How To Design A Great Break Room | After the worldwide pandemic that destroyed most of 2020 throughout the United Kingdom and, indeed, across the world, businesses and industries are slowly starting to move forward and, with that, more and more employees are now moving back into the office.
With the multitude of worries, high-stress levels, and exceedingly frightening health concerns associated with coronavirus, it is an employer’s responsibility to provide a safe and secure working environment and a break room where each workforce member can relax and feel comfortable in. Here are some key tips to help you design a great break room.
Clearly Identify and Separate the Space
With the current health problem, it’s strongly advised that doors and windows should be kept open to ensure proper air circulation, but that by no means that when designing a break room for your workforce, the room should be open floor plan.
Break rooms afford your employees the chance to truly relax and are one of the fundamental reasons why camaraderie and strong relationships between co-workers are often formed in offices and other similar workplaces. The break room should be a place your employees feel they can be themselves and essentially ‘switch off’ from work, and an open floor plan will help in this regard as it makes it feel more communal.
Decorate and Customise the Room
There is nothing worse than spending your lunch break in a clinical space that resembles a doctor’s waiting room, and one of the fundamental necessities when designing a break room for your employees is to decorate, personalize and customize the room to encourage a sense of belonging and stimulate a desire to converse.
A notice board is a useful and simple way of customizing the space, although be sure only to include group outings and other fun and carefree announcements: it should not be for work-related announcements, as it needs to be an escape from work.
Another fantastic addition to the break room are ‘employee of the month’ announcements and other employee incentives, such as a board showing particular compliments and positive feedback from happy customers or clients and photographs of staff parties and other outings.
Cultivate a Cosy, Warm and Inviting Atmosphere
One of the most effective and relatively cost-effective additions when endeavoring to create the perfect break room is to consider the addition of a beautiful and functional fireplace. Obviously more appropriate in the winter months, a fireplace is a fantastic way to encourage a metaphorical warmth between colleagues as well as a functional warmth on their well-earned break.
Having decided to install a fireplace into your employee’s break room, make sure you consult with a reputable, professional supplier such as stonewoods.co.uk, who has a vast wealth of knowledge and experience.
In summary, there are a plethora of positive benefits to spending time creating a well-designed and functional break room within your office. Contrary to popular belief, providing your workforce a safe, secure, and essentially fun place to relax and destress will increase their efficiency and productivity at work and create the most important aspect of employee relations, a sense of community and belonging.
