By Theresa Bontempo
Something that many employees look forward to (besides leaving work) is being able to go on their break. Whether it’s a quick fifteen or your full thirty-minute lunch break, that little bit of time makes the difference in order to reset upon returning back to work and picking up where you left off. Many employees take their breaks in the employee break room–a place where they can keep their lunch in the refrigerator, lock their belongings in a locker, and just sit and relax for a bit.
Most employee break rooms are bland–with opaque or neutral-colored walls with maybe a TV, microwave, lockers, and a fridge to keep their lunch cold. Sometimes even just being in the break room doesn’t feel relaxing, maybe due to all of the other responsibilities that you have to work on once you are done.
Small employee breakrooms should be a place of relaxation and there are many ways to freshen it up and keep your employees engaged–plus making the most out of the space is key. Check out some of our top eight ways to freshen up your small employee breakroom and keep your staff engaged!
- Add Digital Signage
One of the best ways to keep your employees engaged–especially with deskless jobs–is digital signage!
Digital signage using Shift’s employee engagement system is a great way to engage your staff, learn more about them, and increase productivity. Image courtesy of Shift.
Technology is something that is ever-evolving, and it has a lot of useful tools, apps, and methods to stay productive, form good, positive habits, find a job, maintain easy communication, and even keep staff engaged during a work shift. One of the best ways to keep staff engaged is by using digital signage and getting an employee engagement software system that can have a positive effect on your staff and how they work.
There are a ton of employee engagement systems that are available, but one of the most popular ones is Shift–a system that helps engage your employees while also reducing a high turnover rate, improving retention, boosting productivity, and connecting with your staff on a deeper level. Many jobs–especially those in customer service and other deskless jobs–can cause a lot of stress on staff, but Shift uses its technology to strengthen employee/manager relationships and show appreciation for those who are working hard.
Shift works so well that many popular franchises use it to effectively communicate and boost employee engagement on an easy-to-understand platform that also has essential information to learn more about your employees. Using digital signage, you can pull staff into the employee breakroom for important training, show a leaderboard of how their store is doing compared to others, and create a positive and competitive environment that all employees are happy to contribute to.
- Add a Photo Wall
Remembering plenty of good times with staff with a photo wall makes for a great addition to any small break room!
Photo walls with pictures of your employees or decoration on one designated space can make for a great addition to a small break room. Image courtesy of Print a Wallpaper.
For many small businesses, it’s common to see employees stay long-term because they like their job and their appreciation towards the owners. If your small business has a lot of long-term employees and even newer ones that have made a significant influence on the company, then a photo wall can be a great idea to spruce up the break room.
Taking pictures at company Christmas parties, Halloween parties, or even special moments while on the job calls for a wall full of memories. By taking pictures of your employees and adding them to a designated empty spot on a wall, it will make your employees feel more appreciated for the work that they do and it can help them feel like they belong to part of a bigger family–plus it can promote a positive work environment.
- Hold Team Lunches
Show staff your appreciation by paying for their lunch and sitting down with your team!
Team lunches are a great way to interact with your employees, plus show your appreciation by paying for their food. Image courtesy of Office Caterer.
Do you have an upcoming team meeting, training session, or just want to pay your staff back for the hard work that they did on a tough day? If you’re looking to freshen up the small employee break room–even without changing its appearance–then make sure to hold a team meeting on a designated day where everyone is present.
Team meetings are crucial in general, as it helps you as the manager get familiar with your staff and learn more about them. Managers can decide if they want to have the lunch catered and by, and it can be a great way to get everyone together to get to know them better.
- Add a Small Kitchenette
With small company break rooms, being mindful of your space is important, but so are the essentials for a kitchenette!
Adding a newly renovated kitchenette can be an efficient way to boost company morale and help your staff get the most out of their break. Image courtesy of Croudace Constructs.
For a company break room, it’s important to have all of the essentials. Many staff bring their lunch into work everyday, or often go out to order something during their thirty-minute break. This could be due to there being no refrigerator or a way to heat up your food, but by adding a small kitchenette into the break room, it can make a huge difference on employee appreciation.
There are some essential gadgets that are needed for any kitchenette, which can include everything from a mini fridge, microwave, toaster oven, coffee pot, Keurig, cups, mugs, bowls, plates, and even silverware. By incorporating a kitchenette in your small employee break room, this can help staff to feel appreciated by giving them the tools they need to pack a lunch, keep it cool, heat it up, and avoid spending unnecessary money on going out to eat all the time.
