If you are a blue-collar employee living in the United States, you may be used to half-hour lunch breaks. For white-collar employees, hour-long lunch breaks are the norm. So it may be shocking to hear how other countries treat their employees when it comes to lunch breaks. These countries would be shocked to hear that we often rush our lunch or eat at our desks! Read on to find out how things work in other areas of the world.
Greece & Spain: three-hour lunch breaks
Yes, you read that right. However, a three-hour lunch break is the result of traditional meal times in Greece. Lunch is considered to be the biggest meal out of all three. That means that more time is needed to fit it all in. Most workers in Greece go home for their lunch break to eat and nap- wouldn’t that be lovely? They then get back to work around the same time Americans start heading home. By then, they are well-rested and ready to get back to the grind.
Spain is another company that gives employees a long lunch break, usually between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Employees then go back to work for about three hours before they quit for the day. There is a practical reason for these hours that doesn’t revolve around nap time. Spaniards take off during these hours because this is when the weather is the hottest, which can cause productivity to drop significantly. Spaniards still hold to this tradition today.
China, France, Brazil & Italy: Two-hour lunch breaks
China employees typically take lunch between noon and 2 p.m. They start with lunch and then use the rest of their break for a nap. The idea is to give employees a power nap to increase productivity on the job. Some China factories even provide workers a place to nap for 30 minutes or less; this way, no one has to leave the job site if they don’t want to.
France is another country that provides employees with a longer lunch break than the U.S. Shop owners in France often shut their stores down between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., even when the streets are bustling with shoppers. This long lunch break is given to working adults and school kids alike. According to a recent survey, about 43% of French employees take about 45 minutes to eat their lunch during their break. This is the highest percentage out of 14 countries in the survey.
Many Brazilian workers maximize their already long lunch break by scheduling a meeting before 11 a.m., out of their office. From there, they enjoy a two-hour lunch break. Dinner starts later in the evening in Brazil, so they have plenty of time to work after they head back from their break.
Italy also offers employees the chance to unwind and take it slow during lunch. In this beautiful country, employees can head out and enjoy a long lunch without fear of getting fired. We all know that wouldn’t happen in the United States!
