Before we dive into the regulations around employee work breaks and lunch breaks, it’s a good idea to pause and think about why offering breaks is a good idea.
While many of us are still of the mindset that taking regular breaks means taking a break from being productive, efficient, and valuable, recent research shows the opposite is true.
In fact, survey and productivity data show that employees who regularly take work breaks are more productive, more efficient, and better workers than those who work for stretches without a break.
The science around why we need to take breaks at work has evolved over time.
Previously it was thought that sticking through your work schedule and staying on-task was the best way to be the most productive.
Let’s have a look at the reasons why you should give your employees work break
#1 Rest breaks are a great reset
However, employers are now learning that their staff are better workers when they’re able to step away from work for short periods of time.
Science shows that taking breaks from work prevents decision fatigue leading to better decision-making and a reduction in errors caused through tiredness and overexposure to tasks.
Having downtime also allows the brain to form memories and learn things faster, meaning your employees will be faster to take on new information and progress in their roles
#2 Breaks encourage team engagement
Research also shows that 81% of employees who take daily breaks in the form of eating lunch and talking to a colleague have a strong desire to take an active role in their company.
What’s more, allowing your employees to have regular breaks from work has been shown to reduce employee turnover, increase work attendance, and decrease the amount of employees who are present but unproductive.
#3 Work breaks benefit mental health
In the U.K., the Mental Health Foundation has found that poor mental health results in 70 million missed workdays. One in five employees in the U.K. takes a day off due to stress, and 25% of employees have considered resigning from a job due to stress.
Allowing your employees to take work breaks throughout the day, even if these breaks are short, has been shown to improve employee mental health. This improved mental health has huge benefits for your team, and for business. A recent World Health Organization study found that for every $1 invested in improving the mental health of employees results in a return of $4 in improved health and productivity.
As the benefits of employee mental health become clearer, it is more important than ever to offer your employees regular work and lunch breaks. This is also true when you consider the changing shape of the workplace.
In a study conducted by Tork showing the changing attitudes around the lunch break, 62% of the future workforce said they would opt for a longer or more regular lunch break if possible. This compares to only 46% of the current workforce.
What’s more, in the same study, 16% of the future workforce said they would be willing to take a 10% pay cut if it meant having a lunch break every day.
With these statistics in mind, it’s clear that there are tangible benefits from allowing your employees to take regular breaks at work and for you to implement a mandatory lunch break. However, the rules and regulations around implementing short breaks and lunch breaks are complex and vary by state.
Make sure any work breaks you implement are compliant with regulation with our breakdown below.