Is lunch a productivity killer or booster?

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Hong Kong employees work some of the longest hours in the world - regular extra time, always connected via mobile and often not even leaving their desks for lunch. However, this work "hard" mentality often causes a loss of productivity and it's definitely unhealthy.  Not only affecting employee mental and physical well-being but it could be detrimental to your bottom line as well.

However, regular breaks are essential to keep employees focussed and energised. Especially a proper lunch break according to a survey by Tork, an Essity brand. The research had some pretty shocking findings like;

• Nearly 20% of North American workers worry their bosses won’t think they are hardworking if they take regular lunch breaks, while 13% worry their co-workers will judge them.
• 38% of employees don’t feel encouraged to take a lunch break.
• 22% of North American bosses say that employees who take a regular lunch break are less hardworking.
• 34% of North American bosses consider how often an employee takes a lunch break when evaluating their job performance.

Yet, the data on taking a proper lunch break reveals just the opposite effect;  workers who take a lunch break everyday score higher on a wide range of engagementmetrics, including job satisfaction, efficiency, and likelihood to recommend to others.

Nearly 90% of North American employees claim that taking a lunch breaks helps them feel refreshed and ready to get back to work. Furthermore, employees who take a lunch break every day are more likely to be satisfied with their current job and feel valued by their employer. And 81% of workers who take a lunch break every day have a strong desire to be an active member in their company.

ALSO READ: Hongkongers on how to deal with a 30-minute lunch break