Regardless of the size of the business, every office needs some kind of kitchen or breakroom. As a matter of fact, a study showed that more 70 percent of employees can feel more relaxed and stress relieved at work if there’s a nice office kitchen included. Therefore, breakrooms are beneficial for both the employer and the employee, so here’s a handy guide for organizing it properly.
Appoint a kitchen/breakroom director
No matter how silly it may sound, the rule number for proper setting up an office kitchen is to have a person in charge of it. Let’s call it a kitchen or breakroom director. Her or his job isn’t to clean after the others but to organize the cleaning schedule, to make sure the cabinets are filled with coffee and tea, to report if something’s broken, etc.
Keep your employees fueled
There’s no better way of fueling up your colleagues in the morning than with an enormous amount of coffee. Equip your office kitchen with a coffee maker station and enough mugs for everyone. Coffee should be free, of course, and don’t forget to provide enough sugar and sugar substitutes as well as standard and vegan-friendly milk options.
Don’t forget about the water
Coffee is great, but pure water is essential for the health of every human being so make sure your employees have access to it. Since tap water is not always of a good quality, investing in a reliable water filter is a must. A good filter will remove contaminants, large molecules, and solid substances to make your water suitable for drinking, say Sydney’s retailers of reverse osmosis filter units, so put that on your shopping list, too.
Help your employees save on lunch money
How to help your employees save some money they’re about to use to buy lunch? Provide them with a fridge, microwave, and a toaster. That way everyone can bring lunch from their home and keep it warm or cool. Don’t forget about cutlery and equip your kitchen with reusable knives and forks. Not only it will save you money, but it will also make you the environmentally-friendly business owner.
Create conditions for cleaning up
You don’t need a cleaning lady, it’s in your employees’ best interest to clean after themselves and keep their kitchen tidy. That’s why it’s very important to have a sink, dish soap, and a dish rack. An appointed kitchen director should make the cleaning schedule and make sure everybody’s following it. Plastic wrap, plastic bags, and paper towels always come in handy, so make sure you fill the cabinets with supplies.
Set up clear rules
Come up with a kitchen policy and make sure all employees are familiar with it. As a matter of fact, you should include your coworkers in the process of making a policy so everyone can contribute and feel comfortable about the rules. A fridge should have strict boundaries – everyone should label their food and drinks and remove it from the fridge before it starts to root.
Decorate carefully
Office kitchen or breakroom should be a stimulating place where your colleagues come for a quick break from work. Don’t decorate it like the rest of the office because that’s no place to relax. Opt for vivid wall colours and interesting details. Hang motivational posters or convenient quotes around the place as well as community bulletin board.
Include the requested features
The best kitchen or breakrooms are the ones that have features that employees requested. Set up a comment box and revise it monthly on a meeting. Brainstorm together, vote democratically and see what works best for your collective. Listen to your coworkers’ needs and get them what they want. They’ll feel appreciated when you show their opinion matters.
Setting up an office kitchen can benefit your business in the long run, so don’t hesitate to invest a bit and organize it as soon as possible. With the nifty ideas mentioned above, you’ll able to do it properly. Gather around your coworkers and you’ll enjoy your office kitchen/breakroom in no time.