What does not taking a lunch break cost you?

ARE you among the large group of South Africans voluntarily working two-and-a-half years of overtime, effectively giving away a staggering R512 465 worth of free work?

In a recent survey conducted by online job board Career Junction, it was revealed that the average South African does just that by not taking their full lunch break.

Of the 3 000 working South Africans who responded to the Cost of a Lunch Break survey, more than a third said they skip their lunch break altogether between two and four times a week.

Despite there being no written rule, employees have an unhealthy belief that it is expected of them to skip lunch.

‘In this fast-paced world of work, it’s a common and unhealthy mindset that the more hours we work with no break, the more we’ll be admired or rewarded,’ said Odile Badenhorst, CareerJunction Communications Manager.

According to research, however, it has long been proven that regular breaks and a healthy, well-balanced lunch break in particular increase employee productivity, improve mental well-being, boost creativity, and encourage healthy habits in the workplace.

Confirming this, when asked how skipping a lunch break makes them feel, survey respondents said they feel unhappy, indifferent and stressed.

Research also showed that while the average lunch break allocated to employees is 60 minutes, the average time taken each day by South African employees is only 24.5 minutes.

Only 5% take their full 60 minutes and although over two thirds say their employer encourages them to take lunch, 19% claimed they feel pressured not to, while 38% have too much work.

In fact, 73% of participants said the reason they skip their lunch break is because they have too much work, or unexpected tasks cropped up.

A large percentage, 67%, said they eat at their desks while working, with nearly 60% eating leftovers or a packed lunch.

Badenhorst said that, while it is encouraging to see, from the research conducted, that the ‘work until burnout’ culture is largely coming from the employees themselves rather than being enforced by employers, she is still calling on employers to encourage their staff to take regular breaks away from their desks and enjoy all the benefits that come with this.