Source: Deliveroo Singapore

The pandemic has inevitably given rise to poor lunch habits as more people work from home, blurring the boundaries between work and family life, resulting in a yearning for social lunches with colleagues

According to a survey conducted by award-winning food delivery platform Deliveroo on 1,004 office workers in Singapore, over 80 per cent of respondents expressed they would like to eat together more with their colleagues, with just over three in four (76 per cent) stating they would like to do so to bond and get to know each other better.

The desire to form a social connection with colleagues beyond work amid COVID-19 has hence resulted in an increase of individuals and team leads organising virtual team lunches over video or Zoom.

The commissioned survey conducted by Censuswide also revealed that almost half (49 per cent) of respondents eat alone at work and are never fully switched off as they perform work tasks during their lunchtime.

Additionally, employees are apparently not maximising their lunch breaks, with just under a fifth (17 per cent) of them taking their full allotted break time.

Types of food that office workers want for social lunches

Among office workers in Singapore, local hawker fare came in first (37 per cent) as the most social meal to eat or drink in the office, followed by drinks such as coffee, tea, or juices (31 per cent), and small bites and sides (26 per cent).

Alcohol was voted the least social meal to consume at the workplace.

The key role food plays in building a productive and happier team dynamic

The survey suggested a positive correlation between eating together, higher team performance, and engaged and satisfied employees.

73 per cent of office workers agreed that teams are happier and more productive after eating lunch together, and slightly over a third (37 per cent) of respondents admitted they worked harder after eating with their colleagues.

The survey also unveiled that almost three in five (59 per cent) respondents expect their companies to order and organise team lunches. Close to three in four (72 per cent) staff claimed that they would feel more loyal to their company if they arranged for their favourite foods to be available.

Deliveroo launches ‘Group Orders’ to improve organisation of food orders in workplace

To meet such a demand, Deliveroo for Business (DfB) – the corporate arm of Deliveroo – has launched ‘Group Orders’, a new order modality to facilitate and improve the organisation of food orders in the workplace.

The new feature enables users to group individual orders from different people and multiple devices to the same restaurant, allowing employees to order in from their favourite restaurants with a single delivery fee, and eat as a team while adhering to safe distancing measures in the workplace.

“This new survey reveals that food remains a social glue in today’s workplace and is a key element in building a team of productive and engaged staff. The ongoing pandemic has forced us to reevaluate the way we live and work, and DfB is dedicated to innovating its offerings to deliver an amazing food delivery experience for everyone, whether they are working from home or in the office,” said Jeanette Smerin, Head of Deliveroo for Business, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

“We believe the new Group Order feature will help employees reconnect with their colleagues over a meal as they head back to the workplace,” she added.

Subscribe
Notify of
2 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Ducati launch: Lorenzo and Dovizioso’s Desmosedici

Dropcap the popularization of the “ideal measure” has led to advice such…

Hyflux: creditors to file proofs of claim by 5 Feb ahead of scheme meetings

On Thursday (9 Jan), for the upcoming scheme meeting with the UAE…

GIC-backed PRC coffee chain filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in New York

News emerged yesterday (5 Feb) that embattled Chinese coffee chain Luckin Coffee…

Apple hit with $14.5 billion (S$19.78 billion) Irish tax by EU

Just this Tuesday (30 August), the European Commission (EC) ordered Apple Inc. to…