According to new research by totaljobs.com, the modern British workplace makes it difficult for working Britons to enjoy a healthy, sociable and affordable lunchtime meal. Less than half (43 per cent) of working Britons believe that their lunch is a sensible, balanced meal. More than a third say that their lunch is the most rushed and least enjoyable meal of the day.
It seems a guiding factor in this is the lack of employer funded recreation areas or lunch provisions. Just 35 per cent of those questioned have a designated area to eat lunch, with 71 per cent of Britons left to eat at their desk. More than a third (34 per cent) spend lunchtime alone, with one in four (24 per cent) wishing they had a designated area or canteen to enjoy a meal and feel the full benefit of their break.
Cost is the key driver of our overall lunch choice. The average worker spends an average of 1022 every year on their working lunches. Those in London spend the most, forking out 3.00 a day. And a third of Britons feel that eating healthily at lunchtime means spending more money.
Despite persistent government warnings, it seems workers still feel a little junk food is needed to get them through the working day. Fifty-nine per cent make crisps a mainstay of their midday meal, whilst 39 per cent regularly treat themselves to chocolate. Women make significantly healthier lunchtime choices than men ñ 61 per cent opt for salad in comparison to just 38 per cent of men.
Tesco is Britainís top destination for their working lunch, with 41 per cent getting their lunch from the supermarket giant. One in four head for Sainsburyís and alarmingly, the same proportion of British workers (24 per cent) also head for McDonalds. Yet it seems that these lunch choices are hampering overall productivity of the British workforce. Thirty per cent of workers claim that what they eat at lunch affects their concentration for the rest of the afternoon.
Totaljobs has put together a simple action plan to help employees get a healthier and longer lunch; totaljobs.com website director John Salt comments: ìI think the findings confirm that the working population is time poor these days; which makes fast food an easy option for candidates. But the research also shows that employees shop, bank and do other personal errands online in their lunch hours. So at least theyíre able to save time online and hopefully win some quality time back for themselves.î
Totaljobs.com suggests the following tips:
ï Compile and display guide to the local shops in the area, suggesting where has the healthiest lunchtime choices. Include a guide to pricing to help employees make the best choice for their money
ï Provide packed-lunch guides, with suggestions on the best lunches to eat for different working needs e.g. creativity, concentration, manual labour.
ï Create a designated, comfortable area within the office where staff can unwind and eat their lunch in the company of others
ï Provide free fruit to help staff achieve their 5-a-day
ï Encourage teams to cook lunch for one another once a month to create a sense of a working-family mealtime.
No such thing as a healthy lunch for British workers
Britainís healthy resolve goes out of the window when it comes to our working lunch
