When it’s time for lunch, do you eat at your desk? 🥪

For most people, this is the case. Over 60% of workers say that they eat lunch at their desks.

A lunch break should be a break from work to have lunch. Some of us are still not allowing ourselves or feeling able to fully take this time to eat and recharge for the rest of the working day.

If this sounds all too familiar, it could be time to start having regular team lunches – here’s why.

The Benefits of Team Lunches 🥪💡

1. Offers the chance to refresh ♻️

️Being human, we all need a break and time to recharge to be able to work at our best. Lunch is the best time to have this break as we are already refuelling our bodies with food… so why not refuel our minds as well? By eating our lunch at our desks, we are not giving ourselves time away from our work – regardless of if we are actively working or not.

In fact, a change in environment helps to stimulate our brains. Moving away from our desks ‘wakes up’ our brain in response to a change in surroundings and a new set of stimuli. From this, it is understandable why research has found that energy levels can increase after having a proper lunch break. As energy is required for productivity, getting that boost through the middle of the day is key if we want to maintain our productivity levels.

2. Breaks down organisational hierarchies 💼

With different departments, seniority levels, and job titles within an organisation, it is unlikely that a team will have the same levels of communication with everyone at their company.

However, by holding a team lunch break, job title and seniority level gets put to one side.

Instead, everyone can feel able to approach and talk to anyone in the room.

That is why a relaxing team lunch can bring the ‘humanness’ back into an office space whilst strengthening the communication between all team members.

3. Boosts team morale 🥰

Getting the team together is a great way to build team morale and connections between those working at an organisation. Strong team morale has many benefits, including better productivity and stronger teamwork, all of which help a team work well together.

A team lunch acts as a social event and an opportunity to build this morale. It allows people to have discussions unrelated to work that helps to build social connections between employees.

Getting the chance to get out of a work headspace and discuss other topics is great for team building whilst allowing employees to have a mental break from their work too.

4. Improves communication 💬

With team lunches able to break down organisational hierarchies and boost team morale, it is unsurprising that communication within a team can also improve too. Strong communication within a workplace has many benefits, including increased employee engagement, improved conflict management, and helping to build a healthy work culture. Therefore, not only will team lunches improve individual employee wellbeing, but they will also improve a team’s morale, communication, and engagement.

5. Promotes a strong company culture 💡

At the root of it, human beings have a strong desire to belong. Positive company culture helps to build this sense of belonging, which, in turn, can improve employee retention. Employees are more likely to stay at an organisation they enjoy going to work for every day and feel treats them well. Again, the encouragement of ‘humanness’ within an office helps to promote this.

Team lunches can help your employees feel better connected to their team and see how they add value to their organisation. It also prevents them from feeling like ‘cogs in a machine’ and instead sense that their wellbeing is being valued. Plus, by setting an example and making a point of having lunch away from their desks, leaders and managers can actively promote the importance of employee wellbeing to their people.

By prioritising a lunch break with employees, you will be showing that you prioritise their wellbeing too 🌱