Tell Us

Tell us: Do you skip your lunch break when you’re at work?

Bostonians ranked highest for workers who “never” step away for a midday meal, a study revealed.

Let us know whether you take a lunch break while you're at work. Globe Staff/John Tlumacki

November 9, 2023

2 minutes to read

Many workers are so overwhelmed with tasks that they don’t take time to pause and enjoy a lunch break. An online marketplace for business catering, ezCater released a 2023 “Lunch Report” revealing that the tendency to take an afternoon meal is on the decline. The company surveyed 1,000 full-time employees nationwide and 4,000 workers across 10 major U.S. cities for their workplace eating habits, specifically how often and why they skip lunch. Bostonians are the “most likely to never take a lunch break away from their workstations,” with 20% meeting this trend, according to the study. However, Bostonians are 18% more likely to eat breakfast every day.

The number of workers nationwide who do not take a lunch break away from their work stations has increased 40% year over year, even though there are benefits to getting a midday bite, the report said. It could also serve employers well if they took steps to support lunch breaks, ezCater’s chief revenue officer Diane Swint said in a press release.

“Our data shows that lunch breaks improve job performance and reduce burnout,” she said. “It’s in employers’ best interest to encourage their employees to take a lunch break, and what better way to do that than by making the food appear? When you look at the cost of employee turnover and the cost to fund lunch everyday, the ROI is clear.”

The report noted that workers are often too busy for lunch, saying that they want to finish their work as soon as possible, fear they won’t have time to get their work done, or have too many meetings. However, lunch tends to positively impact employees’ lives: 53% said that it makes them happier, while 50% said it makes them less stressed. Forty-eight percent are less burned out when they eat lunch.

The study also tracked some generational trends, finding that Generation Z is most likely to say that lunch is their favorite part of the day, but they are also the generation most likely to skip meals.

Last summer, we asked Boston.com readers for their favorite places to grab lunch, and many favor spots that serve sandwiches, like Chacarero, Sam LaGrassa’s, and Figaro’s.

We want to know: Do you usually skip your lunch break when you’re at work? If so, do you tend to have a larger breakfast instead? We’re interested in hearing how your pattern impacts the way you feel and perform at work. Fill out the survey below or email us at [email protected], and your response may be featured in a future Boston.com article.

Sorry. This form is no longer available.