November 26, 2007
After a full English breakfast this morning, followed by two rounds of toast, another pot of tea and a danish pastry, Guru started his working day by checking his emails. The first one he read told him that the UK loses £8.1bn each year through lost productivity due to people skipping breakfast.
Apparently, 17% of office workers never eat breakfast before work, while a further 17% have breakfast between one and three times a week. Guru wondered whether 17% was the meaning of life, and whether the firm behind the survey, ‘food services provider’ BaxterStorey, had eaten its porridge before deciding to conduct such a survey.
“Given that as a nation our understanding of food and nutrition grows daily, and that breakfast is considered so important, we’re shocked and surprised at these findings,” said a shocked and surprised BaxterStorey chief executive Alastair Storey, tucking into some pop tarts.
Well, thought Guru, they can’t have it both ways. If skipping breakfast reduces productivity, then having double helpings must increase it. Yours Truly reckons he must be one of the most productive men on the planet, and made this scientific argument very clearly to Mrs Guru when she tried to clear the table at an unearthly 11am this morning.
The message for HR professionals is clear. Eat lots of toast in the morning, then come in and make sure all your staff are eating lots of toast, then conduct surveys making sure 17% comes up at least twice, and your business will be successful. And - which is more - you’ll be a fat man, my son.
Comments (1)
Those people missing breakfast - Do they all working in retail and are rushing to work to complete their NVQ in bra fitting??
Posted by Disciple Neil | November 29, 2007 1:44 PM
Posted on November 29, 2007 13:44