You may or may not have heard of Kemi Badenoch. She’s the latest leader of the Conservative Party here in the UK (I know, there’s been a fair few of them recently, so it’s a little hard to keep up). She made the headlines last week, after declaring that lunch is for wimps and that sandwiches aren’t real food.
Whilst the latter is a matter of taste (I’m quite partial to a ham and cheese baguette myself, but the Tory leader prefers steak for lunch), when it comes to the former, she is economically and dangerously wrong.
The reason she thinks lunch is a cop out is because she works though hers, is very proud of that fact, and thinks everyone else should work through theirs too. Apparently, Mrs Badenoch is such the busy little bee that she has ‘no time’ for a break.
However, over time, this work ethic she proudly espouses works out rather costly and detrimental to productivity. But don’t just take my word for it. Science says so too. One 2021 study, published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, showed that a one-hour lunch break had a positive impact on employee’s health, performance, and stress levels. 1
Giving yourself time off allows you to reset and recharge. This in turn improves your energy levels, as well as your focus, concentration and productivity.
And yet, this always-on work ethic is rife in the workplace but, think about it . . . first in, last out, doesn’t take a break, works through lunch, comes in when sick. What do you think is going to happen?
Those people are going to burn out, they are more likely to be signed off work sick with stress. That’s costly enough as it is but, in their descent into sign off, they are going to be exhausted, distracted, less productive than their more sensible colleagues and, also, more likely to make mistakes. Big, costly mistakes. They also stay with their companies for a shorter duration, which additionally costs more in terms of retention, recruitment and training.
Coming in sick, especially, is a costly phenomenon known as ‘presenteeism,’ and it is very bad for business. You are not a trooper with this attitude, despite what you think, or what anyone tells you. Instead, you’re a liability.
Research from wellbeing consultancy Robertson Cooper shows the real impact of presenteeism on the workplace, which is staff absenteeism, poor productivity and lost revenue. 2
Studies are very clear on the matter. Although exact costs are difficult to pin down, the Harvard Business Review estimates that it costs the US economy more than $150 billion a year in lost productivity.
Not only that but just think how many others you will infect when you go in sick rather than call in sick. Yuck.
And yet, in both the USA and the UK – as well as other places – these always-on ‘lunch is for wimps’ presenteeism types are seen as the model employees. They are the ones we all should be aspiring to.
However, the staff who come in on time, leave on time, take regular breaks (including lunch), who stay home when poorly, and know how to manage their work/life balances more effectively; they are the ones you really should be aspiring to. They are the ones who are much less likely to take time off work with stress, they are much less likely to burn out, they are more focussed, more productive, less prone to those costly mistakes and tend, on average, to say with a company longer which, in turn, saves money in terms of retention, recruitment and training.
Meanwhile, the humble sandwich – invented in England in the 18th century by John Montagu, the then 4thEarl of, erm, Sandwich – is much more than just ‘stuff’ stuffed between two slices of bread.
The Wall Street Journal once called the sandwich the UK’s ‘biggest contribution to gastronomy. Which is something to think about when it comes to trade.
The Earl himself, created his seminal sandwich with roast beef, apparently. But, as the 24th of December edges ever closer, my cheese and ham effort will turn to a more robust turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce affair, sometimes with pigs in blankets too.
In the meantime, Kemi Badenoch can eat all the steak she wants but, if she continues working through her lunchbreak, we won’t be too far into the new year before the Tory party will be looking for yet another new leader.
The festive holidays are just around the corner, and they will offer most of us a chance to stop, rest and recuperate before going back into the workplace.
But remember, a break isn’t just for Christmas, a break is for life.