What is a breakroom and what are the benefits of having one?
A breakroom is a room found in an office that is designated for employees to eat lunch and socialize in during the workday. Breakrooms are important for office buildings to have, as they are a place where an employee can go for a break from their desk or computer, to talk to co-workers, to have their lunch, or make a cup of coffee. Breakrooms are usually stocked with snacks, drinks, coffee, and kitchen equipment for employees to have an appropriate space to eat, drink, and socialize in at various points during the workday.
There are many benefits to having a breakroom in the office. Here are some key perks:
- Increases productivity: Believe it or not, allowing employees to take breaks at their leisure during the workday has been proven to increase overall productivity. Taking a break from work and socializing for a few minutes with co-workers is a great way to de-stress and get back to work with a fresh mind. Enjoying a snack or a beverage also gives employees energy to get back to their desk and continue to work.
- Improves office relationships: It’s hard to make friends, especially as adults. A breakroom is a great place to develop relationships and friendships within the office. Whether you are conversing over a mid-day cup of coffee or heating up lunch, breakrooms are a great place to share a conversation or learn more about your co-workers.
- Creates a happy work environment: When your employees are happy at work, your business is more successful. Buying snacks and drinks for the breakroom that everyone loves is a great way to increase the enjoyment level of your employees and makes them feel valued and appreciated.
Where should the breakroom be located in an office?
The breakroom should be in a central location in the office so that everyone has equal access to it throughout the day. Having it in a central location adds the benefit of employees walking past one another in order to get to the breakroom, which might strike up conversation.
What are breakroom supplies?
Just like office supplies, breakroom supplies consist of many different types of products. Here is a list of things you might need for your breakroom:
- Snacks
- Drinks
- Coffee and coffee supplies
- Cleaning supplies
- Organization
- Kitchen supplies
- Furniture
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Storage space
Buying bulk breakroom supplies such as food and drinks is always a good idea since it saves time and money. Making sure you have something for everyone makes your employees feel heard and valued as a member of the company. After all, they are spending at least 8 hours per day in the office, they might as well enjoy their favorite snacks and drinks. Popular breakroom supplies include things like coffee machines, mugs for coffee, and candy for a little extra sugar during the day. Products for the breakroom also include things like facilities maintenance supplies for cleaning, as well as organization supplies to keep the room tidy.
How do you stock a breakroom?
Stocking a breakroom can be difficult, but with W.B. Mason as your office breakroom supplier, it doesn’t have to be. Simply create an account and shop your office’s favorite snack and beverage preferences, as well as paper goods, coffee, furniture, cleaning supplies, and more. Stock your breakroom with healthier alternatives like protein bars, fruit, nuts, and yogurt to give your employees extra protein and fiber to maintain the workflow throughout the day. Along with snacks, you also want to stock the refrigerator or pantry with a variety of drinks, such as sparkling water, soda, juice, tea, and plenty of drinking water to keep the hydration up around the office. Some popular brands that W.B. Mason carries are:
- Cheez-It®
- Coca-Cola®
- HONEST Tea®
- Nature Valley®
- Nutri-Grain®
- Poland Springs®
- Smartfood®
- Snapple®
- Welch’s®
- Wheat Thins®
Besides food items, you also want to stock the breakroom with cleaning supplies and paper goods. W.B. Mason has all the breakroom cleaning supplies you might need such as paper towels, multi-purpose cleaners, disinfectant wipes, soaps and sponges, and trash bins and bags. Disposable plates, bowls, and utensils are also great to have in your office’s breakroom to keep cleaning at a minimal.
How do you organize a breakroom?
Organizing a breakroom can be like organizing your kitchen at home. Storage space is a must, whether that be cabinets or shelves. There needs to be spaces for things like mugs, non-perishable snacks, cleaning supplies, and more. You can shop organizational supplies from W.B. Mason for all your organization needs, with products like drawer organizers for utensils, coffee organizers, shelves, and tabletop caddies. Along with that, labeling items is key for breakroom organization. Labeling food items ensures that employees with allergies or dietary restrictions are aware of what the item is and what is in it, along with cleaning supplies. People can develop allergic reactions to certain chemicals, which is why labeling them will help keep everyone safe. Avery labeling templates make it easy to print custom labels for all the snack bins and coffee flavors your breakroom might have.
