Flavored, Sparkling, Filtered, and More: Water in the Modern Workplace
Water should always be available in any workplace. That much is obvious. But the days of filling up a cup or bottle at a standard tap have been left in the past. The modern workplace should now offer a range of water beverage options for employees to consider when hydrating for the day ahead.
The possibilities now available in this category are virtually endless. You can offer your people various types of flavored water, sparkling or flat, filtered, and much more. Even workers who don’t typically enjoy drinking water will find that they keep coming back to the hydration station again and again.
If you’d like to upgrade your workplace water dispenser right away, InReach is the ideal partner for that endeavor. We can help you understand all the options and implement the perfect program to ensure no one in the office goes thirsty. Give us a call today to learn more.
Why Varied Water Options Are Important
It’s easy enough to say that hydration is important. The brain is 75% water, and when the body suffers dehydration, cognitive performance starts to decline. You might think that these simple biological facts would be enough motivation for everyone to drink plenty of water during the day, but that’s not always how it works out.
Some people just don’t like water. Or maybe they get wrapped up in the busyness of their day and forget to tend to this important habit. Whatever the specific reasons may be, it’s safe to assume that some percentage of your office staff is at least mildly dehydrated at any given time.
Presenting your employees with a range of water options won’t automatically solve this problem, but it will be a big help. When tasty, interesting drinks are readily available, staying hydrated will suddenly become far more appealing. Consuming flavored water, for example, isn’t a chore; it’s an enjoyable experience to add to your day. Soon enough, it won’t be necessary to think actively about hydrating. Staying hydrated will be a byproduct of enjoying the water-based beverages now available in the office.
Seeing the Spectrum of Office Water Services
At InReach, we strive to provide convenient food and beverage services for offices, campuses, and other facilities every day. We know this space intimately. You might not have such a detailed understanding of the market, however, so here’s a quick rundown of the many water service options that are now available:
- Still and Sparkling: Modern water service machines can offer both still and sparkling water to match the preferences of the user.
- Flavored Options: Without adding sugar or calories, water can be flavored to make it more appealing and enjoyable to drink.
- Smart Dispensers: Advanced machines, like the Bevi Smart Water Cooler, can be used to create many options in a convenient, efficient package.
- Quality Filtration: Modern systems deliver perfectly clean water that is free from contaminants and any unpleasant aftertaste.
This list is just a starting point for what is possible in water delivery services today. You can also offer adjustable temperature water, the levels of carbonation and flavoring can be customized, and so on.
Important Sustainability Benefits
Keeping your office hydrated doesn’t have to mean doing excessive harm to the planet. With modern, on-tap systems that fill up reusable bottles, single-use waste goes down, and the carbon footprint of your business falls, too.
This is something that everyone in the organization can support. Those on your staff who are tuned in to sustainability practices will be happy to see that you have taken a big step in this direction. When paired with other eco-friendly choices, these kinds of small changes can really add up in a big way over time.
Enhancing the Break Room Experience
In a healthy office, the break room is more than just a pit stop during a busy day. It should serve as a destination that brings people together, encourages them to spend time together, and fosters a sense of community and shared experiences. The bonds that form in the break room can leave you with a much stronger team overall.
Of course, it’s unlikely that the only feature in your break room will be a water dispenser. No matter how impressive that dispenser may be, you are going to want some other amenities to go along with it. Your water cooler can be placed alongside a coffee machine to develop a full-service hydration station. There may also be a few vending machines in the room, or it may be located adjacent to a micro market.
A well-designed break room space might prove to be the most popular amenity in the whole building. This is where people will head when they have a few minutes free, and it will offer a nice recharge before going back to their desks for whatever the rest of the day may hold.
An Investment That Delivers Results
You always want to see a tangible return on the dollars you invest in your business. Not all of those investments will directly lead to new customers, of course, but they should provide a meaningful benefit in the broader context.
Investing in quality water services can be directly tied to a number of gains. Of course, improving the productivity of your people by keeping them hydrated and healthy is a great start. Overall hydration in your building is likely to increase when delicious water is offered, and as a result, cognitive functioning is expected to remain higher throughout the day.
There is also a potential boost in recruiting and retention to be considered. An office that provides employees with everything they need to thrive in their roles is more attractive than one that offers just the bare minimum. If providing great water options, along with many other amenities, manages to convince great employees to sign on or stay longer, any time and money invested will have been more than worth it.
Build on This Upgrade
There’s no overstating the importance of quality water in the workplace. At the same time, water alone is not going to create a supremely comfortable, enjoyable office experience.
Look at water services as a starting point for what you want to create for your people. This is the foundation on which you can layer other features to create an attractive and enjoyable working space.
The two other obvious additions that you’ll want to consider are additional drink options and a selection of food items. Naturally, coffee will need to be available. You may also want to offer a variety of soft drinks, sports drinks, tea, and other popular beverages.
For food, the possibilities are endless. You could have some basic vending machines with packaged snacks like chips, crackers, protein bars, etc. As a step up, you could turn part of your office building into a micro market that is stocked not only with snack items but also ready-made meals like sandwiches, salads, and more.
Hydration Shouldn’t Be Boring
No longer will drinking water in your office feel like a chore that has to be checked off the list. Now, it will be an experience. With so many office water dispenser options available and such a high level of quality among those options, water will quickly turn from a necessity into a true office amenity.
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.