Since employees now spend much of their time in front of a computer, it is more important than ever to provide them with a common area where they can step away to refuel, interact with one another, and relax. With a little inspiration, your office break room can do all of this and more!
The break room should be a welcoming, well-organized, clean, and functional space where employees can take a mental and physical break from the stress of their day. This space can spark creativity, promote bonding among coworkers, and boost employee satisfaction and productivity. For an area often ignored, even small changes in your break room can potentially make a big impact on your employee productivity.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Provide comfortable chairs and an attractive lunch table to give employees a place to eat, read a book or chat with one another.
- Paint the walls a vibrant, happy color to make the area more inviting. This will allow employees to disconnect from their workspace and unwind. Employees will be able to return to their work refreshed and energized.
- Decorate the break room so that it is a welcoming and interesting place to enter. This space can be used for celebrating birthdays, special recognition awards, retirements, and babies. It should be comfortable and pleasing to your employees.
- Offer free coffee, tea, and water for employees to grab throughout the day. You might even provide healthy snack options on days when things are a little rushed.
- Stock the break room with plates, napkins, cups, stirrers, and utensils.
- Keep salt, pepper, sugar, cream and other basic condiments available.
- Supply paper towels and disinfecting wipes, as well as basic instructions for using the break room appliances.
To maintain the space and ensure it provides welcoming amenities for your team members, it’s very important to keep it clean. Since leftover food can accumulate in your refrigerator, it’s a good practice to purge it at least once a month. Remind employees to put their names on lunch containers.
The same principles apply to the break room itself. Clean and disinfect the break room daily to keep odors, germs and bugs away. Hiring a good cleaning company to do this for you will ensure the break room is always sanitary, neat, and ready for the challenges of another day. The break room is a vital part of the office environment. By hiring JAN-PRO janitorial service, you will ensure the break room is a safe, clean and inviting space for your employees to use and enjoy.