Tea breaks may have been the hallmark of civility in the heyday of the British Empire, but in today's lean, mean, would-be "Saxon Tiger" the "e-break" is likely to take over. After noticing that a large number of its employees shopped online during work hours, Virgin Money, a financial services firm in Norwich, England, introduced a 15 minute break period during which employees can scratch their Internet itch. 15 minutes is scarcely enough for anyone but Superman, but - so far as officially sanctioned time goes - it is a start. The break period is scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM, except for those handling customer service calls, who must take their turns on the web at different times of the day. Worthy of The Office, eh what?

"White-collar workers in Norwich are wasting hours of office time on the internet. Only hours? Amateurs!" from the Guardian Unlimited
"E-breaks take over from tea breaks" from icWales