The break room in your office building should be a place where employees can have a snack or meal, relax, and decompress before returning to work. A well designed and maintained office break room can actually increase productivity. When employees have space to decompress during the workday, they return to their desk refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready to take on the rest of their daily challenges. Here’s a look at the office furniture, break room supplies, and decor that will make your break room a comforting and inviting environment.
Healthy Break Room Supplies
Your employees should be able to use the break room to refuel and relax. One part of the break room should include a food prep area and office furniture so your staff can make a snack or meal and sit down and eat it in peace and comfort. You can improve your employees’ morale and encourage their loyalty by providing an array of healthy break room supplies to use. This could include basic snacks like cereal, granola bars, trail mix, and dried fruit. You might also consider providing more substantial perks, like pre-made sandwiches, bagels, fresh fruit, water and soda, and veggie trays.
Comfy Office Furniture
The office furniture in the employee break room should be comfortable and functional. There should either be one long table so people can sit and eat family-style, or multiple round tables with chairs around them. It should be easy for employees to come in, fix something to eat, and enjoy it while chatting with their co-workers or reading a book or magazine.
Clean Food Prep Area
The break room should also have a clean food prep area, like countertops or an island. It should have access to a microwave, toaster, electric kettle, coffee maker or coffee machine, and refrigerator. You can invest in counter and cupboard organizers to separate coffee and tea supplies, plastic or reusable eating utensils, and plates, bowls, and napkins.
Lockers or Supply Cupboards
You should also consider installing lockers or supply cupboards assigned to each employee. This will give everyone a safe space to store their belongings, food, favorite coffee mug, and anything else that shouldn’t be at their workspace. Giving employees a safe space for their personal belongings will make the work environment safer and more secure and will reduce the risk of squabbles about food or other belongings going missing or being misused.
Relaxing Lounge Area
There should be a relaxing lounge area that is separate from the break room’s eating area. The lounge area can include comfy sofas and chairs and provide space to chill out. This will help employees get their mind off of work for a while so they can recenter and refocus. Relaxing actually has a positive effect on employee productivity, because when the mind has time to rest, it can renew with greater focus and better ideas.
Entertainment Options
Your office break room should also have some entertainment options. Shelves of books, board games, and puzzles will encourage employees to relax and have fun. They can even work together on their communication and teamwork skills while playing games during their break. Set up a dart board, ping pong table, foosball table, or air hockey table so employees can blow off steam and enjoy some silly competition. You can also install a wall-mounted flatscreen or projector so people can watch a streaming show on their break. By giving your employees space to relax and enjoy each other’s company outside of their workspace, you are also fostering collaboration and giving them a chance to get to know each other and learn how to communicate with each other more effectively.
Communication Center
Having a communication center in the break room gives employees a chance to use phones and computers for personal needs, away from their desks. Set up partitioned desks, each with a phone and computer, so employees can use their break time to call their kids, make appointments, shop online, catch up on news, or play computer games. Consider using headsets and/or headphones so they won’t disturb others and can have some privacy. You can also set up flyers and posters with work-related or general information. This might include workshops, work parties, or after work fun.
Outdoor Space
If your office building can accommodate it, you should give your employees an outdoor space to take a break in. Getting outside and spending some time in the sun can really benefit employee morale and productivity. Put some chairs and tables outside, along with some plants, lighting, and an overhead fan or patio heater. Having outdoor space to unwind will also afford employees some private time or quiet time if they want to get out of the building for a while.
Looking for Break Room Supplies in AZ? Call Us Today!
At Gibson’s Office Solutions, we have a huge selection of quality, functional, and comfortable office furniture in Arizona. We also offer break room supplies like coffee, tea, snacks, paper and plasticware, sugar and creamer, and more. Our experienced, friendly team can help you find the perfect office furniture for your breakroom, such as tables and chairs, bookcases, sofas and ottomans, coffee tables, and conversation sets. Our break room appliances include refrigerators, toaster ovens, coffee makers, microwaves, and beverage dispensers. We also offer cleaning supplies, first aid kits, and bathroom supplies. We specialize in high-quality office furniture and supplies for every need. Visit our website or contact us online today to learn more!
