An often-overlooked feature of a well-designed office is the break room. Some companies simply don’t set aside the funds to create a well-stocked break room space which is separate from the main work environment while others don’t feel the need to create one in the first place.
However, having space where employees can take a break from their work will make them more productive and help them achieve a healthier work-life balance. A recent study by Tork highlights the importance of employees taking breaks away from their desks.
Here are just a few of the positive effects which an employee break room can offer.
1. A Place to Relax
Any work activity without the ability for a break can quickly become tedious and difficult to complete. By providing a space with an inviting layout and comfortable break room furniture, employees are able to relax their mind and recharge during the day.
This also helps to ensure productivity levels remain steady throughout the work week.
2. Break Rooms Helps Avoid Employee Burnout
Employee burnout is often cited as one of the main reasons for high turnover rates within a company. Consistently spending time and resources to find more talent after good employees burn out can be a drain on company funds. It’s better to take care of the workforce a company already has than be constantly seeking out more people to come through the revolving door.
Beyond this, part of promoting a healthy work environment is creating a space where it’s encouraged to take breaks to avoid stress.
3. Break Rooms Create Community
A comfortable break room helps promote a sense of community around the office by improving the morale of the entire workplace. Having comfortable break room chairs and tables where employees can sit down together over lunch or have a cup of coffee improves the overall cohesion of the workplace. This can also allow them to catch up with each other’s lives outside of work.
The sense of community encourages employees to work out any tension which they may experience between each other during the course of the day, in turn leading to a more balanced work environment.
4. Encourages a Healthier Lifestyle
Having an office break room stocked with healthy food choices is just one of the ways which can help promote a healthy lifestyle in the lives of employees. Many feel the stress of deadlines and often find themselves taking lunch at their desks.
Coupled with wellness initiatives which keep employees healthy, encouraging employees to use the break room will keep them active and encourage them from falling into unhealthy work habits.
5. Break Room Perks
As new generations enter the workforce, they often look for something specific when they tour a potential workplace. Something as simple as offering great break room perks like free snacks and coffee can mean the difference between getting a chance to hire promising talent and losing out to a competitor which offers a better work environment.
A Great Break Room Makes for a Great Workforce
By taking the time to create a space where employees can go to relax and recharge during the day companies can expect to create a healthier work environment where employees feel valued.
A happier workforce translates to a healthier more productive workforce and creating a well-stocked comfortable break room will go a long way toward achieving this goal.
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