London workers take longer lunch breaks than staff in other regions

London’s workers take 25 percent longer for lunch break than their contemporaries elsewhere in the UK, according to Avanta’s London Worker Index. The report, based on a survey of 1,500 people in the capital, also found that some 24 percent of male workers report using their lunch break to take a nap, compared to just 14 percent of their female colleagues. In addition to napping, the survey found that 54 percent of London workers use their lunch break to go shopping, whilst a similar number (52 percent) run errands. More than a quarter (27 percent) visit the gym and over a third (28 percent) meet up with friends. However, not every Londoner is quite so lucky. Almost a quarter (23 percent) of Londoners skip lunch three or more times per week, and one in ten don’t take lunch breaks at all.

Ironically, those working in hospitality, catering and restaurants take the shortest breaks in London, with an average of 22 minutes: just over half that of those working in media and journalism (42 minutes). Taken as an average, the typical Londoner spends 35 minutes on lunch: a full 9 minutes longer than most workers around the country.