A third of Brits use tea and coffee breaks to battle boredom at work

A third of Brits use tea and coffee breaks to battle boredom at work (whilst a fifth of us use cuppas to creep to the boss)

In a recent survey conducted by ActionAid, it was found that one third of UK office workers take tea and coffee breaks at work to alleviate boredom, whilst one in five of us admit to making more tea and coffee to climb the career ladder.

The poll, examining the tea and coffee habits of the nation ahead of the charity’s 24 Hour Tea and Coffee Break on 28 February, revealed that nearly 35% of British workers rely on nipping off for a quick cuppa to get away from the daily grind.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, this number increased dramatically amongst employees working within HR and sales roles – with almost 70% needing the breaks to keep them going throughout the day.

The poll also revealed that one in five of us use tea and coffee breaks as a way to socialise and bond with colleagues, whilst the same number deliberately make more tea and coffee just to get the attention of the boss and advance their career prospects.

ActionAid’s 24 Hour Tea and Coffee Break will take place on Friday 29 February as part of Fairtrade Fortnight. We're asking people all over the nation to hold their own fair-trade tea and coffee breaks to raise awareness and money to tackle the inequalities suffered by farmers in the developing world.

Through education, training and helping them fight for better pay and conditions, ActionAid works to transform farmers lives for the better.

Andy John, ActionAid's 24 Hour Tea & Coffee Break spokesperson, said: "We are definitely a nation of tea and coffee lovers. On Friday 29 February, use ActionAid’s 24 Tea and Coffee Break as an excuse to organise your own event and raise money for a good cause.

"By (boiling the kettle and) asking friends and colleagues to pay for the privilege of a fair trade cuppa you will be helping farmers in some of the poorest parts of the world to end their own poverty in a way that will have a lasting impact for generations."

The survey also showed that Britons are increasingly aware of issues such as fair trade, with one in three of us concerned about where and how our coffee and tea is sourced. Other main findings in the poll include:

• Sheffield is the tea capital of the UK, with one in three inhabitants of both cities drinking over six cups of tea a day.
• London office workers are the biggest gossipers over their tea and coffee breaks than anywhere else in the UK
• Most office workers personalise their work space with a tea or coffee mug- more than photographs or other personal items.