Fancy a cuppa? Calls for workplaces to reintroduce tea and biscuit breaks as a third of staff reveal they don’t know the names of their co-workers and 70% admit they don’t get a break outside of lunch
- Study shows 70 per cent take less than 15 minutes of break other than at lunch
- One third say they don’t know the names of colleagues in their immediate office
It’s the workplace tradition that was once taken very seriously.
Now there are calls to reintroduce the much-loved tea and biscuit break as research reveals a third of workers don’t know the names of their colleagues.
A study involving 4,000 staff found 70 per cent take less than 15 minutes of break every day besides lunch – while some are too busy to take any time out at all.
More than three-quarters said that they felt their work performance was impaired through lack of respite.
One third said they don’t know all the names of colleagues in their immediate office – possibly a result of remote working – with 18 to 24-year-olds faring the worst.
The research also found that, on average, men spend three minutes and 10 seconds longer on breaks throughout the day than their female co-workers – averaging 13 minutes and 54 seconds of breaks compared to 10 minutes and 44 seconds.
McVitie’s campaign to reinstate a daily 15-minute biscuit break ‘could help encourage us to take more time to reset and recharge’
McVitie’s, who commissioned the research, are now calling for the implementation of a daily 15-minute tea break at work.
Aslý Özen Turhan, chief marketing officer at McVitie’s, said: ‘It is so important we find the time to take breaks during the working day. Just a short 15-minute break can improve wellbeing and connections with colleagues.
Charlotte Porter, Head of Corporate Partnerships at the mental health charity Mind, said: ‘We know it’s important to take short breaks throughout the day when we’re working but we also know that in reality, it can sometimes be hard to make space for this in our busy lives.
‘Even taking just a few minutes away from our working space can help our mental health. That’s why McVitie’s campaign to reinstate a daily 15-minute biscuit break is a great initiative.
‘It could help encourage us to take more time to reset and recharge or provide an opportunity to talk to and connect with other people, including our colleagues.’
