A report has stated that millions of pounds are being lost by firms due to their staff not taking enough breaks while at work.

Research by health company Bupa showed that a third of employees felt pressured by managers to stay at their desk all day, while half said they were too busy to stop work.

About 1000 workers stated that their productivity levels took a dip, especially in the afternoon, and this made the effect of not taking a break very important.

Bupa's clinical director of occupational health, Jenny Leeser, said, “In challenging economic times, the UK workforce is in overdrive and the lunch break is falling by the wayside. Instead of taking a break to refuel, workers are using props including chocolates and sweets and caffeinated drinks can lead to worse things.”

It was added that in order to keep the productivity levels high, enough breaks should be taken by employees and that too at regular intervals.

One out of five employees agreed that if they were made to work through their lunch break, they became more irritated and stressed out because resting and feeling light was important to work in order to yield good results.