9 Ways a (Clean) Employee Break Room Boosts Productivity

Your employee break room is more than just a place to kick back and relax. Did you know that taking breaks improves productivity by more than 80%?Several factors go into maintaining a break room that inspires positive performance. Factors include break room decor, lighting, furnishings, water, healthy snacks, and books.However, there's another factor that's frequently overlooked in your break room—cleaning. A messy break room doesn't inspire the best in your employees, but you can fix that.Here are nine ways a clean break room translates into employee success.

1. Prioritize Health

Good health doesn't just positively impact your team. Promoting healthy habits cuts down on workplace injuries, sick days, and worker's compensation. You can start encouraging better health right in your break room!Make sure your break room is free from clutter, rotting food, garbage, and mold. These factors are magnets for insects and rodents. Remember, pests also leave their fecal matter behind!

2. Healthy Nourishment

Your employees can't perform at their best if they lack proper nutrients. If your team isn't getting adequate nutrition outside of work, you can help them by providing a clean and stocked break room.Regularly clean out your fridge, so it's free from mold. Stock your employee fridge with bottled water, fruit, peanut butter, baby carrots, and more quick and easy snacks. This tip is an excellent way to keep your staff energized and productive throughout the day.

3. Say Goodbye to Allergies

Are allergies cutting into your employees' productivity? Allergies are a severe problem during months with high pollen levels. As an employer, you can help by reducing the number of allergens in your break room.Start by regularly cleaning your break room floors. You may want to consider using hardwood floors over carpet if you don't want to vacuum. Carpets are allergen magnets.

4. Clean Furnishings

Like carpet, that break room sofa can be an allergen nightmare if it's not cleaned. Sofas and pillows attract dust, lint, pet hair, and more. Don't forget to include cushions and upholstery in your regular cleaning!Toss old, moldy furnishings from the employee break room. A gross couch is also a health hazard. A lot of people go through that break room, so consider updating your furnishings as needed.

5. Decluttering Increases Productivity

Time and time again, studies have shown that decluttering boosts productivity in the workplace. Don't leave your employees wading in a sea of post-it notes, vendor catalogs, and pudding cups! Make a habit of decluttering your employee break room every week.Decluttering doesn't mean you have to throw everything away. It's much easier to throw away relevant documents in a messy break room. A decluttered break room is neatly organized, so everything is easy to find.Use file cabinets, containers, and trays to organized break room necessities. Keep coffee cups, condiments, and paper towels in a cupboard. Use a bulletin board to pin essential documents and announcements.

6. Inspire Team-Building

Your employee break room is the perfect place to hold morning meetings, but it's hard to focus in a messy break room. Just looking at a monumental mess zaps productivity. Clean up your break room to inspire creativity and teamwork again!The less clutter you have, the more room you have to engage in team-building exercises, morning stretches, and other activities. Remove any unwanted furnishings that are taking up much-needed space.

7. A Clean Computer Station

Does your break room have a shared computer for employees? A complimentary computer is a nice perk for your team. It's especially helpful for employees going to school.A cluttered computer workstation creates more chaos for employees. You want your employees to make the most out of their breaks, and searching for a keyboard underneath a pile of trash doesn't exactly inspire productivity.Remember, teamwork makes the dream work. Use a professional service to clean your break room, but also encourage employees to do their part to keep their computer station clean. No one likes a sticky keyboard!

8. Clean and Organized Lockers

Keep employee lockers clean at all times. Like your break room's computer station, employees should also be responsible for keeping their lockers clean. That means no old food, trash, and broken parts.Make sure employees who are leaving the company clean out their lockers before relinquishing them to new employees. Your employees can do their part, but lockers should be professionally cleaned periodically. Lockers are frequently handled and attract a lot of germs.Encourage employees to organize their lockers. Organization will help employees spend less time looking for their items. A messy locker can quickly eat up an entire 10-minute break!

9. Welcome New Employees

A clean break room is a welcoming break room. A dark, messy break room isn't the best way to welcome new employees.New employees don't want to step over trash to get to the microwave. Make an extra effort to clean up your break room before new hires arrive. Dust the counters, wipe down the fridge and microwave, vacuum in between cushions, and clean the floors.Get rid of old memos taking up space on the break room bulletin board. Your bulletin board is the perfect place to post company rules, schedules, and other important notices for new employees. Post a big welcome sign to make new employees feel at home!

Make Your Break Room Work For You

Don't let your employee break room become a storage facility for clutter. You and your employees deserve more. Commit to a cleaning schedule to transform your break room into a truly productive space.Remember, consistency is vital. Stop mess from taking over your break room again. Contact us today to learn how we can help.