![34% of employed US Adults work through lunch "often" [OC]](https://www.byteseu.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/81avso4ywj3f1-1536x992.png "34% of employed US Adults work through lunch “often” [OC]")
Nearly two-thirds of employed US Adults say they work through lunch at least "sometimes." "Professional/Manager" employees are more than twice as likely as "Craftsman/Laborer/Farm" employees to eat through lunch "often."
Data Source: CivicScience InsightStore
Visualization: Infogram
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Posted by CivicScienceInsights
28 Comments
I work through lunch everyday. I don’t want to be at work any longer than I have to
When it’s either leave 30 minutes later or work through lunch, I’m working through lunch every time. Work gets enough of my free time with commuting. I’ll be damned to give it anymore
The idea of an 8 hour workday including lunch is largely dead, at least outside of some trades. I’ve rarely ever encountered it among white-collar jobs. Normally, it’s 8 hours excluding lunch. With an hour for lunch, that means 9 hours.
At my job, I can work and eat at the same time. By not taking a significant break for lunch, I can do 8 hours of work in 8 hours and be done. A mid-day hour-long break would be nice, but an 8 hour day rather than a 9 hour one is nicer.
Arrive 2 hours early, work through lunch —> leave early afternoon to eat my first meal at home. Power myself with tea throughout the morning
White collar workers have been accultured to respond this way, and its true they often do work at lunch, but they also screw around on their computers for other significant portions of the work day.
Craft/Labor are more likely to be hourly wage jobs, even when high paid. Factory and even jobsite environments have a better culture for respecting the paid breaks.
Wage theft is the most prevalent theft in the country. Corporations stealing from employees is so common, people genuinely don’t give a shit.
What am I gonna do, sit in my car alone for 30 minutes?
I’m required to clock out for 30 mins for lunch, and they give us an additional 30 mins down time while clocked in. I combine that into and hour where I can run home, lie down, take off my shoes and relax for 35-40 mins then head back in. I *never* remain at the office for lunch, I have to have that break. Self-care is king
As a manager who works with people across 7 timezones — yeah, there’s no lunch hour.
I wonder what on earth does “continue working while eating lunch” look like as a homemaker? Just skipping lunch altogether?
Interesting. I almost always eat at my desk while working – though I’ll take it a little easier while eating.
I have a white-collar job work from home. I find it really difficult to remain productive in the afternoons. Additionally I’m so inertia-based that once I stop working, it’s super hard for me to get back into the rhythm. So I frontload my workday, try to get all of my difficult and brainpower-intensive tasks done early, then by mid-afternoon when I’m out of steam anyway, I can rest a little easier knowing I’ve done 90% of my work for the day. I still keep working, but that means keeping an eye on emails and doing the lighter tasks.
I’m eating my lunch at my desk while I read this thread. My lunch will be about 10 minutes then back to work
(White collar salary job).
But every day is not like this. Some days I’ll go out to a 1-2 hour lunch with friends. Figure it all evens out at the end of the year.
I can’t believe nurses/healthcare workers aren’t even on here. Maybe it’s cause I work in the field and am a bit myopic over it but a lot of docs/nurses — especially in the emergency dept — don’t take any break at all.
LMAO I’m eating lunch at my desk while I read this.
white collar / tech.
Often work through ‘Lunch’ which would be 12P-1P either by choice, or because I have meetings that occur during this time. I’m on the west coast. Direct manager is in mountain time. Most of our team is east coast.
Big change from pre-covid is that teams are spread out through the country. And with that, meetings will often go through your lunch period.
Same time, no one cares what you do or when you do it so long as you show up for meetings and your work is completed. I can take a lunch at 1. At 2. Or none at all and be finished with work at 3 or 4. I can start work at 6:30AM or I can start at 9AM.
I will take a lunch with coworkers time to time when we all happen to be free at the same time. But it is not the norm anymore. And I don’t mind.
Emergency vet med.. our shifts are 12 hours long, no breaks. You eat when you can.
I do, pretty often. Usually just casually, skimming through emails while watching youtube or something. Sometimes doing stuff that requires a bit more attention. My work doesn’t stop just because i’m on lunch, if i don’t do it i just have to do it later so why not do it during the one hour no one is going to fucking bother me lol. Sure as hell not gonna do it after hours.
I dont take a lunch. I go home earlier. It is much easier to accomplish tasks without a 60 timer looming over your head.
I don’t even have lunch now. I’d just eat a snack bar usually.
I’m in the “only in emergencies” category — I enjoy my lunch breaks. Sometimes I bring my lunch to the park near my office and read a book, sometimes I do a crossword with my coworkers, sometimes I just go for a long stroll if it’s nice outside. I find it refreshes me to get outside or just get my mind off work for a while.
“Please note homemaker is not allowed because it is not real work, that is why you don’t get paid for it” – The Simpsons
American workplaces usually don’t have a cafeteria or canteen. They can be distant from any restaurants or city centers. Your desk can be the most comfortable place to eat and relax.
Does every day count as often?
Well my job consists largely of sitting at a desk, often idly clicking and scrolling through windows in search of inspiration. So ya, I can do that while I am munching. When I do take breaks, I use them to walk around or maybe do some pushups or something. I don’t imagine I would want to do that if I were a laborer.
Worth noting that “working through lunch” is pretty dependent on what you do, and what you consider work.
For example… a dentist or electrician probably can’t at all, even if they wanted to?
But a lot of office workers? Sure they can pretty easily, especially if they consider “catching up on emails and sending a few messages” work.
Eh, checking emails and teams chat while eating lunch is whatever.
I get that it represents some precepts of the population, but homemaker is a weird ass category of any to add…
They added this but not emergency service workers? 🤔
I made myself stop because remote days kill that separation for you. office days it’s incredibly easy to disconnect because there’s no point to being in the office