Shorter Breaks for Busy Bees

Economic anxiety and job insecurity are causing British office workers to take shorter breaks. That’s according to a new survey of 3,000 UK office workers about working conditions and attitudes by Business Environment.

Almost a fifth of office staff regularly worked through their lunch hour, the poll found. But the amount of time people took for their lunch break varied from job to job. Thirty-eight percent of banking and insurance sector workers took a full hour while at the other end of the scale, 35% of catering staff said they never take lunch.

Said Commissioner of the study and Business Environment’s marketing manager, Steve Moore, “The survey has produced some real insights into the challenges facing UK business today. It’s apparent that the current economic climate is already having an impact on some employees who are now working longer and harder as a result.

“Interestingly, in recent months, we’ve noticed that more clients are taking advantage of the free fruit baskets at our centres. We’ve also seen a sharp rise in the number of our clients using their free employee membership of our on-site gym facilities. As a result, we will be looking to add gym facilities at more of our locations this year.”