A survey conducted in 14 countries with 2,500 employees reveals that the French are the ones who take the most time for lunch.
For French employees, it is neither the conviviality nor the convenience that takes precedence in an ideal meal, it is the food. The French company specializing in prepaid service vouchers, Edenred, has just published a investigation on the eating habits of employees in 14 countries. 2,478 volunteers, 46% men and 54% women, answered the questionnaire between June 2013 and December 2015.
Restaurant for one, takeaway for others
French employees like to take their time to eat. According to the survey, 77% of them allow themselves more than half an hour for their lunch break. They come out on top with the Mexicans. France is far ahead of Belgium where only half of the employees take more than thirty minutes to take their meals. But those who sacrifice the lunch break the most are the Greeks: more than 9 out of 10 eat lunch in less than half an hour.
Taking your time also depends on where you eat. The restaurant remains a place that is far from being shunned by employees, especially in Brazil. 86% of them go there at least once a week and 76% for the French. Even if more than half of the people questioned prefer to have their lunch at the restaurant, the employees of the Anglo-Saxon countries favor the lunch-boxes, or take-away meals. They are 81% in this case in the USA and 64% in the United Kingdom.
A moment of relaxation and sharing
When it comes to the ideal meal, each country has its idea. The French prefer a balanced meal, but also homemade and especially made of meat. Americans prefer a healthy, sweet and substantial breakfast. The people of the United Kingdom favor an affordable, tasty and vegetable-based meal. On the other hand, in addition to combining fresh and balanced foods, our Belgian neighbors are the only Europeans to stress the importance of having lunch in good company.
All the people questioned first choose the place for their lunch, taking into account the geographical proximity. They also take into account the speed of the service as well as the price.
In addition, 4 out of 10 employees see lunch as a moment of relaxation and sharing, a third see it as a physiological need, and only 16% as a moment of pleasure.
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