areas and better-quality food and drink offerings can significantly increase productivity, well-being and colleague collaboration and reduce feelings of isolation among employees.
Eighty-one percent of Irish workers said taking a lunch break makes them more productive, while 88 percent agree that regular breaks throughout a workday improve their overall productivity.
Generational differences
Globally, Gen Z and Baby Boomers take the shortest lunch breaks, and how employees spend their personal time varies across different age groups. This indicates employers should tailor breakout areas to match unique workforce demographics.
While eating and drinking during a break is the top priority for every age group (Baby Boomers, most of all), younger Gen Z and Millennial workers want the time for things that support their mental health. These include socialising with colleagues, relaxing, hobbies and personal interests.
The research also found that employees are significantly more likely to socialise and network with colleagues during breaks if they have food and drink facilities at work. The more advanced the food offer provided, the stronger this trend becomes.
In workplaces with a restaurant, cafeteria, canteen or coffee shop, 70 percent of workers eat lunch with colleagues, with only 23 percent eating alone.
In contrast, when no food and drink facilities are provided, just 38 percent spend their main break with colleagues, while nearly half (48 percent) choose to eat alone.
Competing with home
While the length of main breaks is largely consistent across home-based, hybrid and work-based employees, those working from home report having more frequent and higher quality breaks than when in the workplace. This presents a considerable challenge for employers trying to encourage workers back to the office.
In Ireland, 50 percent of hybrid workers say they take more breaks when working from home.
With recruitment and productivity a key challenge facing businesses today, employees taking time out of the working day to relax and recharge with colleagues can make a huge difference.
It may seem counterintuitive, but good quality breaks are a win-win for employees and employers, enhancing productivity, collaboration and mental health.
Taking a lunch break is no longer a routine event at a set time of day either, our research shows. With the rise of flexible working, employees now expect to refuel when and where suits them best. They want convenient, good-quality food and drink to boost energy and comfortable places to relax and socialise with colleagues.
Employers looking to motivate their teams, attract new talent and encourage hybrid workers back into the workplace are investing in what is known as the ‘hotelisation’ of workspaces.
Comfortable breakout areas and some form of entertainment, such as ping-pong or TVs, are becoming much more common, as are rooftop gardens and patios for coffee breaks.
Employers are conscious of meeting the needs of workers by providing food and refreshments, combined with social interaction, that people can’t replicate at home. Wise employers are creating a workplace culture where breaks are encouraged, not frowned on.
Deirdre O’Neill is Managing Director at Compass Ireland
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