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By Steve Brearton
Illustration: Seth
Lunch crunch
In 2005, a California court awarded US$172 million to Wal-Mart employees who said they were
prevented from taking lunch breaks. In today’s workplace, the so-called lunch hour may be one of the greatest
misnomers of office life.
1 in 2 Number of US workers who gained weight after starting their job. A 2005 survey by
CareerBuilder.com found that boredom and stress caused many workers to eat.
3.5 Average number of minutes that British employees spent actually eating during
their lunch hour. The 2006 survey by a London-based cellphone company found the rest of the time was taken up
by so-called essential jobs such as shopping.
5 Minutes decrease in the average time workers took for lunch between 1996 and 2005
— a 14% change, according to Steelcase, a US office furniture manufacturer.
10 Maximum percentage of fat calories allowed in prepared lunches in the head
office cafeteria at Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. in Bolton, Ont. The firm also insists on one
vegetable entrée; baked goods must be low-fat or fat-free.
30 Percentage of Canadian employees who found time for a so-called traditional
lunch. Fewer than half surveyed by Workopolis.com in 2001
took time for lunch every workday.
50 Percentage by which lunchtime food delivery to offices increased over seven
years ending in 2000, according to a study by NPD Group Canada for the food services sector.
63 Percentage of employees who believe the lunch hour is the biggest myth in office
life today. Fast food chain KFC surveyed workers in 2006.
 100 Multiple by which average office desktops contain more bacteria
than a home kitchen table, according to to a study by microbiologists from the University of Arizona. The
most contaminated office locale? The phone. Desktops, fountain handles, microwave handles and keyboards
follow.
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