Beyond the Breakroom: How Modern Food Solutions Support Shift Workers
The breakroom has been a staple of shift work for generations. This is a place for people to gather when they have a break from their duties, either to socialize or just to sit quietly and enjoy a drink and something to eat.
To this day, the breakroom remains an important feature, but modern technology has allowed it to improve and evolve. Today, companies need to think about the overall food solutions they present to employees to make their work experience enjoyable and get the best possible performance out of each individual.
Upgrading the food and beverage options offered in your building is as easy as connecting with InReach for assistance. We’d love to chat today!
More Than a Microwave
A classic breakroom setting would typically feature a couple of tables and some chairs, a fridge, and a microwave. This might be what you are currently offering your shift workers (or something similar). It’s better than nothing, to be sure, but it falls short in a number of ways.
First, the obvious: to use the microwave and fridge, workers need to bring food from home. That doesn’t always work. Sometimes, they’ll forget their food, or they just don’t want to go through the hassle. Some want food options at work that they can quickly access and get back on the job.
Even if workers bring food, they’ll have to spend time getting it out, warming it up, and cleaning it up afterward. It’s not exactly an efficient way to eat during the middle of a busy day. By upgrading your building with the addition of something like a vending machine or micro market, these issues are eliminated. Tasty, nutritious options are always ready to go at any time of the day or night. Workers get what they want, have a better experience, and likely do a better job for the company.
Keeping Fatigue at Bay
Speaking of doing a better job, one of the key factors in worker performance is fatigue—or more accurately, avoiding fatigue. Workers who feel fresh and energized throughout the day are going to perform at a higher level. They’ll make smarter decisions, work safer, and be more trustworthy.
Factors away from work, such as sleep and lifestyle decisions, certainly impact fatigue. But so too do the nutrition and hydration options that are presented in the building. Make sure your people always have attractive eating and drinking options close at hand to give the whole team a chance to be at their best.
Making Data-Driven Decisions
Once you have a feature like a micro market or smart vending machines in place, you’ll be able to easily monitor the use of those amenities and make adjustments that are based on accurate data. See what is being consumed and what is being ignored, and tweak the offerings accordingly. Your program will gradually be dialed in, and it will continue to perform better and better with each passing month.
Upgrade the Employee Experience
Offering a clean and comfortable break room in your building should be seen more as a starting point than a finish line. It’s great to have such a space available, but you should also work with a partner like InReach to explore micro markets and many other possibilities that your employees will love. Putting attractive, convenient food and drink products close at hand will make their lives on the job easier and more enjoyable.
Proudly part of Sodexo, InReach offers global reach, customized attention, and a large, growing buying network that keeps food costs low and quality high. Contact us today to learn more.