McVitie’s is rallying to reinstate Britain’s workplace breaks, supporting the 72 per cent of the UK’s 32.8 million employed who would like to see the implementation of a daily 15-minute tea break in their place of work.
The McVitie’s trolley will embark on a tour of the UK, with workers able to win a visit to their office next month accompanied by the Love Actually and Eastenders star. Leading the campaign to bring back workplace breaks is Martine McCutcheon, who urges Brits to reinstate their “tea and biccy breaks”. “Whether you fancy a cuppa and a biccy for some time to yourself or a quick catch up with colleagues – these moments can turn around a stressful day. So, let’s bring back the biscuit break.”
She continued, “As someone who loves her tea and biscuit breaks, I’m so excited to help reinstate this treasured tradition for the hard-working people of Britain.
Workers blame their lack of downtime on the size of their workload (47 per cent), too many meetings (25 per cent), and receiving a constant stream of emails (23 per cent).
36 per cent don’t believe their employers do enough to encourage them to take breaks.
Despite this, 93 per cent believe it’s an important part of the working day, with 42 per cent feeling more energised after stopping for a short break, and 41 per cent more motivated. And 76 per cent think their performance would be impaired without time away from their usual nine to five.
Furthermore, 74 per cent believe having a tea break will allow them to get to know their colleagues better.
With 33 per cent stating they don’t even know all the names of the people they work with – which is highest amongst 18 – 24-year-olds (39 per cent).
The survey also found two thirds (66 per cent) enjoy a biscuit with their tea break, while four in 10 find the most enjoyable part of having a bit of time away from their work is the peace and quiet. However, 35 per cent think people take less breaks now than when they first started out in the working world, thanks to more demanding jobs (45 per cent) and their time being stretched more thinly than ever before (44 per cent).
Having analysed 26 different industries, the study, carried out via OnePoll, found salespeople are taking the smallest amount of time for tea breaks in a typical working day – at 9 minutes and 47 seconds– followed by those in the charity sector at 9 minutes and 52 seconds.
And interestingly, men spend three minutes and 10 seconds longer on breaks throughout the day than female workers – which is more than 13 hours longer a year.
The Workers Union Says..
“The Workers Union strongly believes that tea and tea breaks have always been an integral part of British culture and work life. It is our sincere hope that employers will recognize the importance of reinstating this performance-enhancing and production-boosting necessity for workers. Not only do these breaks provide much-needed moments of respite and relaxation, but they also foster camaraderie and collaboration among colleagues, contributing to a healthier and more productive work environment. Let us continue to embrace and uphold this cherished tradition for the benefit of workers”.
