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National Take Back the Lunch Break Day

In today’s nonstop work culture, lunch breaks get more and more shoved to the side. Take back that important time to eat and unwind, and improve your productivity.

Body & Health Food & Drink Life & Living People & Relationships62

Marketing angleinferred

Help working professionals reclaim their lunch break as a wellness and productivity tool, positioning your brand as an enabler of healthier workplace culture.

Relevance 62medium intent

Share meal-prep tips and healthy lunch ideas that take 30 minutes or less to enjoy
Feature employee testimonials on how taking real lunch breaks improved their job satisfaction and performance
Partner with HR leaders to promote lunch-break policies that boost retention and morale
Create a workplace wellness guide for managers on building a culture that values downtime

History

National Take Back the Lunch Break Day was created in 2018 by Tork, a leading professional hygiene brand, in response to the decline of the employee lunch break in today’s 24/7 work culture.

According to research conducted by Tork, employees who take a lunch break score higher on a wide range of engagement metrics, including job satisfaction and productivity.

Tork’s study also revealed that nearly 90 percent of employees consider the ability to take a lunch break critical when accepting a new job.

However, once they are on the job, the average lunch break is less than 30 minutes for more than half of North American workers – barely enough time to purchase a meal, let alone enjoy it.

That’s why Tork created National Take Back the Lunch Break Day, to help improve workplace morale, satisfaction and productivity across North America.

The Tork Take Back the Lunch Break idea is simple: with more workers taking their lunch break, it is possible to improve workplaces and worker happiness!

On the third Friday in June, North American workers –and perhaps workers from other places in the world – are encouraged to take back their lunch breaks. Why? Because there has been an increasing trend to take less frequent and shorter lunch breaks, affecting employee morale and well-being.

According to Tork’s research, only one in three employees are engaged at work. Because engagement affects productivity, happiness and job satisfaction, it is time employees and employers across North America stepped up to the plate – the lunch plate that is! Break the cycle of skipping lunch or eating in front of a computer.

Get away from that desk and enjoy some fresh air, a real lunch and some social interaction. Because it’s time to celebrate National Take Back the Lunch Break Day!

How to celebrate

Take a Real Lunch Break

Instead of just rushing around to grab some drive-thru fast food and swallowing it down while working, those who are able to should try to set aside some extra time today to take a real, authentic lunch break. Celebrate National Take Back the Lunch Break Day with intentionality! Eat a healthy and energizing meal, complete with protein and vegetables, and try to avoid fatty or greasy foods that can tend to make a person tired. For many people, a great way to make the most out of a lunch break is to plan in advance and bring a lunch to work. Packing a meal made at home is a way to cut down on the time spent going to get food, offering more time to eat slowly and thoughtfully.

Improve Company Culture

It’s true that many companies, especially those in the US, only offer a very short lunch break to their employees, which makes for a negative company culture and lifestyle. And there is no legal protection to change this. While some businesses tend to treat employees as robots or machines, it’s important to remember that modern work culture can lead to burnout, which is not good for anyone – including the company.Those who are in positions of authority in their jobs, including managers, executives and business owners, should consider observing National Take Back the Lunch Break Day by incorporating their own research about company culture in their sphere of influence. Ask questions about how it might be possible to shift the culture of the business to provide better lunch breaks, creating happier and healthier employees – which leads to a happier and healthier world!

Take Time for Personal Health

Those who can wrangle an hour out of a lunch break can make it not only a time to eat but also for mental, emotional and physical health on National Take Back the Lunch Break Day! Enjoying a brisk walk before or after eating is also a very good idea that promotes healthy digestion and keeps the body in tip-top shape. Others might be interested in taking 10-15 minutes of their lunch break to practice silence, solitude and meditation to help get their minds back into a healthy framework.

FAQ

What are the main health and well-being effects of regularly working through lunch?

Regularly working through lunch is associated with higher fatigue, more stress, and less opportunity for recovery during the day, which over time can contribute to reduced well-being and greater risk of burnout. Occupational health research shows that breaks, including midday breaks, help people mentally detach from work, reduce strain, and maintain performance, while skipped or rushed breaks are linked with higher exhaustion and lower self‑rated productivity over the course of the day.

How do lunch breaks influence productivity and job performance, according to research?

Studies in organizational psychology find that employees who take genuine breaks, especially away from their workstations, tend to report better concentration, more energy, and higher self‑rated performance afterward. Field experiments and diary studies show that detaching from work over lunch is associated with improved afternoon task focus and fewer performance errors, even though it temporarily reduces time at the desk.

Are there proven links between lunch breaks and burnout or long-term stress?

Research on recovery from work shows that regular opportunities to detach, such as lunch breaks, are associated with lower emotional exhaustion, which is a core component of burnout. When employees consistently lack time to recover during and after workdays, including working through lunch, studies find higher levels of stress and a gradual increase in burnout symptoms over time.

What does U.S. law actually require when it comes to lunch breaks at work?

Under U.S. federal law, employers are not required to provide lunch or coffee breaks at all. If employers choose to offer short rest breaks, typically 5 to 20 minutes, that time must usually be paid, while bona fide meal periods of around 30 minutes or more can be unpaid if the worker is fully relieved of duties. Many states add their own rules, so actual entitlements depend on state law and employer policy rather than a single nationwide standard.

How do lunch-break rules in Europe and the U.K. differ from the U.S. approach?

The European Union’s working time rules require minimum daily rest and limits on work hours, but detailed meal-break requirements are mostly set by each member state. For example, U.K. law entitles most adult workers to at least one uninterrupted 20‑minute rest break when working more than six hours a day. In contrast, U.S. federal law does not mandate any meal or rest break, leaving most protections to states or to individual employers’ policies.

What makes a lunch break genuinely restorative rather than just “time away from the keyboard”?

Research suggests that a lunch break is most restorative when it allows real mental detachment from work, is taken away from the primary work area, and includes enjoyable or relaxing activities such as socializing, being outdoors, or quiet time. Even relatively short breaks can help if workers avoid checking emails or doing job tasks and instead focus on rest, recovery, or low‑pressure conversation.

Do cultural traditions like the Mediterranean siesta or Swedish fika change how midday breaks are viewed?

In some Mediterranean and Latin countries, long midday breaks and going home for lunch were traditionally built into the workday, while in Sweden practices like “fika” emphasize social coffee breaks as a normal part of work. These norms contrast with many North American workplaces, where eating quickly at the desk is common and breaks can be seen as a luxury. Comparative research on working time shows that where breaks are embedded in culture or law, they are more likely to be taken and valued rather than skipped.