Data Doesn’t Lie: The Hidden Cost of a Missed Lunch

What is the true cost of a missed meal break?

For many long-term care facilities, it’s higher than you might think. On average, the facilities we sampled had 143 hours per month not counted toward PBJ and paid an additional $5,000 per pay period for missed lunches.

When staff skip their breaks, not only does it increase paid time, but it also introduces compliance and legal risks. In most states, breaks are required by law, and in some, that means a full 30 minutes, not a minute less. Beyond compliance, encouraging employees to take their breaks supports better focus, morale, and patient care.

The good news? These issues are preventable. By combining time clock data with schedule data, facilities can easily identify employees who miss their breaks and take simple, consistent steps to address the problem.

One Creative Solutions facility saw employees missing 96 lunches per month. After reinforcing the lunch policy and holding staff accountable, they reduced missed lunches by 54%, saving time, money, and stress.

Nancy Butner, Regional Vice President at Life Care Centers of America, has seen firsthand how small, intentional changes can make a big difference. In a recent presentation, she shared her practical approach to managing meal breaks and improving both compliance and culture.

Using Covr to track and reduce missed lunches.

Nancy uses two tools in Covr to manage lunch compliance and support healthier staffing habits.

1. Managed Lunch Breaks
This tool helps leaders track lunches that are missed, early, late, or on time over a chosen period, whether weekly, monthly, or custom. With that data, you can identify patterns and pinpoint where support or coaching is needed.

2. Lunch Break Reminders
Using Covr’s texting feature, supervisors can quickly remind staff who haven’t taken their breaks. It’s an easy, proactive way to prevent missed lunches in real-time.

Leaders can also review payroll data and financial reports to see how these small adjustments influence labor costs over time.

Making lunch compliance part of the culture.

The key to lasting change is consistency. Nancy uses Covr daily during morning stand-up, pulling up dashboards on TVs or computers to review missed lunches together.

Supervisors can print individual reports to provide direct feedback during one-on-one check-ins. These conversations help employees see their progress and understand why taking a break matters.

When introducing lunch tracking, it’s helpful to start small, focusing on a few units or staff groups at first. Then, use Covr’s tools to simplify the process: text reminders, visual reports, and quick daily reviews.

“To make an impact, you have to have a cadence that’s frequent enough for people to understand it’s important.”
Nancy Butner, Regional Vice President, Life Care Centers of America

Reinforce, reward, and repeat.

Behavior change takes repetition and recognition. Leaders who see results follow a consistent cadence: review daily, celebrate progress weekly, and follow up regularly with those who need reminders.

Recognition goes a long way. A small reward, like a pizza party for the department that reduces missed lunches, can spark friendly competition and motivate teams.

When needed, pair rewards with accountability. Education is always the best first step, but a clear progressive discipline plan ensures expectations are met and maintained.

Consistency creates impact.

By combining Covr’s tools with consistent follow-up and positive reinforcement, facilities can see measurable improvements in both labor costs and staff satisfaction.

Encouraging employees to take their breaks isn’t just about compliance; it’s also about care. When teams rest and recharge, everyone benefits: staff, residents, and the organization as a whole.