Employee engagement is all the rage these days. Engagement has always been necessary, but only recently has the business world come to understand how critical it is to driving long-term stability and growth. The quality of the break room can make all the difference in the world.

Yes, the experience employees have in the break room has an influence on company culture and worker happiness. High-quality coffee products and break room supplies, while not the only factor in determining a company’s culture, should be high on the priority list. What an employee experiences in the break room creates a lasting impression of his or her perception of the company as a whole.

A clean, spacious, and well stocked break room tells employees that their employer cares about them. Coffee may be the focal point of the break room, however, now it’s also about tea and hot chocolate too. Healthy snacks are the newest, most popular item being added to the menu. The break room also provides a space where workers can collaborate over a hot cup of coffee without having to rush back to their work stations. A well-presented break room is a community space that encourages stronger bonds among workers the same way the home kitchen creates strong bonds among family members.

Engagement and Employee Happiness

Lest you suspect we are merely blowing smoke about worker happiness, there is plenty of research data to prove the point. Consider a 2014 study out of the University of Warwick Department of Economics that demonstrates the difference between happy and unhappy workers. Happy workers are 12% more productive than the average worker while unhappy workers are 10% less productive. That is a swing of 22 percentage points.

Additional research from the New Century Financial Corporation shows that unhappy account executives classified as ‘actively disengaged’ generate 28% less revenue than their happy, engaged counterparts. The same holds true throughout the global workforce. Happy employees are engaged employees.

How the Break Room Helps

If you are still not clear on how high-quality coffee and break room supplies increase employee engagement, just look at the phrase itself: break room. Workers go to the break room because they need a few minutes away from the desk. They need to give their brains, and sometimes their bodies, a few minutes to rest.

If your company has a break room that employees do not want to visit, they are less likely to take their breaks. They will eventually feel like they don’t take breaks because they are stuck at the desk. Conversely, giving them a break room they actually want to use encourages them to take the time.

An added bonus is that workers in the break room are only taking a break from their immediate tasks. They still talk shop, share ideas and look for solutions to their problems. That is what makes them more engaged, happier, and ultimately, more productive.

Here at Galaxie Coffee, we take immense pride in stocking break rooms across the greater New York area with high-quality coffee and supplies. We would be happy to fill yours as well.