Forbes reports the following statistics:

• 20% of North American workers worry their bosses won’t think they are hardworking if they take regular lunch breaks.
• 13% worry their co-workers will judge them.
• 38% of employees don’t feel encouraged to take a lunch break.
• 22% of North American bosses say that employees who take a regular lunch break are less hardworking.

Creating an environment where lunch is encouraged, especially when it encourages engagement is a great way to improve your teams, customer relationships, and overall employee wellbeing.

Here are a few ideas to get your teams engaged over lunch

• Send employees gift cards for lunch – Let them choose their lunch partner(s)
• Encourage managers to initiate team lunches without expense report hassles
• Schedule a virtual lunch with customers or partners
• Require employees to have lunch with someone in the organization they don’t know
• Give the flexibility to have lunch either virtually or in-person – match employees’ comfort levels

Here are a few reasons why may want to encourage your team to take a lunch break :

• It boosts productivity. Although it may seem like they are losing time, employees can often gain focus by taking a break and engaging with others. Letting your brain rest for a bit helps recharge creative abilities and prevent that dreaded mid-afternoon slump.
• It creates stronger relationships between coworkers. Inviting your colleagues to grab a bite to eat with each other builds friendships among coworkers that boost productivity and makes employees feel a stronger connection with each other making them less likely to quit their jobs.
• Long meetings or exhaustive conversations with coworkers without a personal component reduce the willingness to work together for the common good. Taking lunch to recharge with fellow employees allows them to return to the meeting or conversation with less stress or anxiety which leads to better outcomes.