I dagens samhälle är vi aktiva dygnet runt både gällande fritid och arbete. Detta innebär att det måste finnas tillgänglig arbetskraft under dygnets alla timmar, vilket medför stor påfrestning på arbetstagares biologiska dygnsrytm. De oregelbundna arbetstiderna kan inverka negativt på arbetstagarens både fysiska och psykiska hälsa. Företag kan tillsammans med lokala fackföreningar förhandla bort den lagstadgade matrasten och ersatta den med ett måltidsuppehåll vilket innebär att det ingår i arbetstiden och får nyttjas i mån av tid. Syftet med denna studie var att kartlägga de uppfattningar som arbetstagare i roterande 3-skift vid en processindustri har om måltidsuppehållet, var och när deras måltidsuppehåll tar plats och vad de äter och dricker. 15 skiftarbetare har under 6 arbetsskift vardera, fotodokumenterat vad deras födointag under måltidsuppehåll bestod av. Dessa kategoriserades genom Food-based Classification of Eating Episodes. Fotografierna visade att totala antalet ät-tillfällen var lägre under nattskiftet i jämförelse med andra skift. Skiftarbetarna intervjuades och deras utsagor genomgick en fenomenografisk analys där det framkom att deras uppfattningar om måltidsuppehållet är att det är en social tillställning som stärker gruppgemenskapen. När arbetstagarna äter en måltid sitter de oftast vid matbordet och då ”ställer man upp för varandra” så att måltiden skall kunna slutföras. Om det gäller ett mellanmål kan intaget ske vid arbetsplatsen och om något händer får de bryta och arbeta. Vidare studier behövs för att verifiera uppfattningar i andra arbetsgrupper. / In today´s society, we are active day and nights, both in leisure time and at work. This means that employees must be available at work 24-hours a day which inflict high strain on their circadian rhythms. The irregular working hours can affect negatively on the employee’s physical and mental health. Companies can, together with local unions, negotiate away the statutory dinner break and replace it with meal break, which means that it is included in working hours and should be used as time permits. The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of workers in rotating 3-shift, in a process industry, when and where their meal breaks take place and what they ate. 15 shift workers have during 6 shifts each, photo-documented what their meal breaks consisted of. Consumption of foods and beverages were categorized by Food-Based Classification of Eating Episodes. The photographs showed that the number of eating occasions was lower during the night shift in comparison to other shifts. Shift workers were interviewed and their statements underwent a phenomenographical analysis which revealed that their perception of the meal break is a social event as well that strengthens the group community. When the workers were having a meal, it is mostly occurred at the dinner table. The shift workers replaced each other so each one had the possibility to take a meal break. Regarding snack intakes, it could occur at their workplace and if something happened in the process, they could immediately return to work. Further studies are needed to verify the perceptions of other working groups.

Work breaks during an individual's shift can be a powerful motivational tool for management; however, not all individuals receive breaks during their shifts. The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study was to explore how work breaks affect employee morale and satisfaction in the casual and fine dining restaurant industry. The questions explored in this study were related to the breaks effect employee satisfaction and morale in the casual and fine dining restaurant industry. Thirteen participants with a minimum of 5 years' experience as wait staff who worked more than 6 hours per day were interviewed using semi structured interviews. The results were analyzed using a modified version of van Kaam's method and MAXqda software. The results suggested that breaks did not directly affect employee satisfaction and morale; however, management style directly affected employee satisfaction and morale. The results from this study may help managers have a better understanding of how their interactions and dealings with employees affect employee satisfaction and morale. This research may spur a field-changing management training, which could promote positive social change for employees.