Proper lunchbreaks essential for health and productivity
It’s nearly lunchtime - how hungry are you? New research suggests almost one in three British workers will skip lunch today, as stress on the job leads them to squeeze in an extra hour’s work, rather than do what is right for their health.
A poll for the Aviva Health of the Workplace report found nearly a third (30%) of employees skip lunch breaks, while over a third (38%) of employers who offer food do not offer healthy options.
However, 43% of employees say that their bosses encourage lunch breaks in a bid to look after staff health
Stress, lack of exercise and poor nutrition is contributing to a rise in obesity in this country, not to mention a lack of productivity.
As a result of longer working hours, nearly 15% of employees believe their health is affected because they are eating unhealthily at work.
Dr Doug Wright, head of clinical development at Aviva UK Health, said: “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.”
The full report will be published by Aviva in September 2011.