How do you keep track of breakroom supplies?
Keeping track of your office breakroom supplies doesn’t have to be difficult. Simply create a document online listing all the supplies you have for the breakroom that will need to be replenished at some point, laminate it, and stick it to the refrigerator in the breakroom. If an employee notices that an item is running low, provide expo markers for them to check an item on the list so whoever oversees replenishing knows that something is almost gone. This is an easy way to keep track of your breakroom essentials and to know when things are running low. When you replenish the item, simply wipe away the checkmark with a damp paper towel to signify that the item is back in stock. Ask employees to check off items that they notice are low to make it a team effort.
With W.B. Mason’s G.O.L.D. Star Delivery service, we make it easy to replenish snacks, drinks, and other breakroom supplies when you need it. When you get low on supplies, a W.B. Mason will deliver your order either the same day or the next day, so you have everything you need to make your employees happy.
What do employees want in a breakroom?
Other than their favorite snacks and drinks, employees want comfort and motivation to get them through the rest of the day. Furniture like tables and chairs to give the breakroom a home-like feeling is a great way to ensure comfort into your employees’ day, along with motivational signs around the room to make them feel valued. The breakroom is meant for breaks during the workday, so having décor and comfortable chairs for a more relaxed atmosphere can be a great way to provide your employees with an enjoyable space.
How do you make a breakroom fun?
Besides comfortable and relaxing, the breakroom can also be fun. Having activities for employees to do like little surveys, daily trivia, or fun questions to get to know people better can be a great way to find out more about co-workers during your time in the breakroom. Adding pops of color with prints on the wall or fake plants is always a nice touch, along with small games or puzzles to ease the headaches that might occur from all the screentime during the day. Of course, having themed snacks and drinks for different holidays or seasons is always fun, along with adding new flavors of coffee or tea for everyone to try. Try to incorporate new snacks and drinks into the rotation to make choosing a snack more interesting.
The breakroom is also a great place for employees to celebrate events like birthdays and anniversaries, and to gather for special announcements. Getting away from the desk and computer to celebrate a co-worker’s special day or getting together for any occasion is a nice way to interact with your co-workers and connect more beyond work.
How do you make a breakroom more inviting?
By fostering comfort, relaxation, and fun, the breakroom can be more inviting. Keeping it in a central location makes it accessible to all, as well as putting in effort to make sure everyone has something they like to eat or drink. Putting a welcome sign on the door to the breakroom can also make it more inviting, as well as keeping the door open throughout the day. Keeping the breakroom clean shows your employees that you care, thus making it a place where people enjoy taking a break in.
How do you make your breakroom more environmentally friendly?
Cutting down on single use items like plastic utensils and paper plates is a helpful way to make the office breakroom more environmentally friendly, as well as using sustainable products like reusable coffee mugs, and compostable paper goods. At W.B. Mason, we have all the sustainable breakroom supplies you need to make your office a little greener. Try adding a compost and recycling bins to your breakroom and encourage employees to do their part when throwing away their garbage. With all the single served paper and plastic an office goes through, recycling is a great way to reduce waste in the office, leaving you with a smaller carbon footprint.
Breakroom supplies at W.B. Mason
Look no further than W.B. Mason for all your office breakroom supplies from snacks and drinks to organizers and coffee supplies. We have everything to make your breakroom comfortable and fun for all employees, while offering products to make the earth a little greener. We offer low discounted prices and fast delivery on all products, which can be delivered as soon as the following day.
References:
CareerAddict. 25 Must-Have Office Break Room Supplies. (www.careeraddict.com/10-must-have-office-break-room-supplies) Accessed June 27, 2022.
Chron. How to Make Your Break Room More Inviting. (work.chron.com/make-break-room-inviting) Accessed June 27, 2022.
Fupping. The Benefits of Having an Office Break Room. (https://fupping.com/logan/2021/04/28/the-benefits-of-having-an-office-break-room) Accessed June 27, 2022.
