A recent poll by Monster has shown that 60% of workers who responded do not take their full lunch break. The survey also found that, of those workers surveyed, 7% are risking their wellbeing by not taking a lunch break at all.

“Do you take a lunch break while at work?”
.Monster, the leading job matching engine and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide posed the question, “Do you take a lunch break while at work?”

The key findings were:

• Yes, I always take my full lunch break – 40%
• Sometimes, only if I’m not too busy – 32%
• No, I always eat at my desk so I can get more work done – 21%
• No, I don’t eat lunch - 7%

Results show a definitive split across geographies, with Europeans most likely to take their full lunch break (49%), followed closely by Asian workers (45%). Workers in the US were least likely to take their full allocation, with only 30% reporting that they do so.

The trend follows countries well known for their gastronomic quality, with 58% of French workers surveyed taking their full lunch break, by far the highest recorded total worldwide. Italian and Indian workers were the next most likely to take a full lunch, with each recording 48%.

Many people take lunch at their desks so that they can continue working. Those surveyed in the US (29%), Canada (26%) and Belgium (26%) were most likely to do so, with workers in Mexico (8%) and Italy (9%) the least likely. Belgium were the only European country surveyed to record such a strong result to this response, perhaps reflecting the effect that housing the European Parliament has on the country.

Workers surveyed in Spain were the least likely to take lunch at all, with 15% saying they do not eat it. For the country that invented the Siesta, this might be an indicator of how times are changing.

“Taking a lunch break is very important to keep healthy and refreshed,” Jeffrey Quinn, senior director, Monster Intelligence. “Our bodies and brains need fuel to operate and many workers actually find they are more productive after some time spent away from their desk. If people feel they are too busy, they should take stock of their workload and try to plan it into their day.”