September 7, 2022
By Workspace Resource
It could seem like an uphill battle to keep your staff content and doing quality work. But providing a well-stocked breakroom may help you achieve your goal of a highly productive workplace.
Workers are more likely to take a mental break if they have a comfortable and functional breakroom they want to use. Taking care of employees in this way demonstrates that you value their well-being. Employee morale and productivity will both increase if they have a place to relax and recharge, so make that location as welcoming as possible.
Meetings with clients may sometimes need to be held in the break room, which also serves as a conference room. Initial impressions are crucial; therefore, it's essential to check that the room is tidy and well-stocked.
A well-designed break room may encourage workers to work together in ways that office managers would never have imagined. If you put in the time and effort to cultivate these new connections, you may find that you had the makings of a formidable team all along. The best ideas often come from casual chats.
Here is the complete breakroom supplies list for office managers.
Give your workers free coffee, creamer, and sugar in the break room. This is a no-brainer as workers will not have to waste 30 minutes of productive time on their coffee runs. The cost of workplace coffee services is little compared to the potential loss of productivity. Always keep in mind that your company's concentration and output are invaluable.
Provide a selection of high-quality, traditional teas and even luscious hot chocolate for employees to enjoy in the workplace break area. Accommodating those that are not coffee drinkers is an important test of inclusivity. Treat your hardworking staff by catering to their varying food preferences. Having a well-stocked break room promotes efficiency in the workplace.
Because some people are sensitive to caffeine or coffee may simply not be an employee's favorite drink, it is vital to have non caffeinated beverages on hand in the fridge. In addition to filtered or spring water, you may also want to pick up sparkling waters with all-natural flavors to keep in the refrigerator. Juice in individual serving bottles is an excellent addition to your workers' meals. Incorporate sports and energy drinks into your break room checklist for a nutritious pick-me-up with little or no added sugar and calories.
Select items that can be easily carried back to a workstation or grabbed on the go in the midst of a busy schedule are excellent picks for a breakroom. However, don't bring healthy snacks into the office with a strong odor, and make it a habit to screen team members for allergies.
Although stocking up on cookies and chips in vending machines might be a lot of fun, it's not the healthiest choice when you're on the go and haven't had time for lunch. To stave off the 3 o'clock doldrums, stock the breakroom with nutritious packaged food and drinks like fresh fruits, granola bars, and almond milk.
When replenishing their breakrooms, companies often forget about seasonings. Some employees like to accompany their lunches with seasonings like salt, pepper, paprika, and others.
To keep everything perfectly organized, you should also get a spice and condiment organizer.
Supply single-serving packets or bottles of ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard for garnishing employees' sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs.
The best method to cut down on trash and the need for disposable cups and plates are to stock the breakroom with reusable items. You may cut down on everyday waste by purchasing durable utensils, plates, and glasses. Towels that may be used more than once have a double environmental benefit: they cut down on manufacturing toxic chemicals.
Drinking water bottles imprinted with your business's logo should also be available in the break room. Providing workers with reusable breakroom supplies is a great approach to getting them involved in corporate culture and spreading the word about the firm's ideals.
Having the right office cleaning products is indispensable for maintaining a healthy and safe workplace for all workers. Hand soap, disinfectant wipes, paper supplies like tissue and towels, and garbage bags are some critical office cleaning supplies.
If you have a habit of hosting a lot of lunches in the office break room, such as birthdays or potlucks, you may want to think about getting a dishwasher installed so that cleaning up after lunch is easier. The availability of a dishwasher not only makes it more convenient to equip the breakroom with actual coffee cups, plates, and glasses and eliminates the need to buy as many disposable products.
Employees who bring their lunches to work may appreciate having access to a refrigerator. Whether a little refrigerator or a full-sized fridge, having a place where they can leave their lunches in the morning and return to them at break time would be much appreciated by workers.
To know what size refrigerator is ideal for your workplace, you need to count the number of individuals that spend time there every day. There ought to be at least two or more refrigerators in the break room if there are hundreds of workers. There's no need for a massive fridge if you only have a handful of workers.
A microwave oven is a must-have appliance for every workplace. There should always be at least one microwave available in the workplace break room for heating food or preparing staff lunches from scratch.
They are one of the most inexpensive items you can buy and will be utilized by practically everyone in your workplace.
For your workplace break area, toasters are yet another break room essential. They are often used by workers in preparing their lunch, much as microwaves. Employees also use a toaster to reheat their morning meals.
They are not only portable and lightweight, but they are also affordable and straightforward to clean.
It would be impossible to keep track of the many coffee machine models available today. You may have coffee makers that only create one cup, or you can get the old-fashioned ones that make entire pots at once. Espresso machines, which employees may use to brew both espresso and more complex coffee beverages like cappuccinos, macchiatos, and Americanos, can also be found at many workplaces.
A water cooler is the most iconic piece of breakroom equipment. Whether or not your staff enjoys tea or cups of coffee, they will need water throughout the day, and a water cooler is the most convenient and cost-effective method to deliver it.
These devices store not only liters of water but also provide access to chilled and occasionally hot water around the clock.
Having comfy and ergonomic pieces of break room furniture should be a top priority when furnishing a break area. Determine the optimal layout for the break room furniture based on the number of workers you have.
For those who prefer not to interact with others, set up a few individual square tables in the far corners of the room. Larger circular tables with plenty of chairs are ideal for hosting large gatherings. You may also want to think about using high table tops. Ensure that they have easy-to-use chairs with backs.
Most workers will use their lunch break to catch up on current events. Instead of having your staff check the news on their phones when they should be working, consider installing a projector or TV set tuned to a news station or supplying the break room with a copy of the day's newspaper.
Create a reading nook in the office so workers may unplug from their phones and relax with a good book. To foster a sense of community and bond employees together, suggest they start a book club and invite others to contribute from their personal libraries. This reading area may provide new hires with a place to relax and acquire stimulating reading material that can be used to spark discussion with coworkers.
The goal is to set up an effective storage system that uses every square inch of available space. Take a minute to survey the area and assess the room's size before organizing your break room since your storage options will rely on that information. Racks or kitchen carts might work wonders if you don't have enough built-in storage space, such as cupboards or drawers.
Provide entertaining games and activities in the layout of your breakroom if you want to turn it into a gathering place for employees.
Jigsaw puzzles, pool tables, board games, small basketball hoops, and other team-building entertainment are often included in the common office supplies list.
You may want some input from the staff on what kinds of games they'd like to play before making a final decision.
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