Make Your Facility's Breakroom Work for Everyone
One of the most important places at work may just be the area where employees do the least amount of it. Wait, what? It might sound counter-intuitive, but in the same analogy that promotes the idea that “sometimes you have to slow down to speed up”, your breakrooms and rest areas around your facility can have a profound effect on your employees and your business.
Let’s Reexamine the Breakroom
There are many reasons to reexamine your workplace breakrooms. The first one is obvious, in that they provide employees with a space to take a break, relax, and socialize with their colleagues. Just offering this space can help reduce stress and improve overall employee morale. Additionally, your breakrooms can be used for meetings and other work-related activities. This is one reason why having good Wi-Fi connectivity is so important. Because even at work, people want to stay connected with everything that’s happening in the world. Break rooms can also be a place where employees can grab a snack or drink, which can help to boost productivity. Overall, a well-designed breakroom can be an important asset for any workplace. Great. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to giving employees a place that’s all their own. See, as society changes and employees demand better workplace experiences, it’s imperative that warehouse directors and managers find ways to modernize their breakrooms and offer amenities beyond a few chairs, a table, vending machine, and an automatic drip coffee maker.
The Breakroom Evolution
Some warehouse directors are already ahead of the curve as workplace breakrooms are evolving every day. In recent years, there has been a clear incorporation of more technology, such as computer terminals, Wi-Fi, and charging stations for mobile devices. Another difference is that today’s breakrooms offer more amenities, such as comfortable seating, games, and recreational and fitness equipment, and provide healthy food options, snacks, and beverages. Overall, breakrooms are becoming more comfortable, functional, and conducive to employee well-being and productivity.
Making A Breakroom That Works Better for Everyone
Before you make drastic changes to your breakrooms overnight, you may want to consider involving your employees on some of the decisions that go into making the breakroom more enjoyable. There are several ways you can engage with employees to improve the breakroom.
Questionnaires
Design and distribute a simple survey to gather feedback from employees on their satisfaction with the breakroom and what improvements they might like to see.
Have an Open-Door Policy or Suggestion Box
Let employees know their suggestions are always welcome and that they can provide feedback and suggestions anonymously, in person, or via email.
Hold Informal Meetings
Consider scheduling regular employee feedback meetings where employees can provide feedback on the breakroom and other workplace issues. Encouraging participation in breakroom design and maintenance will give them a sense of ownership and pride in the space.
It’s important for you to actively listen to and act on your employee feedback to improve the breakroom experience and create a positive work environment. Just keep in mind that while not all requests can be accommodated, small improvements and enhancements can go a long way with employees.
Make the Indoor breakroom work for you
The ideal breakroom creates a positive sentiment with employees, and does the work of improving employee morale.Consider including these elements:
Comfortable seating
Provide couches or even arm chairs and recliner chairs for employees to sit and relax.
Tables and Chairs
Provide areas to be able to eat, and mingle with other employees.
Breakroom appliances
Refrigerators, freezers, ice equipment, and dishwashers all give your employees the flexibility of eating and drinking what they wish, or to store their food.
Bottle filling stations
Beside reducing single use plastic bottles, everyone appreciates clean filtered water to stay hydrated.
Air purifiers
Keep the air free from odor and airborne illnesses with quiet air purifiers.
BETTER BREAK AREA EXPERIENCES CAN BE MADE OUTDOORS
Beyond the four walls of your facility, employees will benefit from having spaces outdoors to relax and recharge. Your outdoor spaces can be turned into employee break areas by incorporating the following elements.
Chairs and tables
The key to bringing people together and helping people unwind and recharge are outdoor table and chairs that encourage taking a pause, take a load off, and start a conversation.
Benches
Provide seating options such as chairs, benches, picnic tables, or even recliner chairs for employees to sit and relax.
Shade
Incorporate shading options such as umbrellas, awnings, or trees to protect employees from the sun.
Amenities
Provide amenities such as power outlets, Wi-Fi, and tables for employees to work or eat.
Planters
Planters allow the freedom to Incorporate greenery such as plants or landscaping anywhere to create a more pleasant and inviting environment.
Lighting
Provide adequate lighting for the area to promote safety and make it usable during the evening or early morning hours.
Beyond the four walls of your facility, employees will benefit from having spaces outdoors to relax and recharge. Your outdoor spaces can be turned into employee break areas by incorporating the following elements.
Comfortable seating
Provide comfortable seating options such as chairs, benches, picnic tables, or even recliner chairs for employees to sit and relax.
Shade
Incorporate shading options such as umbrellas, awnings, or trees to protect employees from the sun.
Amenities
Provide amenities such as power outlets, Wi-Fi, and tables for employees to work or eat.
Plants
Incorporate greenery such as plants or landscaping to create a more pleasant and inviting environment.
Lighting
Provide adequate lighting for the area to make it usable during the evening or early morning hours.
Privacy
Like a room indoors, your outdoor space can be designed as a separate area to provide employees with a sense of privacy while they take their break.
Activities
Also, like indoors, you can offer recreational activities like ping-pong tables, chess boards, or other games.
Outdoor Spaces
The key to bringing people together and helping people unwind and recharge are outdoor spaces. Consider outdoor table and chairs to encourage consistent use.
What Employees Are Looking For
Today’s employees are looking for more than a paycheck. They want to work in settings that cater to their holistic needs. They want a job that serves their body, soul, mind, and bank account. By evolving your breakrooms, you can make your place of business more attractive to candidates and go a long way toward your retention efforts by enhancing employee satisfaction. By providing comfortable seating like dining room table and chairs in kitchens, good lighting, temperature control, and other amenities, modern breakrooms can create a more pleasant and relaxing environment for employees to take their breaks in.
Key Questions to Ask Yourself:
- Are you offering a variety of spaces, such as quiet rest areas for relaxation, collaborative spaces for team-building, and recreational spaces for games and activities that can enhance employee satisfaction by catering to different needs and preferences?
- Is your company providing healthy food options, and hydration stations?
- Do you have exercise equipment in breakrooms to help employees maintain their physical and mental well-being and feel more energized and productive when they return to work?
Beyond Breakrooms—Focus on Company Culture
Beyond the games and snacks, it’s very important to keep a finger on the pulse of your company culture. That’s why it’s important to find some time to discuss with your teams about what is working and what might be falling short. With collective insight, you can create break room experiences that accommodate everyone. By updating your break areas, you can build a real sense of community and encourage socialization and collaboration that can help employees build connections with their colleagues and feel more engaged in every aspect of your operation.
Better Breakrooms Begin with Global Industrial
Our goal at Global Industrial is to enable you to improve every aspect of your business. To learn more about how we can help you make your breakrooms better, reach out to one of our Global Industrial sales representatives at 888.978.7759 or contact us here.
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