8 minute read
From Where I Stand
Let’s talk turkey. More accurately, let’s talk turkey I got the job at ILCA, I was eating so high on the hog, I could sandwiches. One of the subtle finds of ILCA’s Latinos and afford Progresso Soup. Americanos task force was the difference in how each culture Over time, I just stopped eating lunch altogether. I’d be approaches lunch. Any landscape manager or supervisor can lucky to wolf down a bag of pretzels or peanuts in between attest that a lunch break on a job site among a crew of Latinos meetings or obligations. I’d drink coffee and smack gum to satiis a lot different than what you’d find among ate the hunger. I’m not sure any of this made domestic workers. Latino lunch breaks are me happy. It made me feel productive and hardcommunal and social. Food is prepared and working, but I can’t say it has improved my shared among all. The workers find a shady work day. I have become like millions of other spot where they can sit and enjoy their meals Americans who work right through our lunch out of the sun. The lunch break is stretched breaks in the name of productivity and effifor the complete time. No one rushes back to ciency. We are probably a few years away from work. Most importantly, work is rarely dis- nibbling seed bells dangling over our heads. cussed. Sounds like a little slice of heaven, Often times, we decry change and romantidoesn’t it? cize the past. We will shake our fist and blame
The American lunch hour is close to being our employers or culture for robbing us of put on the endangered species list. In fact, extended lunch breaks. However, is it actually even calling it a “lunch hour” is a misnomer. our fault? Do we not take lunch because we feel There is no federal law that stipulates lunch the pressure of the American workday or do we breaks, states regulate them. In Illinois, the not take lunch because we simply enjoy mindonly stipulation is that a 30-minute break is lessly scrolling the internet or flipping through reserved for employees who work more than our phones for 15 minutes? Americans do most 7.5 hours and that break cannot occur more Let’s Do everything quickly and efficiently, why should than five hours after the employee’s start time. our lunch breaks be any different? Oh, and fresh water has to be provided. Those Lunch Instead of trying to determine how we got sound more like the conditions of a Dickensian here, maybe it’s better to determine if we want workhouse than an office full of professionals. to stay here. I can bore you with history lessons
Everyone complains about young people about how the “quick lunch” started in major being buried in their computers and phones, but metropolitan areas as a way to stay fueled that is exactly what many American do on their meal breaks. for arduous days. Prior to the 1900s, lunch breaks weren’t This stems from the individualistic vs. communal cultural dif- really a thing. In fact, lunch itself was not a central meal. Most ferences between Americans and Latinos. Americans enjoy the Americans, especially farmers and homesteaders, subsided on short break to focus on themselves. Latinos enjoy the longer breakfast with a large supper. Lunch was defined as all the food break to recharge and deepen the relationships so vital to crew you could fit in one hand. That changed as more professionals dynamics. In fact, many Americans, if they even take a lunch commuted to big cities. Work days grew longer and more regibreak, use that time to run personal errands rather than stop mented. Time was money. and enjoy a decent meal. Sixty percent of professionals eat lunch at their desks. 88%
I used to work in Park Ridge. Just up the street from of bosses think their employees would say they are encouraged Lurvey’s in Des Plaines was a restaurant called Anderson’s to take a lunch when only 62% of employees feel this way. 63% Charhouse. It was in a strip mall across from Maine East High said they are more productive if they take a lunch break. Sadly, School. Sadly, I think it is long closed down. When I was 22% of bosses look down on employees who pause for lunch. working, they had a $3.99 lunch special that came with two These numbers help explain how we wound up here. pork chops, rice, vegetables, soup, and fresh baked bread. I There is a blog called saddesklunch.com. It allows working was usually the youngest person in the restaurant by 30 years. professionals to snap photos of their pathetic desk lunches and
I used to take my full lunch hour. I would sit at the bar, eat post them to a blog. I am not sure if this is meant to be ironic, a my two pork chops with a black coffee, and watch the Jerry badge of honor, or a case of misery loving company. The photos Springer Show or whatever else the TV was tuned to. I spoke range from sad sandwiches to cat food-looking Lean Cuisines to no one. I had no phone to occupy my attention or pull me to ramen noodles made in a coffee pot. The photos could be back to work. I just sat and enjoyed a meal in silence. My only from any office in America, cluttered desks, spreadsheets on the conversational partner was the bartender who knew my order screen, and bacteria-covered keyboards sprinkled with crumbs. the second I walked in the door. I was happy. These are hardly the enchiladas and Mexican rice being enjoyed
Over time, my lunch habits began to change. I became like among coworkers under the dappled canopy of a honey locust. every other American worker. If I could find the time, I sat at One of the takeaways of our Latinos and Americanos trainmy desk and threw food down my throat as quick as I could. ing is that employers should not mess with the lunch breaks Famously, I had a bowl of soup every single day for lunch. I of their Latino field workers. Instead, these gatherings should started with 20 cent bags of Ramen noodles to which I would be supported and encouraged. We even recommend educating add Jamaican hot sauce. Over time, as my economic conditions clients about the importance of lunch breaks for workers on improved, I was able to buy Campbell’s Soup. Finally, when the client’s property. These breaks are about camaraderie and
ALL TOGETHER BETTER
increasing productivity and not indicators of laziness or wasting time. The benefits of these collectivist gatherings on morale cannot be understated. Could employers zap a few more man-hours out of those crews by coming down hard on lunch breaks? Sure, but do it at your own peril. Camaraderie and cohesion are vital to Latino field staff.
The question becomes, are they vital to American workers too? Have we simply grown accustomed to our sad desk/car lunches (or no lunches) without stopping to question if they are ultimately fulfilling. We all agree that maintaining a healthy and happy workplace is important, but that buries the lead. The most important aspect is employee retention. It must be determined if encouraging American workers to take a proper lunch break, complete with a meal, and dare I say it, polite socialization will increase job satisfaction and retention. There is more nourishment in our lunches than we want to believe.
Thankfully, there is one profession in American life where eating together is still revered. No, it is not prisoners. The communal meal is still vital to firefighters. Researchers at Cornell University set out to determine if firefighters get any type of additional benefit to eating together outside of full bellies. Firefighters are not highly paid and work long and difficult hours.
The researchers visited 13 firehouses and surveyed 395 firefighters to determine if shared meals make them better employees. The results were startling. Cooperative behavior was twice as high among firefighters who cooked and dined together. All approached roles in the firehouse better and more cooperatively than colleagues who ate alone. The social aspects of dining together increased satisfaction and work productivity.
I am not going to heap on a bunch of guidance and advice. I still can’t fathom returning to a world of daily Progresso Soup or double pork chop lunches. I will only make one recommendation. June 17, 2022 is National Take Back the Lunch Break Day. I encourage every American worker to give it a try. Here is the catch. Don’t turn this into a party that takes half the day. This is not about celebrating the lunch break, only normalizing it. Simply go out and get some lunch. You can do it alone or by yourself. Make it a clean break and use every second of your lunchtime. Do not look at a single work text or email. If you head out with coworkers, engage with the people you are with and don’t talk about work. It is called a “lunch break” for a reason. Eat lunch and break. It’s that simple. If you enjoy yourself, schedule another one next month. Then, maybe every other week.
When you return to work that afternoon, check your mood. How is your productivity? Are you already looking forward to the next lunch break? Are you more or less stressed as a result of recalibrating your brain and raising your blood sugar? If so, it’s probably worth trying again. If you wake up five hours later, to a darkened office, face down on your keyboard with drool running down your chin, you may want to go easy on the carbs next time. Bon appétit.
Sincerely,
Scott Grams Executive Director April 19, 2022
