Working Eats Away at Power Lunches

More and more, workers are passing up the so-called power lunches outside the office and brown-bagging it at their desks or in the company cafeteria.

A recent survey by Datamonitor, a New York-based workplace research firm, showed more than 45% of workers tote packed lunches from home at least once a week, and a full 20% do so every day.

The survey attributes the results to busier work schedules that leave little time for lunches outside. In fact, nearly a third of the 1,022 survey respondents said they skip the meal altogether, and 11% said they do without at least once a week. These workers are either working through the break or using the time to run errands.

At Sonnet Technologies in Irvine, many employees are settling down with food from home in the company’s sunny lunchroom.

“I’d say a good 40% of our employees are now bringing their lunches from home and enjoying them right here in the building, even though there’s plenty of restaurants nearby,” said Roger Souci, Sonnet’s human resources director. “I do it myself more like 60% of the time.”

But most of Sonnet’s 60 employees take full advantage of their lunches, and many happily trade dining out for staying in, Souci said. The company’s lunchroom sports microwaves, comfortable tables and chairs, vending machines and a pleasant view of surrounding strawberry fields.

“I think it’s the setting more than anything,” Souci said. “It’s just a very cozy room where people can eat comfort food in a relaxing environment.”