Kiwis a nation of lunch-skippers, data shows

Wednesday, 10 October 2018

Takeaway or brought from home? Stuff investigates the lunch habits of workers and students.

New Zealand is a nation skipping its lunch break, new data shows.

A new survey by recruitment firm Hays has found only 28 per cent of Kiwi workers say they take their full lunch break most days.

A quarter said they took about 75 per cent of their break and 22 per cent took half the amount they were allowed.

Seven per cent said they never took a break at all.

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'People often believe they're too busy or their to-do list is too long to be able to step out,' says Nick Deligiannis, managing director of Hays in Australia and New Zealand.

Seven per cent of us don't take a lunch break at all.

'But we don't always need to be available at our desk. We can step away to eat and take a break.'

Head of Trade Me Jobs Jeremy Wade said it seemed more New Zealanders were skipping lunch, or cutting their breaks short, so they could leave work earlier.

But if they were hoping to leave work behind, it was not always happening.

'Our survey found that with technology blurring the lines between work and home it is a lot harder to switch off from work. Sixty per cent of those surveyed said they regularly check their work emails outside of work hours,' he said.

'It's a frequent occurrence that lunch is worked through as business demands, overseas time differences, remote team management, keep the pressure on.'

She said lunch was also more popular in fine weather.

'Naturally winter is a different story, it's a hunker-down, have a cup of soup, keep warm and dry … so increased microwave-heated lunches appear in the office and are consumed there.

'We note in the capital that lunch is very much alive. Organisations are very particular that breaks are taken – it's cultural and evident across all hierarchical levels and Mojo cafes are the winners.'

Deligiannis said working through did not always mean working harder.

'Stepping out for a lunch time break can help avoid the 3pm slump and improve your afternoon productivity. You'll come back refreshed and your attention span will increase,' he said.

'Technology has blurred the lines between work and life, giving us a constant connection to work. It's important to down tools and step away from our devices during break times. Go for a walk to stretch your legs or sit in a nearby park. You'll notice the difference in your improved level of productivity.'