Productivity is a primary goal for every business, but did you know that one of the best ways to boost productivity is to give your employees a break? When it comes to productivity, the good old company break room can be one of the most effective tools in your arsenal.
Break rooms shouldn’t be an afterthought when you’re designing or redesigning your office layout. A truly effective break room should contain certain elements that will enhance productivity and create an inviting space where employees can truly relax.
Which elements of design have the most significant impact on creating an effective break room? And how does break room design benefit productivity?
How Break Rooms Boost Productivity
People need breaks. Overworked and overstressed employees risk burnout and contribute to a lack of productivity. Even if they love their jobs, your employees need a space to get away from their work during breaks and lunches, in order to be productive when returning to their tasks.
Research indicates that breaks, even short ones, can help boost productivity and reduce employee burnout. Staff break rooms provide the space for these breaks, but if you want to maximize the benefit of the break room, you need to make sure that it’s designed for maximum benefit.
Creating a space for employees to de-stress and decompress gives them a chance to escape work duties and socialize with their coworkers. Happy employees are productive employees, but what elements of break room design make your employees the most productive?
The Best Break Rooms For Productivity
Ultimately, your employee break room provides an escape from work pressures and a place where your employees can bond and socialize throughout the workday. Effective break rooms go one step further and foster a sense of freedom and fun, allowing employees a chance to relieve stress and bond with co-workers.
Your break room should have certain elements to make the most significant impact on productivity. These elements will allow employees to relax, socialize, and boost their energy levels to continue to be productive throughout the day.
Comfort is Key
A good break room needs to provide a comfortable place for employees to gather. Comfy seating, plenty of room for employees to spread out, and space for them to eat comfortably are all-important.
Vary seating, if possible, to allow for individual and group seating. Varied seating enables employees who want to sit alone to do so without feeling compelled to sit in a group. It creates the opportunity for small groups to collaborate or share ideas during breaks to implement once they’re back on the job.
Make the Space Inviting
Make it clear that the break room is separate from work. Utilize vibrant colors, which have been proven to be energizing and uplifting, and offer some small comforts like snacks or drinks for your employees.
A single-serve coffee-maker, refrigerator for storing food and drinks, and a microwave can make your break room feel more like a home away from home. Try to keep the space open and airy to make it feel more inviting and relaxing.
Offer Entertainment Options
It may sound cliche, but the break room foosball table is a staple for a reason. Fun spaces help employees relax, recharge their batteries, and boost their creativity. Also, games can help foster a sense of friendly competition or even build camaraderie, so keep casual gaming in mind for your break room space.
For employees who want to use their own devices during breaks, ensure that you have enough outlets for things like phone and tablet chargers. You might create a dedicated charging station or place small stands to hold phones or tablets so employees can stream videos while they snack or eat lunch.
Allow for Movement
Movement is vital for productivity. Too much sitting can be stressful on the body and the mind, so allow enough room for employees to move around in the break room to help relieve that stress.
You might want to put a treadmill in your break room so inclement weather doesn’t stop employees from getting a short walk in during their break. You could also put in some small hand weights or yoga mats to help encourage employees to be active during breaks.
Keep it Inclusive
Your break room needs to be fully functional and available to every employee. It’s essential to consider the needs of all employees when designing your break room, and you should consider employee input in conceptualizing the space.
If you meet everyone’s needs, you’ll find that you have happier, more productive employees who feel that their input matters. However, if your break room only meets the needs of some of your staff, you could find that it excludes others, conveying that their needs are not a priority for the company.
Don’t Design Your Break Room Alone
You may be an expert in your field, but if you’re not an expert in office workplace design, you could be setting yourself up for trouble if you don’t seek help from a professional commercial interior design expert. A poorly designed employee break room can drive down employee morale and negatively impact productivity.
Let T2B Interiors help you create the perfect break room for your business so you and your employees can flourish. Contact us today to see how we can help your business make a better break room or office space.