The UK’s fastest growing online HR consultancy conducted research of 1,271 tea or coffee drinking Brits in full time employment; in order to gauge how many caffeinated drinks, on average, are consumed at work.
According to the study, conducted by www.Reabur.com, the average Briton drinks 4 cups of tea or coffee during a full working day. Total respondents to the poll worked an average of 5 days a week, meaning that each individual drinks an average of 20 cups of hot drinks a week at work alone; equating to 1,040 cups a year.
On the grounds that each respondent was aged over 18, and will work until the age of 64; the average Briton in full time employment would therefore drink around 47,840 cups of tea or coffee throughout their working life.
With the average coffee/ tea mug holding around 250ml of liquid; this would equate to 11,960 litres of tea or coffee consumed in a life time whilst at work. To put this in perspective, a standard bath tub holds 200 litres of water. This would therefore mean that the average Briton drinks the equivalent of 60 bath tubs of hot drinks throughout their working life.
When asked to state what motivating factors lay behind drinking hot drinks at work, the majority of the respondents explained that they did so out of ‘habit’ with, 58% agreeing. A further 36% cited that the reason they drink hot beverages at work is for the ‘social aspect’ of talking to people away from their desk.
Respondents were also asked to state what effect they believed drinking hot drinks had on them throughout the working day. More than a fifth, 22%, work said that they believed it ‘improves’ their professional performance; whilst 41% claimed that it ‘keeps them alert’ throughout the day.
Despite the average Briton drinking an average of four cups of tea or coffee in the working day; just one fifth, 22%, of respondents admitted that they drank caffeinated drinks at home, after work.
Georgina Read, co-founder of Reabur.com, commented on the findings;
“I can completely understand that some of the respondents drink hot drinks in order to be sociable in the office, also getting you away from the desk when you need a break, to stretch, walk about etc. I often use a tea break as a reason to break from work for a couple of minutes, so I feel more productive on my return to my desk.
She continued,
“I was concerned to see that some of the respondents rely on caffeinated drinks to keep themselves going throughout the day. It is important to have a happy, healthy work force; as everyone in the team and the business will reap the benefits.”
