Office Break Room: 5 Ways It Can Improve Company Culture
Your office break room can be a far more important place than you realise. Whether you are a business owner or employee, Lana Hawkins has investigated 5 ways having an office break room can improve your company culture.
It’s widely known that office design holds great importance for the success of a business. However, even some particular areas can provide you with valuable benefits and help you improve your company culture.
The style, appeal and equipment of your office break room can help you design one such area, bringing you numerous opportunities to enhance your company culture.
It can embody your brand
The design of each and every one area of your workplace can help you portray and strengthen your business brand.
Even simple details such as colours, the choice of materials and specific equipment can say something about your company values and objectives.
Designing an inspiring, stylish and brand-conscious office break room, lounge area or kitchen, or a space that connects all three zones, will help you promote your company’s unique personality and its core values among both employees and clients.
It can provide employees with a cosy, homey area
The modern office has become like a second home to employees. An increasing number of employers are implementing home-inspired comforts and features in order to provide their workers with a relaxing, welcoming environment.
Consequently, this can help you boost employees’ satisfaction, which will also contribute to their work efficiency.
Home-inspired layout, comfy furniture, fully-equipped kitchen and additional perks, such as a foosball table, will truly enrich employees’ experience and provide them with an enjoyable environment.
It can improve workplace wellness
Another important benefit of a well-designed, positive and joyful office break room is the fact that it can contribute to employees’ health and well-being.
If you equip the kitchen with appropriate appliances, healthy drinks and snacks and provide your workers with an opportunity to prepare healthy meals, this will truly enhance their health.
It’s a valuable benefit that doesn’t have to come at a high price. You can find affordable and reliable appliances online where your workers can prepare healthy feasts.
Filling the fridge with fruit and veggies will also keep them healthy and energised.
Furthermore, having a cosy, positive area for relaxation will help them relieve stress and anxiety and contribute to their mental health.
Thus, if you want to nourish workplace wellness, you should take some time to design a healthy, open and positive office break room.
It can enhance communication and teamwork among employees
Successful cooperation and open communication among employees is of the utmost importance for a company’s success.
However, there aren’t so many opportunities for employees to get to know each other in a regular workplace because it can distract their colleagues.
Providing them with a lounge area or an office break room will enable them to get to know each other, communicate with each other and establish more meaningful work relationships.
Communicating in such a casual, laid-back environment may also be more productive. Employees will feel completely relaxed and unpressured, and this will be their area for brainstorming and sharing ideas.
How you design the break room or lounge area can affect the way your employees communicate.
For instance, if you arrange furniture in a circle or semi-circle, your employees will be able to see each other clearly.
Such a layout is more intimate, inspiring communication and collaboration. You can also introduce a round dining table to achieve a similar effect.
It can show your appreciation for your employees
Finally, going the extra mile and designing a truly cool, relaxed and inspiring breakroom will show that you care for and appreciate your employees. This is a great opportunity to do something for them as a token of appreciation.
You can equip the office break room with a foosball table, an entertainment centre and other fun perks. You can use this area to organise company parties, movie nights and other events for your employees.
It goes without saying that this will improve your company culture, make your employees feel valued and appreciated and even contribute to your company success.
Not only will a well-designed, inspiring office break room enhance your company culture, but it will also provide your employees with numerous benefits, contributing to their happiness, health and general well-being.
About The Author, Lana Hawkins
Lana Hawkins is an architecture student and the editor-in-chief of Smooth Decorator. She enjoys writing about interior decoration and landscaping. Lana is interested in sustainability and green building, from where she gets most of her inspiration. Lana also writes regularly for the high-profile interior design blog, Don’t Call Me Penny.
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