The Changing Lunch Break
Fifty years ago, many office workers in Europe left their desks at midday and went home or to a restaurant for a long lunch. A break of one hour or more was normal, and in some countries shops and offices closed completely between one and three o’clock. Lunch was often the main meal of the day, and people usually ate it slowly with their family or colleagues. Children often came home from school at the same time, so the whole family could sit down together. In the afternoon, many people returned to work feeling rested.
Today the picture is very different. A recent survey of 2,000 office workers in one large city found that the average lunch break now lasts only 28 minutes. More than half of the people in the survey said they often ate at their desk while reading emails, and one in five said they sometimes skipped lunch completely. The main reason they gave was pressure of work: they felt that their managers expected them to stay busy all day. Others explained that they simply preferred to finish work earlier and go home sooner, so they saved time by eating quickly.
Doctors are worried about this trend. When people eat quickly in front of a screen, they often do not notice how much they are eating, and they may feel hungry again soon afterwards. Sitting at a desk all day is also bad for the back and the eyes. Many office workers also complain that they feel tired and less creative after lunch when they have not moved at all. A short walk at lunchtime, on the other hand, can improve concentration in the afternoon. Some studies suggest that workers who take a proper break make fewer mistakes than those who do not. Experts recommend that workers leave their desks for at least twenty minutes, even if they only sit in a park or a quiet room.
The way people buy their lunch has changed as well. Instead of bringing food from home, many workers now buy a sandwich or a salad from a shop near their office, or they order a meal through an app. Delivery riders now bring thousands of meals to office buildings every lunchtime. This is convenient, but it can be expensive. The same survey found that workers spent an average of 9 pounds a day on lunch, which adds up to more than 2,000 pounds a year. Buying lunch every day also creates a large amount of plastic packaging, and much of it cannot be recycled.
A number of employers are now trying to bring back the traditional lunch break. One software company in the city has opened a staff kitchen with a long shared table, and it encourages employees to eat together without their phones. Another company gives its staff free fruit and vegetables every Monday so that they can prepare healthy lunches at home. Managers at both companies say that their workers are happier and that fewer people take days off because of illness. Other employers are watching these experiments closely, and some of them plan to try similar ideas next year.
