Almost half of Gen Zers skip lunch twice or more per week, despite saying it’s the best part of their workday—and they’re four times as likely as boomers to feel guilty about those few and far between breaks. 

In comparison, just 18% of boomers skip lunch twice or more per week, the least of any age group. Millennials and Gen X fall in the middle, at 38% and 27% respectively.

Those figures come from corporate catering tech firm ezCater’s third annual Lunch Report, released last week, which assessed the lunch habits of 5,000 workers.

It’s not for lack of trying

Even though pretty much all employees know how crucial a lunch break is for productivity, half of them admit to routinely skipping lunch at least once a week, even when they don’t want to.

Workers told ezCater that they’re concerned they won’t get all their work done if they step away from the desk. 

Some say their calendars are too full with meetings to carve out time for lunch, and others would simply rather finish work and head for the door early than break at noon. 

What’s more, even when Gen Zers dutifully block out time on their calendar each day to grab a bite, they often end up working right through the block—or attending a meeting that a superior put in that window without much regard. 

Then there’s the actual cost of lunch to consider—and lingering pandemic-era habits. 

Pandemic-era woes

Perhaps the divide between older workers—who consistently break for lunch—and new workforce entrants—who often eschew it—stems from the pandemic, as so many modern workplace trends do.  

When everyone was working remotely, it was par for the course to simply walk to the kitchen and prepare lunch and then eat it at one’s desk. Now, back in offices, the whole affair is more of a production, and for the youngest workers whose introduction to corporate life coincided with the pandemic, the shift is proving difficult to execute. 

That’s where the boss comes in: It’s critical for leadership to encourage workers of all ages to unplug for some time so they don’t get overworked—and potentially burnt out. 

“Lunch breaks are often sacrificed due to tight schedules, but they can play a major role in bringing people together and improving employee well-being,” Kaushik Subramanian, ezCater’s chief revenue officer, wrote in a statement. “Organizations can be intentional in encouraging employees to take a break, and bringing in lunch is a great way to do that.”

Inflated prices can make you lose your appetite

That’s to say nothing of the impact of inflation. Nearly 4 in 5 employees told ezCater that skyrocketing costs have thrown a wrench into their lunch habits. Nearly a third say they’ve been purchasing fewer meals as a result. 

This is an opportunity for another easy employer win: Offering free lunch. Nearly 60% of hybrid workers say an employee-sponsored lunch would move them to come in more often.

Meanwhile, nearly 70% of millennials and 60% of Gen Z would be willing to show face in the office for 3 or more days a week if lunch was provided.

“Providing lunch to employees not only prevents them from skipping meals and burning out, it also makes a sizable impact on their wallets,” Subramanian wrote. “Whether companies subsidize some or all of the food cost, it is a workplace perk that will pay dividends in employee productivity and loyalty.”

That’s a win-win for everyone.