As a self-employed professional, your time is money as you’re typically paid a fixed daily rate which is more competitive than those who are permanently employed – but what does this mean for your lunchtime commitments?
Research conducted by Metro Bank shows that over one million self-employed don’t take a lunch break, with one fifth (21%) taking just 20 minutes or less. If your work life demands concentration, taking a lunch break can rejuvenate the body, both physically and mentally, which can typically improve productivity.
Psychologist and author of The Anxiety Journal, Corinne Sweet said:
“In our frantic 24/7 life today, it is absolutely essential for Brits’ health and mental well-being to take a break and get out into the light and fresh air, no matter what. Employers need to encourage daily ‘sanity breaks’ and a real effort has to be made to go against the culture of being tied to the desk.”
“Productivity goes up when employees take a break. This is equally important for the self-employed, who may get much-needed social contact or physical exercise, by going out of the house for a brief break at lunchtime.”
The Self-Employed Perspective
The high street Bank also found that although many don’t take a lunch break, the self-employed are x3 more likely to feel relaxed with tasks relating to working life, compared to their employed counterparts.
The survey found that the attitudes of the self-employed varied to those who are employed as 13% feel the pressure to be productive over lunch time, compared to 7% of salaried workers.
When flexible workers take a lunch break, 10% prefer to take up physical exercise such as walking, whereas just 7% of employed workers like to.
Iain Kirkpatrick, managing director of retail banking at Metro Bank said:”Gone are the days when an hour’s break was the norm. Although taking time out is essential to a healthy work-life balance, we know that pressures and workloads can often dictate otherwise.”
Being self-employed caters for a greater level of autonomy, freedom, and independence which makes it one of the fastest growing employment types.
An IPSE report recently found that since 2008, there has been a 59% rise in the number of freelancers in Greater London, and counting – showing that the freedom of being your own boss is a factor which appeals to a growing number.
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