One in four people put their health at risk by refusing to take a break at work, a leading organisation of professionals in physiotherapy jobs has warned.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy recently published a survey of over 2,600 adults in full time employment, which revealed that one in four people do not take a break for lunch and work uninterrupted for the full working day.  According to the survey this was mainly because they either had too much work or there was too few staff in their organisation to cover the current workload.

The CSP says that this pressure, coupled with the lack of exercise and activity in many office jobs, poses "serious risks" to employee health and potentially huge costs for employers in the long term. Over half of those surveyed said that they struggled into work even when they felt ill.

Phil Gray, the chief executive of the CSP, said that many people in physiotherapy jobs were concerned over the ill-health caused by overworking. He says that "with advice and support from physiotherapists and other occupational health experts, employers can create healthier work environments and benefit not only society but also their profit margin."

"Employees pay the price with their health and there is a cost to employers in reduced productivity and performance," said Gray. "Work is good for us and contributes to physical and mental well-being, but not when overworking means people don't have the time or energy to look after their own health or when staff are at work but are not fit for work."