- Provide comfortable seating options such as couches, lounge chairs, and bean bags to promote taking breaks and reduce physical stress.
- Utilize natural light by positioning the break room near a window or skylights for maximum exposure.
- Stock the break room with healthy snacks and drinks, such as nuts, fruits, vegetables, bottled water, tea, and coffee.
- Add entertainment options such as table tennis, foosball, shuffleboard, books, and board games.
- Create quiet spaces for employees to retreat to when they need some silence.
As a business professional, you understand the importance of productivity in the workplace. Providing the tools and resources to become more productive is essential to get the most out of your employees. One of the most efficient ways to achieve this is by creating a break room that caters to your employees’ needs. A space that promotes taking breaks can improve the overall productivity of your workforce. This blog post will cover some employee room ideas that will encourage your team to take breaks and return to their workstations refreshed and ready to work.
1. Comfortable Seating
One of the primary areas that you should focus on when creating an employee room is seating. If your employees sit all day, they’re likely to experience discomfort and stress in their neck, shoulders, and back, reducing productivity. Provide comfortable seating options such as couches, lounge chairs, or bean bags. This will encourage them to take breaks, give their bodies rest, and reduce physical stress.
You can also provide cushioned floor seating for employees who prefer to lie down. This will help relax them and allow them to rest their eyes and minds. If multiple employees use the same room, it’s essential to ensure enough seating to accommodate everyone.
2. Natural Lighting
Natural light has been known to help in enhancing productivity. One way to promote taking breaks is to create an employee room with plenty of natural light. Exposure to natural light helps reduce stress and boosts creativity, energizing your employees to return to work reinvigorated. You can achieve this by positioning the break room near a window or even skylights for maximum natural light exposure.
Some offices also create garden rooms to provide employees with an outdoor setting and plenty of sunlight. Many glass garden room designs will bring natural light into your break room and offer a tranquil outdoor setting for your employees to relax and take a break. You can even include plants to help purify the air and add a touch of nature.
3. Healthy Snacks and Drinks
Hunger pangs can be distracting and create a dip in productivity. Stocking the employee room with healthy snacks and drinks is an excellent way to promote taking breaks while maintaining healthy habits. Provide healthy options, including the following:
a. Nuts, fruits, and vegetables
Stocking the break room with nuts, fruits, and vegetables is a cheap and easy way to keep your employees energized. Not only are these items healthy, but they are also easy to store.
b. Bottled water, tea, and coffee
Keep the break room stocked with bottled water, teas, and coffee. This will ensure that your employees have access to a refreshing beverage during their breaks.
c. Protein-rich snacks
Protein is essential for keeping your employees energized and focused. Stock the break room with protein-rich snacks such as Greek yogurt, hummus, and tuna.
d. Healthy cereals
Providing healthy cereals such as oatmeal and whole-wheat cereal bars can help your employees take a break while keeping their energy levels up.
4. Entertainment
Sometimes, employees need a break from work to recharge their energy levels. A game of table tennis, foosball, or shuffleboard can offer a perfect opportunity for employees to have fun and bond with colleagues promoting engagement and reducing stress levels. A well-stocked employee room should have books, board games, and puzzles to keep employees distracted long enough for a proper break.
You can also provide gaming consoles such as the Xbox and PlayStation for console gamers. This will allow your employees to enjoy their favorite games and take breaks from work when needed. Just provide headphones so that other people in the break room aren’t disturbed.
5. Quiet Spaces
Sometimes, your employees may need to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the workplace. To accommodate this, you should create quiet spaces like reading corners and meditation rooms in your employee room. These areas will allow your employees to relax and reset their minds without any distractions. Many businesses also offer napping pods or quiet zones for employees to take a quick nap and recharge.
Creating a break room catering to your employees’ needs is essential to improving workplace productivity. By providing comfortable seating, natural lighting, healthy snacks and drinks, entertainment options, and quiet spaces in the break room, you can encourage your employees to take breaks and return to their workstations feeling relaxed and energized. These employee room ideas will also help create a positive working environment that encourages creativity and collaboration. With the right tools, your team can reach their highest potential.
