by Kris Kennedy

Created on: July 21, 2010   Last Updated: July 26, 2010

Lunch Hour and Production Workers

What is the advantage of lunch to the worker? It is to give the worker nourishment, but for the production worker there is another physical need. If you want the second part of a shift to be as productive as the first, the production worker needs time to refresh the body.

Examination of Task

Just as a marathon runner cannot run a marathon, take a short break, and run another marathon, production workers need a chance to rebuild the energy level during the lunch hour. Frequently office workers leave the job and need to engage in physical activities to have a balanced mind and body exhaustion level to facilitate nighttime sleep. The production worker has been expending physical energy as well as any mental skill necessary so the balance could prove equal. Everybody has a limit to the amount of energy available before rest must occur or the body slows down.

Benefits

After the employees enjoy their lunch and have a period to relax, you are enabling them to refuel completely the body. An examination of your production levels might hint that an experiment of the effect on the production level might prove profitable even if you have to pay the employee for the added lunchtime. Most labor laws would make it difficult for you to require office workers a period of physical activity, but an increase in rest probably would not receive resistance.

Problems

The problem might come when you attempt to explore the issue and production rates, it does not prove beneficial, and you attempt to move back to the shorter lunch break, but most likely that will not occur. In addition, the office staff may not understand but maybe you can offer incentives to encourage a walk during an additional time or some other activity. 

Many employers are offering wellness programs as a means to minimize sick leave and use of medical insurance. If you offer items that might reinvigorate office workers as well, you might be able to offer an extended lunch across the board without a lot of discussion. Since you are offering these items on company time, a problem that develops from the offerings is open for discussion. If someone is, using the time for highly physical activities and returning to work tired might need counseling about taking a rest break. An office person who uses the time in a more passive way might be encouraged to use the time more recreationally. 

As long as the employer remains open to accommodate employees with disabilities, an increased lunchtime might prove beneficial. Studying the issue might open the door to a more productive workforce.

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