Five Ways to Encourage Proper Pantry Etiquette at Your Workplace
An office pantry is an excellent amenity to offer your employees. Easy access to tasty snacks and delicious drinks will elevate the daily experience of working in the office. This reality has already been embraced by many companies—67% of employers use food as part of their retention strategy.
For the most part, your employees will behave properly in the office pantry. They are at work, after all. It’s always possible to have trouble with a few specific people, however, so there are some steps you can take to encourage proper etiquette when the pantry is being used.
Before worrying about office pantry etiquette, though, you’ll need to have an office pantry up and running. For that, leaning on InReach as your partner is the obvious choice. We have created many functional, attractive pantry spaces for our clients and would love to do yours next. Connect with us today to learn more.
If you’ve got your pantry set up, here are some suggestions to make it a positive space for everyone.
#1 – Set Clear Guidelines
You can prevent most of the problems you might encounter in your office pantry by setting clear expectations from the start. Most people will want to use the pantry in a responsible manner, but they need to know exactly what that looks like. Send out a company-wide message to explain how the pantry works and how it should be used, and nearly everyone will comply.
#2 – Keep the Pantry Well-Stocked Each Day
Hoarding can occasionally be a problem with office pantry services. When someone has a particular item they like, and that item isn’t always in stock, they may grab several when it is available. Obviously, this will wipe out your stock for other people who come in later looking for the same thing.
The solution to this issue is to stock the right items consistently. When popular snacks and drinks are always available, there won’t be any reason to grab more than one at a time. In turn, this will make stocking easier, and everyone should be able to get what they want without any trouble.
#3 – Set Informal Limits
Another helpful way to manage stock is to set informal limits on certain items that go quickly. By “informal,” we mean that there isn’t any enforcement of the limits—you are simply asking that people respect the request to limit consumption.
For example, you might put out a sign that says “Please Take Just One” next to an item that is particularly popular. This will be enough to get cooperation from most of the people who use the pantry.
#4 – Make Clean-Up Easy
One of the key points you’ll likely include in your pantry guidelines will be to clean up after yourself. This isn’t too much to ask, and truth be told, most people in the office will do it on their own without even being reminded.
With that said, you need to make it easy for people to clean up after they are finished. Provide plenty of napkins, a couple of trash bins, and maybe even some disinfectant wipes in case of a spill. Keep the supplies needed for cleaning up readily available, and your pantry will be nice and tidy most of the time.
#5 – Lead by Example
It is also helpful if everyone sees management using the pantry in a manner that reflects the guidelines you set forth at the start. When the leaders of the organization are helping to keep the space clean and only take what they need at the moment, that example will be noticed and followed by the large majority of employees.
A Beautiful New Office Pantry Is InReach
Upgrade your office with the addition of a modern, spacious pantry that will draw employees from all corners of the building. This feature will be appreciated by your entire team, and any etiquette issues you run into should be mitigated by the tips above.
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.