- Load Up on Snacks
Getting snacks to keep in your small employee break room can be a simple, yet effective idea that helps staff feel appreciated!
Adding snacks into the break room makes for an easy and effective idea that can help many employees feel appreciated and thankful. Image courtesy of Nutrition in Bloom.
If you’re looking for an easy way to all of your employees' hearts when it comes to adding something to the break room–it’s snacks and always snacks! By adding a mixed array of individual chip bags, trail mix, or sweets, it can be a great way for any employee to feel appreciated. This could also be a great idea for employees who may have forgotten their lunch and left it in their fridge back home. A snack or two could hold them over, or it could be a simple little pick me up when you need something to munch on.
Employees can even be encouraged to contribute their own snacks, baked goods, or other homemade goodies that can be a great way for the whole team to get to know each other better and form a stronger bond with snack-offs or baking competitions.
- Add Modern Furniture
Sometimes just giving the break room a simple makeover with new furniture can be a great way to spruce things up!
Giving the break room a makeover with new furniture, rugs, and accent pieces can be a great way to make it feel more home-y. Image courtesy of 2010 Office Furniture.
Everyone knows what hold office or break room furniture looks like–it’s bland, boring, and just screams corporate. There’s no fun in neutral plastic chairs or tables, and sometimes a change of scenery is all that is needed. If you have the money and are willing to make your break room more of a comfortable, vibey place, then consider purchasing some new modern furniture.
When it comes to finding the right furniture, many people find modern the type that suits not only their home, but their break room the best. Modern furniture is popular for its sleek, minimalist, and versatile look that can come in a wide variety of colors and designs for the ultimate comfortable break area. Another reason why many people consider modern furniture is because of how affordable it is and many popular franchises–such as Ikea–make for the perfect place to stop and get some new gear for your break room.
- Collaborative Puzzles
Need to clear your mind on your lunch break? Stock up on puzzles for your staff members to work on while they’re in the break room!
Puzzles can make a great team project to work on while employees are in the break room taking their lunch. Image courtesy of Soonness.
It’s a known fact that team projects can help bring a team of staff closer together. While many work projects are more common while on the job, they can also be done off of the clock too. If you’re looking to add to your small employee break room, something that can bring your staff together and work as a team to complete are collaborative puzzles.
The break room is the time to kick back and relax for thirty minutes–get off of your feet and decompress after an intense first part of your shift. Many staff members use this time to eat their lunch and play around on their phone, but if you want your staff to get more involved with one another, a collaborative puzzle can do the trick. Whether you choose a cute puzzle with puppies and kittens on it, one of the cities you work in, or even a fun themed one, puzzles are a great way for staff members to work together–and you can even frame it afterwards for further decoration!
- Coffee/Tea of the Week
Are your employees sluggish in the wee hours of the morning? Consider adding a coffee and tea flavor of the week to perk them up!
Coffee and tea are great kickstarters to get any morning off to the right start–and they are often found in the break room. Image courtesy of Great River Office Products.
For those early mornings, it can be difficult to kick it into gear and get started due to a lack of energy. Caffeine is a common cure that can help remedy low energy and give you the burst that you need to get through the day. It is common to have a coffee maker or Keurig in any employee break room, but sometimes the bland and boring K-Cups just don't do it anymore. Instead, try out a coffee and/or tea flavor of the week to spice things up and get your staff up and running.
You can get an official coffee cart up and running in your employee break room where you can get a larger, industrial hot or iced coffee maker and also purchase different flavors–including mocha, french vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, french roast, and more. You can then also get toppings and syrups to allow your staff to personalize their drinks. This is something simple that will put them in a good mood and get them awake and more alert in the mornings.
Spruce Up the Small Employee Break Room With These Top 8 Methods to Make it More Comfortable For Staff
It’s important to take good care of your staff members and create a positive work environment that also allows them to get to know one another, and even makes them feel more appreciated. By doing something as simple as fixing up the employee break room by adding digital signage, switching out the furniture, or even getting them coffee and snacks, it can help engage and refresh your employees throughout the day.
Consider choosing one–or more–of these top eight ways to make the most out of the small employee break room space to keep staff engaged!
