Give Them a Break (Room)!
By Cheryl Mayfield – Grafton Staffing
A break gives you time to recharge and refresh both your mind and your body to make certain that you don’t hit a plateau in the middle of the day. I’m sure you know how big a difference it can make to step away from the whirlwind of what is going on at your desk and get a cup of coffee. You come back feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle another project!
In fact, studies have shown that taking a break is so important. If you work for more than 8 continuous hours, you hit a plateau. And the effectiveness of the work you’re doing goes down. Which is why it’s so important to take breaks during your work day to ensure maximum efficiency.
Break Rooms in the Workplace
It doesn’t matter if you work in dining, construction, recreation, or an office job – every type of work environment should offer some place for employees to rest up and recharge.
Employees come back from breaks feeling better and are more likely to perform better in terms of quality of work. Papers get filed faster, concrete gets poured faster, plates of food get cooked faster. So, it only makes sense to offer a “rest area” or break room for your employees – after all, they’re your most valuable asset.
A rest area can be as simple as a few chairs placed around a water fountain or as extreme as a full room with a stocked fridge, couches, and a flat screen television. No matter how big or small the area is, it should be stocked with water. Studies have shown that dehydration slows production by 12%. There needs to be a place to sit down, and if possible, it should be located apart from the normal bustle of the daily work flow.
A break room not only shows that you’re aware of maximizing efficiency, it also proves that you care about the health and well-being of your employees.
Employees are more likely to work hard and be loyal if they’re appreciated and taken care of by their employers.
In the recruiting world, we’ve seen a lot of candidates that are hesitate to leave a workplace that offers a good break room or “takes care of employees” even if the job offers better pay. They like that their current employer is making the feel valued.
A tired employee can be a dangerous employee.
Think about it, if you have a nurse working a 12-hour shift that hasn’t had a chance to take a 15-minute break, do you really want that nurse poking you with a needle? They need a chance to sit down, hydrate, and turn their minds off of “high-alert” mode. It’s important not only for the well-being of your company but also for the safety of your employees to ensure that breaks are taken and that proper break rooms are available.
So… if you want loyal, hard working employees who make fewer mistakes, set up an adequate break area and ensure that your team uses it!