Is It Okay To Take an Hour-Long Lunch Break

Is It Okay To Take an Hour-Long Lunch Break Weve all seen the data on our newsfeeds that scarfing down leftovers in Tupperware containers while catching up on emails at our desks is bad for us. Were reminded constantly that breaks are essential for productivity but science shows that collectively, only lunch break? Socially we refer to the lunch hour but should we really take an hour each day?I discussed the topic with four working women, two managers and two individual contributors, and got surprisingly passionate responses.And while this is impacted by the nature of your work (like whether youre billing time or are a salaried employee), the company you work for, whether you work in the private or public sector, as well as simply your workload at a given time or time of year, some trends emerged.5 lunch break trendsTrend 1 Breaks Over a MealWe gotta eat, but many seemed to prioritize breaks over focusing on a meal. One woman, a healthcare policy professional who works at an agency, shared that she does bedrngnis advise her team to take an hour each day but rather just when they really need that mental and physical break, because in her line of work that time will need to be made up one way or another (read an earlier start or a later finish).Instead, she encourages her direct reports to take a 20-minute talk every day, she reminds them that they dont have to be eating or taking a smoke break to leave the office a point that is often neglected to be said by managersTrend 2 Just Get Your Work DoneAre lunch hours paid? That depends on the nature of your job. Its not just vendors and tafelgeschirr agencies that bill time that think about their lunches and breaks differently this rings true for government employees as well. State and federal employees who bill time need to see their breaks differently. But despite that 60-minute window not being a paid window, the time away is still valued and seen as the employees right to take. A long-time government employee sh ared that she doesnt think people should be held to strict rules so long as they get their work done on time and well.Trend 3 So Long as Someone Can Contact You If Need Be, Youre GoodParticularly with the interconnectedness of the workplace thanks to technology managers increasingly seem to encourage breaks, just like they are becoming more open to remote work and flexible schedules. Sloan White, a Brand Manager at a large financial intuition whos managed teams emphasizes putting our connected workplace to work for us, We all carry our office in our pockets, and as long as I can track someone down or be tracked down then I think a break is fair game.Trend 4 Consider Your Personal SituationBut there are two sides to every coin and if you work at a small, service-oriented firm the rules and views may be a little different. How long is a normal lunch break, for example? Does lunch count as work hours? I spoke with a long-time medical professional that has a 60-minute lunch break baked into her work agreement. For her, not taking that time would be lost income. This rings true for employees who work in areas like retail or who clock in and out. For them, this could be as wasteful as unused PTO days (another nationwide epidemic).Trend 5 Strive for BalanceAt the end of the day, its about striking the right balance. If you take a sit down lunch with a friend or colleague on a Monday, aim to not repeat the next day. Likewise, it can be smart to weave a long lunch into your schedule appropriately like if you have a day stacked with meetings and deadlines or a morning doctors appointment, thats probably not the best day to step away for an hour or more. But if youre hourly or have lunch worked into your contract, by all means, take the breaks that are your right.White shared a story that perhaps sums it up best, Meals are an important part of daily, and cultural life. When I was in Spain, one day I went to a big siesta lunch with my moms cousin who owns his own school a nd manages about 10 people. That lunch was one of the best Ive ever had. It was a good time for friendship, conversation, and food. And it stuck with me. Im not proposing we all do that every day, but I think a lunch break can be good for the soul, especially with coworkers.So if youre hungry and need a break, get away and eat. If youre in the zone or have a lot to get done and need to leave at 5 sharp opt for a shorter break or work through lunch. A hungry, burnt out employee is not a good employee. So strike that balance, find time for a good lunch when you need it, but use your time wiselyboth professionally and personallyI can promise you the work will be there when you get back to your desk.--Jane Scudder is a certified coach workshop facilitator. She also works as a strategy marketing consultant and teaches a Career Development Preparation course at Loyola University Chicago. She lives and works remotely in Chicago, IL.