Nowadays, we think of a coffee break as a break in the middle of the workday where we can lift our nose from the screen, stretch our legs, and give our brain a rest while enjoying a delicious cup of coffee and caffeine. little chemical miracle.

But as coffee expert journalist Michael Pollan points out in the podcast Gastropod: “Capitalism and caffeine go hand in hand. “If you want proof of this, just know the origins of the coffee break.” pre-advertisement of something: If you think this is a way to escape for 15 minutes, you are wrong. Your boss was very pleased It’s yours to do.

War brought rest

While he’s telling Atlantic in book reviewland of coffee‘By Ausgustine Sedgwick During World War II, most young people of working age were sent to the front. Phil Greinetz, owner of the Wigwam Weavers tie factory in Denver, had no choice but to recruit men nearby: too old or sick to go to war.

Greinetz soon realized that these workers did not have the skill and stamina of young people, and like many other companies, he began hiring women to do bench work previously done by men.

The businessman once again argues that although women are more skilled at manipulating ties, They couldn’t stand the pace of busy working days They were manning the counters and showing signs of fatigue, resulting in decreased productivity as the hours went by.

Faced with this situation, Phil Greinetz brought his entire team together to solve the problem. Employees suggested he could rest for 15 minutes in the middle of a shift to regain his strength, while also drinking a refreshing cup of coffee to regain momentum. No sooner said than done.

The businessman set up a rest area with seats and items needed for employees to make a cup of tea or coffee. Do you find similarities with existing workplaces?

The results were seen immediately. Employees after break They returned to work with renewed energy and they kept it up for the rest of the day. It was implemented in all shifts and the right to rest was granted. The problem is that they were not paid for this time, because, according to the businessman, it was time not to work anymore while he rested and drank coffee.

In 1955, an inspector from the United States Department of Labor arrived at the Greinetz factory and learned that they had not been paid for that time of the workday, even though they had to stop to regain productivity after the break.

The official argued that employees should be paid from the moment they start the day and throughout their stay at the company. They were benefiting him.

After Phil Greinetz refused to pay them for this leave time, the case was taken to court, according to a newspaper report. time of history. Federal Judge Jean S. Breitenstein ruled: “These are elderly people who need this break to be able to work, but there is no reason for Greinetz to pay for it.”

However, the Ministry of Labor was not content with this and objected to the decision in the Federal Court of Appeals, and in 1956 the decision was made in favor of the employees.

The court stated the following in its decision: “The rest periods were for the mutual benefit of the employees and the employer. The employees’ proposal for fifteen-minute rest periods was accepted; this was initially optional for the employees and whether they accepted it or not was accepted. Whether so or not, only the employer Seeing the positive results, two rest periods became mandatory.

Since that time, 15-minute coffee breaks become part of the workday and they were getting paid with the claim that “they were doing their work as soon as they walked in the door”.

Sowed the seed of advertising

Although it is obvious that factory workers need rest to continue the workday, where did he come up with the idea of ​​drinking coffee while taking a break?

We found the answer in an advertising campaign. Pan-American Coffee Bureau (Oficina Panamericana del Café), the Central American association of coffee merchants who popularized the expression Coffee break (coffee break) with the commercial slogan ““Give yourself a coffee break… and get what coffee gives you.”i.e. “Take a coffee break… and get what coffee gives you.”

Advertisements from the 1950s for the Pan-American Coffee Bureau

Employees affected by this advertising campaign attributed their rest break to drinking coffee. They found it unintentionally perfect combination to increase efficiency.

With this rest, both body and brain reduce their density, resulting in their capacity to improve. If you also take advantage of the moment to “do nothing” and keep your mind blank, the cognitive benefit is even greater, according to the publication. scientific american.

According to a recent systematic review, caffeine in coffee contributes to the stimulation of the cognitive activity of the brain and activates the action of dopamine and the positive effects that this neurotransmitter has in improving executive memory, attention and concentration.

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