Staff are required to take a break after four hours of working and the employee break room is often the best place to go to eat your lunch and decompress for thirty minutes before heading back out on the floor. Every staff break room should make employees feel at ease and allow them to take a breath and momentarily separate themselves from the craziness of the day’s work–but most staff break rooms do the opposite.
Creating a comforting environment for a staff break room is crucial to give employees the relaxation that they need on their breaks. There are a number of ways to make any break room better and it could simply be by taking out the old furniture and bringing some new stuff in that is more modern, comforting, and sets a whole different tone for the room.
If you’re stuck on how to switch up the employee break room to create a healthier and more comforting space for staff to hang out at, then here are some top furniture ideas to implement and switch the room around for something different!
1. Add Digital Signage
Digital signage is a great way to boost employee engagement through interactive and dynamic content!
Digital signage creates a friendly, more interactive environment and a way to catch staff up on company news and events.
When thinking about new types of furniture to add into an employee break room, sometimes it can be technology instead of a new couch or table and chairs that can truly make the difference you’re looking for. Digital signage is among one of the best things that you can add to any business no matter if it’s on the floor while staff are working or in the break room.
Digital signage can help to boost employee engagement and productivity, recognize and appreciate staff for their achievements or milestones, improve internal communications, and even be a great way to update staff on company news and upcoming events. Having a digital signage screen paired with a content management system (CMS) is crucial because the platform helps to create the content you’re making–either from scratch or with pre-made templates–and the screen to help display your content. These two paired together help to create a positive workplace environment where staff feel recognized and a part of a family at their job.
If you’re looking for the perfect CMS software application to pair your digital signage screen with, then consider Shift, who strives to deepen relationships between managers and staff through interactive and immersive content! Not only is it perfect for beginners, but it’s the best way to keep staff engaged, learning more about their teams and how to work together, plus it helps to retain good employees long-term.
2. Coffee Station
Coffee is an essential for any break room and a great way for employees to feel appreciated!
Putting together a coffee station for an employee break room is a great way for many staff to feel appreciated with a cup of joe. Image courtesy of Perks and Provisions.
For staff that work early in the mornings, a quick coffee break in the break room is necessary to keep the energy levels up for the rest of the day. If you’re looking into what to add to your employee break room while also using it as an opportunity to appreciate your staff, surprise them with a coffee station.
Coffee stations are a great addition to any employee break room because all you need to do is add in some counter space or a table, a coffee machine, Keurig, or espresso machine, and then don’t forget the coffee beans, creamers, syrups, and sugars! You can also add different teas or sugars and personalized coffee mugs for your staff to help them feel appreciated, and it can also be a reminder that sometimes a cup of coffee can fix everything.
3. Cubbies or Locker Space
A place for staff to safely and securely store their belongings is a great addition to a break room!
Adding in some lockers or cubbies can be a great way for staff to lock up their belongings and not worry about them throughout their shift. Image courtesy of OES Office Furniture.
The next best type of furniture to add into any office break room is something that will benefit staff and give them peace of mind throughout their shift–cubbies or lockers. Many staff bring their purses, gym bags, wallets, cell phones, or extra pairs of shoes to work with them and having a place to securely lock their belongings up can make their lives a little bit easier.
By adding in lockers or cubbies to an employee break room, you can have all of their staff neatly keep their belongings in them to keep the area clean and organized. It can also be a great way for staff to recharge during their break without the stress of extra clutter, along with preventing theft and promoting personal hygiene.
4. Plants
Adding plants to any employee break room can help to bring light and relaxation in the workplace!
Plants can help improve air quality and boost mental health, which makes them essential for any break room. Image courtesy of Urban Office.
Sometimes it’s not necessarily furniture that you need for your employee break room, but nature instead–but how do you do this? One of the best things to bring into any employee break room to spruce and liven up the place is plants, where they can have a number of positive benefits on your staff. From reducing stress, boosting mental health, and even improving the air quality of the break room, plants are a must and can create a more relaxing way to enjoy their break.
For an office break room, plants that require little sunlight and water are perfect as they’re not as high-maintenance and are easier to take care of. It is recommended to choose anything from snake plants, pothos, zz plants, spider plants, or even succulents for their easy maintenance if you want to turn your office break room green.
