Last Updated on 09/09/2024 by Arun jain
This Increase remote and hybrid work Because the pandemic has made many changes in how we do our jobs. More virtual meetings, more office group chats and more email chains.
This new workplace standard has been generally welcomed. Employees and employers generally recognize that flexible work arrangements can boost morale, productivity and collaboration.
However, working from home can have drawbacks when it comes to taking lunch breaks.
Isabelle Berwick of the Financial Times Recently spoke to Nick Bloom, an economist professor at Stanford University, who said that office workers are still taking lunch breaks, while their colleagues who work from home typically see little or no reduction in activity. Around lunch.
‘Multi-tasking’
Professor Mark Mortensen, who teaches organizational behavior to MBA, EMBA, and PhD students at INSEAD, told Business Insider that the goal of a lunch break is to give you a change of pace and enough time to immerse yourself in whatever task you have to do. Later on
“If you are still worksIt’s not a lunch break,” Mortensen said, adding that sitting in front of a laptop and trying to do your work while eating at the same time is “multi-tasking.”
Ideally, employees should take a complete break during this time to recharge, he said. Mortensen advised against checking incoming messages or Indulging in certain activities during lunch.
“Keep in mind that if your break time is spent doing something asocial — scrolling through social media or watching a show on Netflix — you’re missing an opportunity to recharge your social batteries,” he said.
For Anna Tavis, a clinical professor of human capital management at New York University, the problem isn’t just that people aren’t taking breaks because they’re glued to their computers; It’s also that eating alone has become the new norm.
She told BI that when staff eat only in isolation, some social release mechanisms like talking to colleagues about work problems are lost.
“If you’re actually working around the clock, until, say, dinner time and taking that break, that doesn’t contribute to the longevity, sustainability and overall health of the workforce,” Tavis said.
Skipping lunch is not really good for your health
From what we know about nutrition, substituting consistent meals for breakfast throughout the day is not good for you, Tevis explained.
She said this type of “mindless eating” is a poor habit that can be harmful to your physical health and especially your metabolism.
Burnout from overworking and not taking proper breaks can also contribute to mental health problems, Tavis said.
“Psychologically, it’s really important, especially if your work is intense and if you want to kick back and refocus,” she said, adding that well-rested employees are more productive.
You may be owed overtime
Janice DeRose, a Florida-based labor and employment attorney and human resources consultant, told BI that a company could run into legal trouble if its staff worked during lunch hours.
When employees who are eligible for overtime eat at their desks instead Make time for lunchThis is very relevant from an HR compliance standpoint, she said.
“If you’re sitting at your desk and you’re looking at your email and answering occasionally, you’re working,” DeRose said, “and in the US, that means you need to get paid.”
She explained that under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, a meal break is only considered a break if workers are not engaged in their job duties. So, if they work during lunch, they are owed overtime.
“As an employer, you can’t allow your entire workforce to sit at a desk and pay for lunch,” DeRose said.
Bureaucracies need to do more
DeRose said the best preventative measure to ensure employees take breaks is more training. Otherwise, they may pick up bad habits from previous jobs.
For hybrid setups, managers need to make sure they encourage staff to have lunch during office days, Tevis said.
“Employers need to be more intentional around those moments that are important in building, the social fabric of the workplace,” she said.
Post It’s tempting to skip your lunch break when you work from home. Workplace experts say it can damage your life expectancy and drain your social batteries. appeared first Business Insider.