The breakroom, which started as a humble reprieve from the monotony of the office, has transformed into a dedicated space at the workplace where employees go to recharge and enjoy a cup of energy-boosting coffee, a meal, or snacks.
The breakroom of today is nothing like its counterparts of yesteryear. Today’s breakrooms are painted with colors that are scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety and aid employees in gaining a sense of calm. These breakrooms are outfitted with the latest in countertop food appliances. Companies now go above and beyond to source various snacks to cater to even the most discerning of tastes.
And it hasn’t gone unnoticed. According to Hoppier, who conducted an extensive study centered on exploring the impact of office snacks on employees, access to free food in the office increased employee happiness by 11%. This statistic is just the beginning; below is a list of snack stats that prove how much snacks in the workplace increase job productivity, job satisfaction, mental health, and other positive outcomes.
The magic word in any office is productivity. So, when your bottom-line metric is being affected due to falling productivity because of the inconvenience associated with employees accessing affordable healthy snacks, it’s time to consider implementing an in-office snack program. If employees are being drawn away from their work due to hunger, chances are that productivity suffers as a result.
A study done by Staples found that 2.4 billion hours were lost in US worker productivity each year because employees would leave their offices for coffee and snack runs. As many as 57% of office workers reported leaving the office to buy coffee or snacks daily, resulting in the shocking number mentioned above. This has a significant effect on time. It also proves costly for employees to leave the office to find snacks. So, it is no shocker that businesses have opted for office snack delivery. 70% of the surveyed population believe office food directly improves their productivity as it prevents each year the inevitable stress that accompanies leaving the office and getting back in time.
It should be a no-brainer that providing healthy snacks to your employees leads to a healthy, happy staff. If you happen to take your work breaks in NYC, you know healthy snacking can be a challenge. One in two employees say that healthy food-based perks make them feel more satisfied with their employers. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that companies spend a whopping $225 billion a year on employee health care. One of their top recommendations for improving workplace mental health wellness is increasing healthy food options provided to employees.
Stocking your breakroom with healthy snack options shows that you take the well-being of your staff seriously. It also showcases your compassion for the economic difficulties that many people face with eating healthy. Healthy snacking directly affects productivity as consuming high carb, sugar, and sodium-filled snacks during the dreaded afternoon slump causes lethargy—the killer of productivity.
Now, snacking in the office has become even more important to some employees as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. With a greater availability of onsite office snacks comes the lowered exposure your employees have with the outside environment.
With the rapid turnover rate and continuous search for talent, if you can garner job satisfaction from office snacking, that is a bonus. Many factors can play into one’s satisfaction levels, but one certainty is snacks are a powerful gesture that can yield significant results.
In 2015, U.S. Today polled 1,000 office workers, asking if they were happy at their job. Of these, 56% of respondents answered, “very happy” or “extremely happy.” However, when respondents had access to office-provided food, the number of “very” and “extremely” happy workers rose to 67% – an 11% increase based on snacking alone. Additional studies show that the rate of happy office workers is consistent with the prevalence of office snacks – 75% of participants who had access to free food reported being happy at work.
The workforce will be receptive to any plan that puts money back into the pocket of employees. The advantages of office snacks for the employee are twofold; it provides a tasty treat and financial savings for employees. Over 61% of employees reported that free office snacks saved them money throughout the workweek. A study conducted showed that 35% of employees said they saved an average of $20 per week by introducing a snacking program. The remaining 26% of employees claimed to be saving as much as $50 per week due to free food at work. That’s an average of $35 per week per employee, or $1750 a year.
Yes, it is a small investment to provide daily snacks for the office. However, when compared to costs of other perks such as tuition reimbursement plans, expensive holiday bashes, and company retreats, it may be less costly and more appreciated. Furthermore, snacks in the breakroom tend to have lower overhead costs and fewer complexities related to administration compared with other benefits. Administratively, the management of the breakroom focuses on stocking and cleaning.
While maintaining the happiness of your current staff is the primary goal of providing office snacks, it has also proven to be valuable in attracting millennials to your organization. Companies that want to appeal to millennials should upsell their snacking skills. Millennials are 3 times as likely to accept a job offer with a company that provides gratis food like snacks, treats, and beverages.
It is beneficial to attract millennials as there are currently 56 million in the workforce. This generation represents 35% of the total US labor force. At present, they are the largest working generation; It is estimated that by 2025, millennials will represent 75% of the global workforce. So having a healthy, diverse in-office snack program is solidifying your force for years to come.
Outfitting your breakroom can seem like a daunting process, especially if you read that a few years ago, Google shockingly stated it cost them an eye-popping over $70 million a year to provide free food to its employees. Before this number gives you a panic attack, this is in no way a benchmark figure of what it costs to operate a toothsome breakroom sustainably.
If you operate your business in New York City and want to improve your breakroom, but you don’t have the first clue about office snack ideas, contact Corporate Coffee Systems. We’ll provide you with a variety of breakroom snack options.
To get started, contact Corporate Coffee Systems at (800) 284-CORP.