Drawing on effort-recovery model, self-determination theory and work and non-work transition literature, this paper examines the influence of the presence of others during eating and drinking work breaks on both during-break well-being and post-break work-related well-being. We further explore the potential moderating effect of the presence of others in the pre- and post-break to examine whether taking breaks with others has the compensation or interruption effect on employee well-being. Using two nationally representative time use surveys from the US and UK, respectively, we found that compared to taking breaks alone, the presence of others during breaks was related to both higher level of during-break well-being and post-break work-related well-being in the US; however, the UK findings have shown the opposite results. The presence of others during breaks tends to compensate for the absence of others in the pre-break work episode on during-break well-being, and the presence of others in the post-break work episode tends to interrupt employee psychological flow of being alone and leading to decreased well-being in the post-break work episodes. This paper advances theory on work breaks and provides insights into how the presence of others during break can influence employee well-being.
