AC

Today's fast-paced work environment and sluggish economy have left many employees with more work and less time to do it, making the once-cherished midday lunch break a disappearing option. As general sales manager for Clear Channel Communications here, Mary George Meiners used to take leisurely lunches with clients and associates — until an increasingly busy schedule robbed her of the time. Now Meiners usually just buys a sandwich and eats it at her desk. "Everyone's busier all the way around," she said. "A lot of our clients are business owners, and they're slammed; our media buyers are slammed. Everybody's trying to be more productive." Recent national surveys underscore the change. Only a third of American workers say they take a lunch break, according to a Web survey conducted last year by Right Management, a human resources consulting firm. The survey also found that 65% of workers eat at their desks or don't take a break at all. CareerBuilder, another employment...