High-flying 80s yuppies believed that lunch breaks were for wimps ñ but two decades on, almost one in five employees are still subscribing to the same idea, according to workplace expert Croner, a part of Wolters Kluwer UK.
A survey, carried out by YouGov on behalf of Croner, found that 19 per cent of working adults across the UK do not take any time out in the middle of the day.
And whilst this might appear to be a bonus for Britainís bosses, Croner is advising employers to make sure that theyíre monitoring all members of their workforce to prevent any workplace problems arising.
Gillian Dowling, employment technical consultant at Croner, explains: ìWe all know that working long hours affects our ability to cope with our day to day roles, and as such we are starting to see more people question their work life balance and taking appropriate action. However, what some employees are failing to realise is that not taking time out in the working day can, in the long-term, also affect their health and their ability to do the job.î
ìIn some cases there might well be very good reasons for missing out on a lunch break, such as meeting an impending deadline or leaving work early for a doctorís appointment, but employers have to make sure that workers are having a rest break under the Working Time Regulations, so if itís an every day occurrence, employers need to be looking into the reasons why and addressing the situation.
ìItís impossible for anyone to maintain concentration levels over protracted lengths of time. In our experience when talking to employers we find that in some instances although the employee doesnít appear to be taking a regular ëlunchí break, they may in fact be taking other little breaks during the day even if itís a quick chat whilst the kettle boils.î
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, workers, whose daily working time is more than six hours, are entitled to a rest break of not less than 20 minutes which is uninterrupted and should be spent away from the workerís work station if he has one.
For younger workers (under the age of 18) who work more than four and a half hours a day, they are entitled to a further 10 minutes ñ 30 minutes in total, which should also be taken away from their work station.
Gillian warns: ìThe Working Time Regulations were introduced in 1998 from an health and safety perspective. Not complying with the Regulations could potentially result in enforcement by various authorities including the Health and Safety Executive or with the workers themselves bring Employment Tribunal claims. .Itís therefore best to ensure that a proper break is taken to comply with the Working Time Regulationsî.
