Can Transforming Your Break Area Transform Your Employees’ Output?

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Emma PreeceGeneral Manager at R+R Hub

13 September 2021

It was once the case that if you wanted a bite to eat at work, you would take a walk to what was often a dingy looking canteen that was hugely uninspiring and had a side of chips with everything.

Article 3 Minutes
Can Transforming Your Break Area Transform Your Employees’ Output?

These days, workplace refreshments have a whole new image, making them fresher, brighter and more convenient. The effects of this can be felt in many ways, including how your employees feel at work and therefore how they perform too.

The break area is often the last space that employers give any thought to, but research has shown that a bit more attention to this space can have a huge effect on your staff. Many businesses are now adding Micro Markets to their break areas as a perfect solution to all of their needs.

These unattended areas make use of technology to keep goods safe and allow for easy payment, all whilst providing hot, fresh food. Micro Markets use technologically advanced vending machines to provide healthy, nourishing food at the touch of button, and they are proving popular with staff and employers alike.

Health at heart

Typically, canteens and vending machines have meant that food options were often pre-packaged and laden with sugar or carbohydrates. This not only impacts on overall health but also performance in the workplace. The initial high is soon replaced by a crashing low where output and productivity tends to be at its lowest.

Providing healthier, fresher foods can not only help you work towards a healthier workforce that requires less time off, but also can impact in how they work on a day-to-day basis.

Fresh fruit, diverse flavours and a range of dietary requirements catered for means that the way your employees bodies respond will be different.

Instead of highs and lows, foods which offer a steadier release of energy will keep your staff working more efficiently for longer. They’ll also stay fuller, which means they’re less likely to take more breaks or reach for the snacks.

Positive relations

Creating a space where staff are able to take a better break allows them to forge better relationships amongst the workforce. Staff who work together better and are happier in what they done tend to be more productive, so providing the opportunity to get to know each other on a human level can prove beneficial.

While it might seem like a place for time to be wasted, it’s actually the opposite. The technology in place allows it to be a far speedier process than it is for those popping out to the local shops. It can also be open 24 hours a day without the need for it to be staffed, making it much easier for staff to grab what they want as and when they need it.

The atmosphere that can be created by a Micro Market is a positive one, and when workers feel happier and less stressed, they’re far more likely to give their all once they are back at their desks.

If you invite clients into your workplace, this can also be a welcoming and attractive space for them. Having the ability to offer fresh, good quality coffee and a range of foods to choose from is a good way to build a positive impression of your business to those who work with you.

Micro Markets are an attractive prospect for many businesses these days as they can offer a wide range of foods without being labour intensive. The impact they can have on staff, mood and productivity can be huge, and many are now starting to see why they are such an essential addition to any workplace.

Emma Preece

Emma is the general manager at R+R Hub, a leading supplier of healthy food and micro market solutions to offices and businesses.

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