Spain moves to end siestas in an attempt to raise productivity

A shorter lunchbreak in Spain.
(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

For employees in America, Spanish siestas probably sound like a great idea. Across the pond, however, Spain might soon be putting an end to the traditional three-hour midday lunch break due to low levels of productivity in comparison to their siesta-less European neighbors, The Independent reports.

Spanish workers typically begin at 10 a.m. and work through 2 p.m. They then leave for up to three hours before returning to work through 8 p.m. Siestas originally began as a way for farmers to avoid brutal midday temperatures, although even despite putting in more hours of work than, say, Germans, Spanish workers average lower levels of productivity with siestas built into their workdays.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.