Staff 'should be encouraged' to get up for lunch

Managers should encourage employees to have lunch away from their desks, according to the British Dietetic Association (BDA).

Dr Frankie Phillips, a dietician at the association, said that staff who do not eat their lunch at their desk are more productive, meaning "there is a financial and economical benefit" for employers too.

He also feels that spending 20 to 30 minutes away from desks at lunchtime is a health and safety issue and as such should be a policy.

"Managers [need] to help produce a culture that encourages people to get away from their desks, having a room available to sit in, which is pleasant for them to sit in and talk to their colleagues," he added.

Research commissioned by ActionAid discovered that eating lunch at desks is popular in the UK.

The study found that 62 per cent of people do not take more than half an hour for lunch, with 20 per cent of these having it at their desk.

Posted on: 2008-10-20, in: General VoIP

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