How to Maximize Your Office’s Break Room Design
The article outlines seven key elements to maximize office break room design, emphasizing creating a distinct, vibrant space with movable furniture and a community bulletin board, providing entertainment like a TV or magazines, offering healthy snacks to promote wellness, and establishing clear etiquette rules to maintain cleanliness and comfort for all employees.
Break rooms are an important part of a successful office layout. They provide a necessary breather from the workplace without actually leaving it. However, a break room can only have the maximum positive effect if it’s a place workers actually enjoy.
Give ‘Em a Break!
Here are seven elements that will help maximize your office break room design:
Design
The purpose of the break room is to let workers take a mini-vacation from work. To make the room its own distinctive space, avoid designing it with the same palette as the rest of the office. Decorate with bright furniture and paint the walls a vibrant color. Have plenty of chairs and several tables that can be easily moved to encourage mingling. To further create a community feel, hang a bulletin board on the wall for posting news and announcements.
Entertainment
If you have the budget, consider installing a television. Workers who take their lunch break can catch up on the latest news or enjoy mid-day reruns of their favorite sitcom. If a television is out of the question, consider stocking the break room with magazines for workers to peruse. Reading material can let them feed their minds while they eat.
Food
To encourage a healthy workforce, have nutritional snacks on hand. These may include nuts, granola bars, or fresh fruit available for free, or healthy snacks in the vending machine, or a combination of both. While sugar-laden foods may be popular, these should be avoided whenever possible; the energy boosts they provide are only temporary. Unhealthy snacks can also be a poor complement to lack of physical activity, which is a reality for many office workers who remain seated for most of the day.
Etiquette
Break rooms are a space for everyone, and a set of rules will ensure that it’s kept clean and comfortable for each person who uses it. Post clear guidelines for workers about clearing food out of the refrigerator, washing their dirty dishes, cleaning up spills and other messes, etc. Designate a person to be the main contact for any questions, concerns, or snack supply needs.
Appliances
A good break room will have a few key appliances, including a refrigerator, freezer, and microwave at the very least. Other optional appliances could include a toaster, a coffee pot, and a water cooler. With these items just a few steps away from their desks, employees will have a convenient means for refueling throughout the day, without having to spend extra time going out.
Kitchen Supplies
Keep the break room stocked with items like plastic spoons, forks, knives, and paper coffee cups. Also be sure the room has dish detergent and a sponge for dishwashing, sugar and creamer for coffee, and a trash can and recycling bin.
View
Placing the break room in a space with a window view of natural scenery is another good way to let workers take a break from their usual surroundings. If your break room doesn’t have a good window view, try putting up some interesting art on the walls. Whether natural or artistic, a nice view can help create a relaxing atmosphere.
When your break room incorporates all of the above elements, your workers will have a great place to unwind, chat, and enjoy a cup of coffee. They can then return to their work, fully recharged.