Retiring the Lunch & Learn: Why Employees Need a Better Way to Learn.

For decades, the Lunch & Learn has been the standard for in-person professional development (PD), a convenient way to deliver essential information to many employees at once. And, by throwing in a pizza or sandwiches, companies felt it was a win-win.

Originally imagined as efficient, interactive, and even energizing, the Lunch & Learn is anything but. Today’s workforce is increasingly stressed, with 66 percent of American employees reporting feeling burned out. As remote and hybrid work continue to blur the lines between work and life, this once-popular PD model is quietly undermining employee well-being and learning effectiveness.

The reality is simple: lunch is not just a mid-day meal. It’s often an employee’s only break in the day. And, research shows that taking that break away has real consequences.

Lunch & Learns No Longer Serve Today’s Workforce

1. They remove the most essential recovery window of the day.

Breaks aren’t indulgent—they’re biologically necessary. Research from the University of Illinois found that even brief mental breaks restore focus and energy. Another study in the Academy of Management Journal found that employees who used lunch for genuine recovery, rather than more work, experienced significantly higher afternoon energy and better performance.

And, Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace reports that 44 percent of employees experience significant daily stress—the highest level the organization has ever recorded. Asking employees to “learn while they eat” unintentionally adds to the overload.

2. They contradict the science of adult learning.

Research on adult learning is unambiguous: people learn best when they are mentally available, emotionally regulated, and able to focus without multitasking. These conditions rarely occur during lunch, particularly in remote environments. Even when Lunch & Learns are labeled optional, employees feel obligated to attend to stay informed, visible, or competitive, even when they are not fully engaged.

3. They don’t work for diverse, hybrid teams.

Today’s workforce is distributed and flexible, operating across time zones. Caregivers may use lunch for school pickups. Field employees may eat earlier or later in the day. Remote workers may structure their days differently based on workload and energy levels. The “everyone eats at noon” assumption simply doesn’t hold true anymore.

What Human-Centered Professional Development Looks Like Now

Retiring the Lunch & Learn isn’t about eliminating development opportunities. It’s about redesigning them to support both learning and well-being.

Here’s what The Flourish Group sees working inside organizations.

1. Protected learning time is built into the workday

When organizations carve out intentional (non-lunch) time for growth, the message is powerful: we are investing our time, not yours, in essential development. A Workday study found that employees who have development time are more likely to be engaged and stay with their employer.  That may look like:

• The Breakfast Briefing: 9:00-9:30 a.m. live/streamed session that is shorter and more direct. Perfect for internal updates, new policies, and other timely information.
• Monthly Development Day: Choose a day that is consistently utilized for training (i.e., the 3^rd Tuesday from 2:00-3:00 p.m.) This allows employees to plan their schedules, workload, and other commitments around this time.
• Quarterly Development Days: Take learning off-site for a change of scenery and a new learning environment. This allows for deeper training, discussions, and employee connection.

2. Microlearning that respects cognitive bandwidth

Short, targeted sessions, delivered at the right time, are more effective than longer, lunchtime lectures. Decades of research on distributed practice (Cepeda, Hug, and others) confirms that smaller, spaced learning events dramatically improve retention.

Weekly Training “Shorts” are a simple and effective way to deliver microlearning. We live in a TikTok-obsessed world, where short videos are an effective way to convey information. Take a topic that needs an hour and break it into four 15-minute videos or six 10-minute videos, posted online.

Microlearning empowers employees to engage when they have the energy and focus, not when the clock dictates.

3. Blended learning experiences that create real behavior change

A single Lunch & Learn rarely shifts habits or skills. But blended models such as short workshops paired with on-demand learning, reflection prompts, and manager reinforcement create space for practice and integration.

This mirrors the way humans naturally build habits: gradually, intentionally, and with support.

4. Development experiences that integrate wellness

The most forward-thinking organizations are merging well-being practices with learning, not treating them as separate initiatives. This includes:

• Mindfulness moments in workshops
• Movement or stretch resets for resetting the nervous system
• Energy check-ins to gauge engagement
• Opportunities for reflection and peer support

Employees learn better when they feel better.

5. Peer learning that strengthens culture and engagement

Gallup’s workplace research has consistently shown that employees who feel connected to their colleagues and supported in their growth demonstrate higher engagement and performance. Peer-based learning, such as team dialogues, skills exchanges, and peer-led workshops, builds psychological safety, one of the most powerful predictors of learning behavior (Edmondson, 1999).

A Signal to Employees: Your Time and Energy Matter.

Retiring the Lunch & Learn model is more than a scheduling change; it’s a cultural shift.

It tells employees:
You don’t have to choose between taking care of yourself and developing your career.
You don’t have to sacrifice your only break in the day to prove you’re committed.
You can grow here and do it in a way that supports your well-being.

This shift is not only compassionate but strategic. When employees feel supported in both their development and their lives, engagement rises, performance improves, and organizations flourish.

It’s time to let the Lunch & Learn retire and embrace professional development that truly helps people thrive.