Design your office break room with your employees’ needs and interests in mind. The break room can make a difference in your work environment.
One of the biggest mistakes businesses can make in their workplace is leaving their office break room design as an afterthought. The resulting, glum interior — if there’s a dedicated break room at all — can often go underused, which is a waste of precious office space. Today’s work environments are more laidback and open, but the work expected is just as demanding. Employees need the chance to rest and refresh so they can feel ready to conquer their tasks. Creating a relaxing and fun office break room design can go a long way in supporting the office morale.
Use a Variety of Seating
Having seats invites workers to gather and socialize. Or, in today’s open office culture, it gives a change of scenery for people to read over documents or respond to emails. In an office break room, different seating allows everyone to find a comfy spot to sit back and decompress. Offering a mix of couches, armchairs, or even booth-like seating means everyone can find an option that suits their needs for that day. Employees need a space away from their desks to take a sufficient break. For some, it may be to catch a power nap, while others may want to listen to a podcast or browse the web.
Make the Space Feel Different from the Office
Taking breaks helps boost productivity and creativity. The best way for workers to pause their work is to put themselves in a less work-focused environment. Make the break room feel more relaxed and homier with residential-looking furnishings, potted plants, and maybe even entertainment options. This could be a TV, ping pong table, a pool table, or whatever else to add some fun to the office break room. These extras can come in handy for team building get-togethers like a movie night or those late nights where you’re all working but want to blow off some steam together.
Set Up a Lunch Area
Many employees have worked through lunch and ate at their desks in attempts to stay productive. While deadlines can occasionally make this necessary, you should be encouraging workers to take advantage of their lunch break, and ideally, have it in a communal lunch area away from their work station. Set up a dedicated table or tables for coworkers to chat over lunch or a morning coffee together. Encouraging this friendly socializing throughout the office means better workplace relationships are formed and holds the potential to better collaborative work if not happier people overall.
Choose Edwards & Hill for Your Office Furniture and Design Needs
Are you ready to redesign your office to maximize productivity and creative thinking? Edwards & Hill can help you design and install the perfect designs for your business. Edwards & Hill is a leading office, education, medical, and hospitality furniture provider with high-quality design and installation services for any style or scale. If you are ready to get your office design started, contact us online or give us a call at 301-317-4250. For more furniture design tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Flickr, and YouTube.
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