Workers in the south east are losing thousands of pounds by not taking a lunch break.

A report by jobs site Totaljobs has revealed employees are working for FREE for hundreds of hours a year - equating to losing £35,112 over the course of their lifetime - by working through lunchtime.

The report surveyed more than 7,000 workers across the UK and found a shocking 69 per cent said they are too busy to stop for lunch.

As workloads dominate and put pressure on workers, a large amount of people say they are handed too many tasks to allow them a break.

David Clift, HR director at Totaljobs, said: “The research we have released highlights the staggering amount of unpaid lunchtime work the average worker will carry out during the course of their career."

He added: “One encouragement is that this culture is largely coming from employees themselves rather than being enforced by employers.”

The report goes on to say that 23 per cent think skipping lunch is part of their company culture.

The research revealed one in four UK employees don't have a staff room or canteen, meaning no provision is made to provide a space to eat away from their workstation.

The results also reveal 30 per cent never leave their workplace from arriving until leaving each day.

The report concludes by emphasising the importance of taking a proper lunch break and the positive impact it is proven to have on a worker's day.