We all know that it’s important to take your breaks throughout your working day. Sitting at your office desk for hours on end isn’t good for your health or your productivity levels. Yet, many people struggle to take their breaks because they don’t have anywhere to go during them.
It’s vital that you give your employees somewhere comfortable, safe, and pleasant to sit, mull around and generally chill out, during their breaks. Otherwise, they’ll simply sit at their office chairs all day long and that will negatively affect everything.
But, there is a difference between any old break area and a good break area. You want to give your employees the best, because that’s what they deserve, right? If you can, it’s a good idea to have both an indoor and outdoor space. The weather may not allow people to sit outdoors 12 months of the year, but a quick breath of fresh air is beneficial on all fronts.
As far as your indoor break area is concerned, what are the 5 must-haves to include in the design?
- Comfortable seating - Breakout furniture, office sofas, office booths, beanbags, these are all good options for break areas. This space needs to be more relaxing than the actual office itself, so forget ergonomic chairs at this point and instead stick with comfort and style.
- Tables - You can have large tables so everyone can sit and chat, or you can have a mixture of a few smaller ones too, so those who don’t want to talk can do so. People need somewhere to put their coffee or their lunch while they’re eating so tables are a must have.
- Charging points - This is a good little extra to have. Charging points for mobile phones means that your employees can chat, do what they need to do on their phone and generally browse the Internet during their breaks without running out of juice.
- Somewhere to get some fresh air - We mentioned an outdoor space but if you don’t have the means for that, you should (if possible) have somewhere in your break area that has some fresh air coming in. A large window, for example.
- Food storage areas - Fridges and cupboards are a good idea in smaller break rooms. If you have a large canteen, it’s more likely that people will purchase their food or keep them in the office fridge, but if you can, food storage is a good extra.
With these points and a pleasant decor, your break area will help your employees have the time out they need.