Let’s be honest, getting to take a lunch break is sometimes the best part of a workday. Getting to be away from work, even for just thirty minutes, can give employees a chance to reset and be ready to handle any challenges or assignments they may face during the second half of the day. When creating or furnishing a break room, there are many things that you can do to ensure that your employees have a safe and clean space to rejuvenate mid-shift!
Appliances
Having the right appliances in a break room is extremely important. Getting a mid-shift coffee is sometimes the perfect pick-me-up to help your employees finish the rest of the workday. Consider investing in a one-cup coffee maker like a Keurig instead of a traditional coffee pot to help reduce germs. Additionally, make sure that you have a microwave, fridge, and freezer so your employees can easily store or make their lunches! You can also choose to provide a toaster or sandwich press to give your employees plenty of options when it comes to cooking lunch.
Having the right appliances goes beyond just appliances for making food. An easy way to boost your employees’ morale is to have some form of entertainment available to them while in the break room. Purchase a speaker for calming music or even get some form of aromatherapy such as an oil diffuser, wall plug-in, or air freshener. If you really want to go above and beyond as a boss, consider adding a tv on a tv wall mount to decrease space usage and up productivity. By giving your employees a safe and inviting place to take their break, you can ensure productivity in the office when working.
Snacks
Providing snacks is one of the best things that you can do to make your break room a better place. Make sure to have a basket full of fruit, bread for sandwiches or toast, and a variety of light snacks all readily available for your employees to grab. Make sure to be aware of any allergies or cultural diets in the office and refrain from cross-contamination. Be respectful of any food preferences (meat-free, keto, vegan, etc.) of your employees and get snacks that can appeal to everyone. Having a variety of snack options in the break room is one of the best things that you can do for employees to keep them on track.
In addition to providing snacks, consider getting caterers or food trucks to provide lunch on occasion. Although this can get pricey, having a free catered lunch once a month during your monthly office meeting can make the office a much better place. Even if it’s not a full meal, everyone would love a pastry from a local bakery for brunch or a couple of cookies as a snack. If you wanted to, you could even have a food truck on the premises every week. This way, you wouldn’t have to pay anything and your employees could still feel appreciated!
Comfortable Seating
Having comfortable seating in a break room is a must, especially since this is where your employees go to rest and relax during their shift. Make sure that you choose the right furniture for your space, but also choose something that will be comfortable for your employees. Have plenty of lunch tables, recliners, and even a couch or two if you have room. If you can afford to, include other luxury items such as massage chairs that can really help your employees relax and be comfortable on their breaks. Make sure that you have a variety of furniture available and make sure that you have enough options for most of your employees!
Free Time
A great way to increase productivity in the office is to give your employees more free time. By allowing your employees to have more time to utilize their break room amenities and socialize, you are able to build a better connection with your colleagues and help your employees focus better when it’s time to do work.
When deciding on how many breaks you should let your employees have, you should take many things into consideration including the length of the workday, how long their meal breaks are, and how many other breaks they take during the day. Do you notice that many of your employees start to get off-task a couple of hours into their shifts? Add in a paid break to allow them time to relax and then refocus on their work. Do some of your employees struggle to finish their lunch in time? Consider adding time to their lunch breaks to allow them to finish their lunch and get prepared to be back on the clock. There are many different things that you can implement (yoga, mindfulness breaks, etc.) that can better benefit the office.
Keep Spaces Clean
One of the most important things concerning a quality breakroom is its cleanliness. Make sure that your employees are cleaning up after themselves, and even consider hiring another employee just to help clean up the office and break room. In addition to this, make sure that the break room stays organized. Organize any cords, excess snacks, and any other items that may need a home. Utilize storage space such as cabinets, storage bins and baskets, and moveable drawers. Maximize on storage while also maintaining cleanliness and your break room will start to become incredibly popular within the office.
Overall, creating a break room, although a daunting task, can easily become one of the best things to do to increase employee morale and creativity. By keeping your employee’s needs in mind, you can purchase many appliances and furniture that will fit your space and budget. As the leader of the space, you have the ability to bring forth luxuries such as a snack bar or catering that can really improve the quality of your employee’s work. By creating a break room and implementing many break tactics and strategies, there is no doubt that your employees will start to enjoy their work better!
