Tips for making your employee break room friendly and functional
Your company break room is an important aspect of your business. It can give employees the chance to unwind, grab a cup of coffee, eat lunch and chat with coworkers. Having an uninviting employee break room as opposed to a welcoming break room can influence employee attitudes and quality of work.
Consider these employee break room ideas to get the most out of your break room.
Supply the coffee to start the day off right or for an afternoon boost. Stock up on flavored creamers to add variety, or invest in a cappuccino machine. Even though it’s an expense for the employer, it’s worth it for employee morale.
Offer healthy snacks such as granola bars, nuts and fruit that’ll provide nutrition and energy for your team rather than sugary treats. It’s a nice way to treat employees and an inexpensive employee-retention technique to stimulate brain power. Keep a stash of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate as well to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Choose a color that makes the space more inviting. The color of your break room contributes to the ambiance and overall flow of the room. Trying to relieve stress or evoke happiness? Try blues and greens for a soothing atmosphere, or yellows and oranges for a cheerful one. If you have windows, take advantage of the natural light.
Switch it up with a change of scenery. Add a festive touch in the employee break room to celebrate the holidays. Decorating the space is the perfect way to get employees in the holiday spirit. Change it up throughout the seasons to keep it interesting. If you’re a larger company, you could have each department take turns. Make it a fun competition!
Put your employees at ease with comfortable chairs and tables. Pick furniture that is functional, supportive and inviting. Having a couch and coffee table with magazines and newspapers will make the space more welcoming. Make it a productive space that’s engaging and interactive . For book lovers, offer an employee book exchange where employees can bring in books they’ve read and trade them in for another book. Consider a reading nook for a quiet space to enjoy some reading.
If you have the funds, and the space, consider a foosball table or ping-pong table to give employees a little stress relief when they need it. Board games, word puzzles and cards are perfect for when employees need an activity for relaxation.
Post a message board in the break room to serve as a place to post a calendar for approaching company events and reminders. Encourage employees to display community activities and share wedding and baby announcements. Have a signup sheet for employees to attend upcoming football games or movies. Consider a suggestion box for employees to recommend changes to improve the workflow or the break room atmosphere.
It’s crucial that you stay in compliance with your state’s meal and rest breaks laws to protect your business from lawsuits and employees from burning out. Set up your meal and rest break policies and requirements with TrackSmart Scheduling and to automatically implement them into your employee’s daily work schedules.
