Dangerous workplace habit bosses need to stamp out

Young workers are burning out and businesses are suffering, and worryingly, it’s bosses that are pushing this workplace myth that needs to be stamped out.

Young Aussies don’t always get the best wrap when it comes to their work ethic, but there is a cohort of Gen Z and millennial workers who are burning out at work thanks to a myth perpetuated by their older bosses.

“I had to lie on my floor for 20 minutes this morning and remind myself to breathe deeply, just to get up and catch the train into work,” explains Mia*, a 35-year-old government executive from Melbourne.

“I started nearly a year ago and over the past six months things have become really bad. It’s a very ‘bums in seats’ workplace. My boss works through his lunch break and the unspoken agreement is that we’re all supposed to as well.

“As a result, he has slowly been winding back our ability to work from home, and booking meetings at the beginning and end of most workdays to make sure people are there throughout the day as well.”

New research from Subway has found that four in five Australians are either skipping their lunch break entirely or not taking the full amount of time allowed to them.

And worryingly, it’s bosses that are encouraging this habit and younger Aussies feeling the most pressure to work through their breaks, leaving them exposed to the risk of anxiety and burnout.

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Younger workers are more likely to feel pressured to work through their lunch break. Picture: iStock

The research showed Gen Z and Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Baby Boomers to believe their bosses will think they are more dedicated to their work if they skip their lunch break - with 10 per cent of the younger cohort believing this problematic myth, compared to 4 per cent and 1 per cent respectively.

Younger Australians were also most likely to say that condensing, skipping or working through their lunch break has negative impacts on them overall.

Sixty-seven per cent of Gen Z respondents said the practice led to negative overall effects, compared to 53 per cent of millennials, 48 per cent of Gen X and only 28 per cent of Baby boomers.

The new research aligns with data released earlier this year by global workplace wellbeing leader TELUS. Its Mental Health Index found a concerning 47 per cent of Australian workers feel mentally or physically exhausted at the end of the working day.

This was particularly true of younger generations, a finding TELUS Health’s senior vice president and APAC managing director Jamie MacLennan called “troubling”.

“Many employees, especially younger ones, are struggling with overwhelming workloads that leave them mentally and physically exhausted,” Mr MacLennan said in a statement at the time.

“This relentless stress not only impacts their mental health, but also significantly reduces productivity.”

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Younger people are more likely to prioritise their lunch break. Picture: istock

Bosses need to do more to dispel ‘bums in seats’ mentality

Sinead Connolly, founder of award-winning recruitment agency Lotus People, says bosses need to do more to lead by example when it comes to encouraging staff to take regular breaks and avoid burnout.

“From my perspective, over the years, I’ve seen it become very uncommon for people to take a full hour for lunch,” says Ms Connolly. “While in some industries, it’s even frowned upon, particularly in places where there might be a culture of hustle, or a culture where time spent at the desk is sort of perceived to be hard work, or taken to be the action of someone who has a better attitude than someone going on a longer lunch.”

She says the whole issue ties into the broader conversation around wellness, which can impact an organisation’s bottom line in more ways than one.

“It’s on the employers to actually lead from the top, and most often it doesn’t happen at the executive level, and then it doesn’t happen at management level,” she says.

“Everyone’s busy, and we’re trying to do more with less capacity, and everyone is running lean. Businesses are running lean.

“It doesn’t surprise me, and I don’t think it’s right. I think it will take a lot of work to actually change it, and it will need to be a conscious focus which, sadly, I just don’t see in businesses at the moment.”

Subway Australia and New Zealand marketing director Rodica Titeica found the data both alarming and expected, and said changes within the organisation aim to combat the worrying trend.

“As part of Subway’s mission to help Aussie’s reclaim lunch, it was important that our corporate business led by example and so for a number of months now, we’ve made between the hours of 12pm – 1pm a no-meeting hour to ensure our staff have an uninterrupted hour for food, for a break and for themselves,” Ms Titeica said.

“Of course, staff can still take lunch when it suits them, it doesn’t have to be between these hours, but company-wide, we’re respectful of this sacred meeting-free hour we’ve created daily.

“We encourage other employers and businesses to find ways to foster a supportive environment that encourages lunch breaks. It starts from the top.”

Mia, who is dismayed at the way a post-pandemic approach seems to have fuelled toxic work cultures, agrees.

“I’m actively searching for a new role, but if I don’t find one soon, I’m going to hand in my resignation regardless,” she says. “Nothing is worth damaging your health like this.”

*Name has been changed to protect employee’s anonymity.