Small business owners are being urged to ensure that staff take regular breaks to maintain efficiency, prevent mistakes and stay on the right side of the law.
A survey by workplace consultancy Croner revealed that almost one in five (19%) employees take no lunch break. But while this may appear to be an advantage for bosses, it is also fraught with danger, Croner claims.
"We all know that working long hours affects our ability to cope with our day-to-day roles, and as such we are starting to see more people question their work/life balance and taking appropriate action," said Gillian Dowling, employment technical consultant at Croner.
"However, what some employees are failing to realise is that not taking time out in the working day can, in the long-term, also affect their health and their ability to do the job."
Under the EU's Working Time Regulations 1998, employers are obliged to ensure that anyone who works more than six hours a day is entitled to an uninterrupted break of not less than 20 minutes. This should be away from their workstation.
Younger employees under the age of 18 who work for more than four-and-a-half hours a day are entitled to a further 10 minutes away from their desk.
"In some cases there might well be very good reasons for missing out on a lunch break, such as meeting an impending deadline or leaving work early for a doctor's appointment," admitted Dowling.
"But employers have to make sure that workers are having a rest break under the Working Time Regulations, so if it's an every day occurrence, employers need to be looking into the reasons why and addressing the situation."
However, there are also examples of employees saying they do not take a lunch hour or break but who in fact do give themselves at least some form of respite from work.
"It's impossible for anyone to maintain concentration levels over protracted lengths of time," said Dowling. "We find that in some instances although the employee doesn't appear to be taking a regular ‘lunch' break, they may in fact be taking other little breaks during the day even if it's a quick chat while the kettle boils."