A study by a money saving website found that over a third of workers in the UK have to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at work at least twice a week.

The team at www.VoucherCodesPro.co.uk conducted the research as part of an ongoing study into the average working day. A total of 2,015 UK-based workers aged 18 and over, all of whom stated they were in full-time work, were quizzed about their average working week. Respondents polled in the study were from a wide variety of professions.

Initially all respondents were asked how often they found themselves working unpaid overtime in order to complete their assigned work. 87 per cent, the majority, stated they worked over their working hours ‘very frequently- at least once a week’. Following on from this, participants were asked if this overtime was voluntary; 61 per cent told researchers it was, whilst the remaining 39 per cent admitted they felt pressured by their employers or manager to work the extra, unpaid, hours.

Researchers then asked ‘Roughly how much overtime do you work in a typical week?’ The collated results showed that the average worker worked 12 hours more than they were contracted too. All respondents were then asked ‘Do you often have to eat meals at work?’ to which over one third (34 per cent) confessed that they consume all three of their meals within their work environment around twice per week.

Finally, to find which profession found themselves eating all three meals the most often at work, participants were asked to provide which sector they worked in. The following emerged as the top 5:

Spokesperson George Charles said: “There is such a thing as too much work; and when you find yourself eating breakfast, lunch AND dinner at your workplace, it should probably be a warning sign that you’re pushing yourself too hard. I am all for voluntary overtime on occasion in order to prove to employers how motivated and dedicated to your career you are, but when you begin to have no time for yourself or a social life that’s just not okay.

“Some professions obviously do call for longer hours such as doctors, but this is why we have to treat them with the upmost respect. Eating all three of your meals in a massive rush while standing up or sitting at your desk isn’t healthy or fun.”