5. Lounge and Dining Furniture
Making sure that your staff are comfortable on their break is crucial–and this can be achieved with both lounge and dining furniture!
Lounge and dining furniture is perfect to give staff an option of where they want to fit and relax during their break. Image courtesy of Systems Furniture.
When choosing the right furniture to purchase for an employee break room, it’s important to choose something that is great for dining and for those who want to sit on something comfortable to fully enjoy their break. Something that is easy to clean, such as vinyl or laminate that is also sleek, yet modern is perfect for dining tables and chairs. Splurging on a couch to sit down, relax, and catch up on the news or even a book can make an employee break room even better.
Incorporating a mix of booths, lounge chairs, bar stools, and a traditional table and chairs and even adding wood or green colors can help make the space feel more natural and refreshing compared to typical, cheap office seating and decor.
6. Mini Fridge or Full-Size Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a great way for staff to bring in their own healthy lunches without them spoiling!
A mini fridge or a full-size refrigerator is essential to add to any employee break room to keep staff’s lunch and other goodies cold. Image courtesy of Wayfair.
One of the most important additions to any employee break room is ensuring that staff has some place to put their food to make sure it doesn’t go bad before their break. If your facility or business doesn’t provide lunches for your staff, consider adding in a mini fridge or a full-sized refrigerator depending on the amount of employees you have using the break room.
The biggest reason that this is a huge improvement to any employee break room is that it will increase overall staff satisfaction. Bringing a lunch into work that they can keep cold will encourage many staff to eat their lunch on-site with others and hence deepen relationships with one another. It also contributes to food safety and overall hygiene in the workplace by preventing clutter and even bacterial growth.
7. Entertainment Corner
Foosball tables, ping pong, or TVs with video games can help staff to de-stress on their break!
Adding a fun area for staff to play some ping pong, read a book, or watch TV is a great way to unwind during a stressful shift. Image courtesy of Surf Office.
Who says that your staff can’t have fun while at work? If you want to treat your staff to something that they’ll absolutely love, then consider adding an entertainment corner to your employee break room! Entertainment can come in a number of different forms and for staff on break, it can be a great way to relax and de-stress before heading back out and finishing the day.
If you’re considering adding an entertainment corner in your employee break room, there are a few different options on what you can add to it. From ping pong tables, foosball, TVs, video games, exercise equipment, puzzles, or even a mini basketball hoop can be a great way for staff to enjoy spending time in the employee break room.
8. Whiteboard or Chalkboard
Looking to brainstorm ideas on your lunch break? Install whiteboards or chalkboards for staff to get their thoughts out–even on break!
Adding a whiteboard or chalkboard to an employee break room can be a great way for them to get their thoughts out or connect with other staff. Image courtesy of Owl Labs Blog.
There is something so nostalgic about being able to get your thoughts out and write them down on a whiteboard or chalkboard to fully understand their thought process on a new work project. If you’re looking to upgrade your employee break room, then maybe adding a whiteboard with some tables and chairs can be a great way for staff to brainstorm ideas for a new work project, or as a fun way to communicate with other coworkers.
Whiteboards or chalkboards–although not as good as digital signage–can be a fun, more traditional way to keep in contact with staff, or get them to write messages to one another. It can even boost creativity in the workplace and allow staff to show their artistic side, no matter if they’re sketching a concept out for a project, or engaging with staff by drawing something fun. They are also just a fun, eco-friendly, and reusable tool that can be used in a number of ways to bring excitement to the break room.
Consider Upgrading Your Employee Break Room With These Top 8 Furniture Ideas–and Especially Digital Signage
There is no place as important as the employee break room, especially when it comes to creating a relaxing environment for staff to relax after a stressful part of their day. Reinventing the employee break room with new furniture can be a great way to spruce up the area, bring a new level of relaxation to the workplace, and keep employees satisfied no matter if they’re on the floor or taking their break.
Check out these top eight furniture ideas for your employee break room to give staff a sanctuary away from the madness and keep them relaxed throughout their break today!
Also, consider adding digital signage paired with Shift as a reliable CMS software application that can help boost engagement and keep staff up to date on company news and events perfect for any employee break room!
