26 July,2011 08:54 AM IST | | Special Feature
The typical eight-hour working day can be a drag for anyone. In fact, studies have shown that employees who are glued to their desk all day long are not only less healthy, but also less productive than those who take breaks after a few hours of work. Most office work involves the use of your mental faculties, and they're bound to tire after a while. So, employees take official and unofficial breaks to recharge themselves.
A cup of coffee
This type of break is fairly common to most organisations and while employees does not necessarily partake coffee, it refers to any tenminutes break a person takes during the day. The number of coffee breaks is not usually monitored; but they're two-three in a day, typically in the morning and evening.
It's lunch-time
The lunch break is a mandatory feature in any workplace. Normally limited to half an hour, the lunch break is sometimes stretched to a hour or so. Moreover, when lunch is combined with a business meeting, it requires a person to travel out of the office premises. Then, the lunch break extends to a few hours.
Catch a fag
Most organisations have a 'no smoking' in the office policy. So employees who smoke are allowed to go onto the office terrace or out of the office to smoke. What is seen most often is that even colleagues who don't smoke follow those who do on these breaks for a bit of informal socialising.u00a0u00a0
Stretch it out
Companies are waking up to the fact that employees need to get out of their sedentary state during the working hours. Some have gyms or even game rooms where employees can stretch out their muscles. Else, even if these facilities are not there, most workers do take a small walk either inside or outside the office or do a few stretch exercises at their desk. Some even meditate to bring back their focus on the task at hand.
Restroom relaxation
Yes, using the toilet is also considered a break and by far is the most common break that employees take. Even just splashing water on your face at intervals can do wonders to refresh and energise you.
Online break
When internet access is freely available, employees do take time out to check on personal emails or update their status on social networking sites. When important sports events are on, like cricket matches, football or tennis, surreptitious checking of the score or tuning in to see the final play is not uncommon either. After all, 'all work and no break' will make the employee a dull, unproductive dud!
