30+ Taking Break at Work Statistics Unveiled [2024]

Are you an employer wondering about the science behind work breaks?

Or are you an employee curious if not taking breaks is the reason behind you hating your job?

You are not the only one!

It has been reported that continuously working for over 90 minutes triggers the body’s ‘flight or fight’ stress response.

1 in every 4 employees engaged in a half-hour respite from their work gave better outputs.

Two breaks per day lasting 15 minutes improve the overall productivity of employees by 11.4 hours per month. 

Curious to dig deeper?!

Let’s delve into intriguing statistics on taking breaks at work.

Top Taking Break At Work Statistics: Editor’s Pick

1. Taking ‘microbreaks’ of about 40 seconds improved workers’ sustained attention. ^[2]
2. Women are over twice as likely (67%) not to take a break than men (33%). ^[8]
3. 29% of US workers take a lunch break of less than 30 minutes. ^[10]
4. 60% of workers, aged between 18 to 34 mostly prefer web surfing during their breaks. ^[10]
5. 59% of North American workers admitted that they believe taking regular lunch breaks would be looked at negatively by their employers. ^[11]
6. On average only 1 in 3 workers take a lunch break worldwide. ^[10]
7. The average work-to-break has been reported as 52 minutes of work, followed by 17 minutes more starting around the topic of rest. ^[4]

Importance of Taking Breaks At Work

Why should you take breaks at work?

According to Researchers, people are less productive without breaks. Working productively for a shorter period is better than working at a reduced capacity for longer. ^[2]

Taking ‘microbreaks’ of about 40 seconds improved workers’ sustained attention. ^[2]

90% of employees said taking regular breaks significantly uplifts their mood. ^[6]

About 37% of ‘Gen Z’ workers said taking regular short breaks boosts their productivity. ^[6]

25% of workers who take a 30-minute break experienced a significant boost in productivity. ^[7]

1 in every 4 employees engaged in a half-hour respite from their work gave better outputs. ^[11]

55% of workers who take regular breaks have a high desire to be active in their office. ^[11]

Employees who take regular breaks are 81% less likely to quit. ^[11]

It has been reported that continuously working for over 90 minutes triggers the body’s ‘flight or fight’ stress response. ^[7]

Workers who take short breaks admitted to feeling 9% more productive than the rest. ^[7]

Lunch Break Statistics

1 in 5 Australians (about 3.8 million employees) skip their lunch breaks. ^[1]

Of those who take their lunch breaks, 72% said they often cut short or postpone it. ^[1]

29% of US workers take a lunch break of less than 30 minutes. ^[10]

27% of US employees don’t feel encouraged to take a lunch break. ^[11]

87% of employees who take a daily lunch break show increased job satisfaction. ^[11]

Did you know your mental health is related to lunch breaks?

The Lunch Report by ezCarter discovered the link between lunch breaks and mental health. ^[9]

40% of employees reported feeling less stressed after taking lunch breaks. ^[9]

39% of workers felt more productive after taking a lunch break. ^[9]

37% reported feeling less burnt out after eating and relaxing during a break. ^[9]

Common Reasons Behind Skipping Breaks

Why did you skip your last break at work?

Let’s see what are the most common reasons people gave for skipping their breaks.

48% said they are too busy. ^[3]

21% of people work part-time, so cannot take breaks. ^[3]

12% said their workplace culture is to skip lunch. ^[10]

22% of employees are concerned that their bosses won’t think they are hardworking if they take regular breaks. ^[11]

It is surprising to note that 59% of North American workers admitted that they believe taking regular lunch breaks would be looked at negatively by their employers. ^[11]

Activities Done During Breaks

What do you do during breaks at work?

Here we have curated a list of answers when workers were asked, “Aside from eating, which of the following activities do you usually engage in during your lunch break?”

60% of workers, aged between 18 to 34 mostly prefer web surfing during their breaks. ^[10]

It is interesting to note that people who live in Miami, New York, Houston, and San Diego mostly like to socialize with colleagues during their breaks. ^[2]

Taking Break At Work Statistics Based On Demographics

It is surprising to note that women are over twice as likely (67%) not to take a break than men (33%). ^[8]

While 1 in 10 employees never leave their desks during the day, only 10% of Gen Z workers said that they never eat at their desks. ^[9]

26% of millennials and 48% of baby boomers said that they never ate at their desktops. ^[9]

70% of employees admitted that they eat while they work at least once a week. ^[9]

Every place has different break lengths.

If we look at US cities, Workers in Salt Lake City, Des Moines, and Cincinnati take the shortest breaks, while those in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Miami take the longest breaks. ^[10]

Duration of Breaks At Work

How long do workers’ breaks last?

During an 8-hour work day, an average worker takes 3 breaks, each lasting about 22 minutes. ^[4]

The average work-to-break has been reported as 52 minutes of work, followed by 17 minutes more starting around the topic of rest. ^[4]

Workers are reported to devote 78 minutes of their full work day to taking breaks. ^[5]

Two breaks per day lasting 15 minutes improve the overall productivity of employees by 2.85 hours a week or 11.4 hours per month. ^[5]

More than half of workers take 30 minutes or less for lunch. ^[10]

FAQs

What is the minimum number of breaks for a productive workday?

It is generally recommended to take short breaks every 90 minutes to 2 hours to boost productivity. At least 4 breaks including a long lunch break have been proved great for a productive work day. 

What is the average duration of breaks during a work day?

On a traditional work day of eight hours, the average duration of breaks ranges between 1 to 2 hours. It includes short breaks and lunch breaks.

Which US cities have the shortest to longest breaks?

It has been reported that workers in Salt Lake City, De Moines, and Cincinnati take the shortest breaks, while those in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Miami take the longest breaks.

Conclusion

Taking regular breaks has been proven beneficial for both employees and employers. Microbreaks after 52 minutes of work, boost engagement and productivity. Employees confirmed feeling refreshed even after microbreaks.

Employers have observed high retention and productivity rates from workers who take regular breaks. And these employees are 80% less likely to quit due to high job satisfaction. 

According to the Lunch Report, regular lunch breaks are associated with mental health.  As 40% of employees reported feeling less stressed after taking lunch breaks and 37% reported feeling less burnt out after eating and relaxing during a break. 

Sources

1. Australia Institute. Hard to Get a Break paper
2. Journals. Comparing Relaxation Versus Mastery Microbreak Activity: A Within-Task Recovery Perspective
3. Forbes. Biggest Paradox That Happens At Work
4. HBR. How to Take Better Breaks at Work, According to Research
5. BetterUp. Breaks for breakthroughs: The importance of taking breaks during the workday
6. Business News Daily. The Key to Increasing Productivity? Employee Breaks
7. Biospace. Worried About Productivity? Studies Suggest Taking More Breaks
8. Workforce. 5 Surprising Lunch Break Statistics in the US (2023)
9. Excarter. The Lunch Report
10. Press. RobertHall. More Than Half Of Workers Take 30 Minutes Or Less For Lunch, Survey Says
11. Forbes. New Study Shows Correlation Between Employee Engagement And The Long-Lost Lunch Break

Manisha Saini

Manisha is a digital writer providing guidance in career development and growth. She facilitates skill development and implementation of the right strategies for advancement. At Jobera, She documents content around the latest market trend analysis, insights, and career planning.

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