Is this how you eat lunch at work? Then you're one of millions of Australians who don't take a lunch break Picture: Thinkstock
Source: Supplied
LUNCH break? What lunch break?
Millions of Australian workers have got into the habit of not taking a lunch break.A new survey shows that bosses and employees alike are working through their day without a proper break.
The survey, conducted by The Australia Institute and beyondblue for this year's national Go Home on Time Day initiative, found that 3.8 million people routinely don't take a lunch break, with one in two of them saying it's because they are "too busy". The Go Home on Time Day is on November 20.
Almost three quarters of respondents who said they do usually take a lunch break said they either choose to eat lunch at their desks, cut short or postpone their break until midafternoon.
beyondblue CEO Ms Kate Carnell AO said many bosses and workers have lost sight of how taking a break can improve their mental health and increase productivity.
"It's great that people are committed to getting the job done, but it is sensible to take a break away from your desk or the production line to exercise and think about other things. A regular walk at lunchtime improves both your physical and mental health and you will resume work feeling refreshed," she said.
Most people acknowledged that taking a break, even a short one helps clear the head and makes them more productive. One in four said taking a full lunch break makes work less stressful and one in three said breaks make work more enjoyable.
The Australia Institute's Executive Director Dr Richard Denniss said despite Australia's reputation for being a land of "sickies'' and "smokos'', the evidence suggests otherwise.
"Lunch breaks have always been a part of modern workplaces, but in recent decades more and more people report that they are too busy or too rushed to do something as simple as walk away from their desk to eat their lunch. While Australians used to celebrate the practice of taking a long lunch, we're now struggling to even manage a short one," he said.
Go Home on Time Day is an annual initiative aimed at promoting mentally healthy workplaces and the importance of work/life balance.
- The Courier-Mail
- October 25, 2013
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Is this how you eat lunch at work? Then you're one of millions of Australians who don't take a lunch break Picture: Thinkstock
Source: Supplied
LUNCH break? What lunch break?
Millions of Australian workers have got into the habit of not taking a lunch break.A new survey shows that bosses and employees alike are working through their day without a proper break.
The survey, conducted by The Australia Institute and beyondblue for this year's national Go Home on Time Day initiative, found that 3.8 million people routinely don't take a lunch break, with one in two of them saying it's because they are "too busy". The Go Home on Time Day is on November 20.
Almost three quarters of respondents who said they do usually take a lunch break said they either choose to eat lunch at their desks, cut short or postpone their break until midafternoon.
beyondblue CEO Ms Kate Carnell AO said many bosses and workers have lost sight of how taking a break can improve their mental health and increase productivity.
"It's great that people are committed to getting the job done, but it is sensible to take a break away from your desk or the production line to exercise and think about other things. A regular walk at lunchtime improves both your physical and mental health and you will resume work feeling refreshed," she said.
Most people acknowledged that taking a break, even a short one helps clear the head and makes them more productive. One in four said taking a full lunch break makes work less stressful and one in three said breaks make work more enjoyable.
The Australia Institute's Executive Director Dr Richard Denniss said despite Australia's reputation for being a land of "sickies'' and "smokos'', the evidence suggests otherwise.
"Lunch breaks have always been a part of modern workplaces, but in recent decades more and more people report that they are too busy or too rushed to do something as simple as walk away from their desk to eat their lunch. While Australians used to celebrate the practice of taking a long lunch, we're now struggling to even manage a short one," he said.
Go Home on Time Day is an annual initiative aimed at promoting mentally healthy workplaces and the importance of work/life balance.
