- Guest Contributor
- July 18, 2022
What are office break room ideas?
Ping-pong tables aren’t just for optics—studies show that employees who take breaks are more productive and creative. This includes your temporary staff! Regular breaks allow your team to come back refreshed, with better focus on and engagement with their work. Intentionally sourcing and implementing ideas for employee break room upgrades shows that you take your team’s happiness and well-being seriously. Leading by example can relieve any external pressure to skip a break.
We’ve rounded up the best employee break room ideas to help you transform your space. Pick and choose employee break room ideas from the following categories to build an experience customized to your team:
- General work break room ideas
- Break room ideas on a budget (including some break room bulletin board ideas)
- Break room food ideas
- Break room organization ideas
- Small employee break room ideas
General break room ideas
- Comfortable furniture – Think couches, sleep pods, hammocks, and bean bags.
- TV with subscriptions – With Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+, tune out or watch communally.
- Office library or Little Free Library – Magazine and newspaper subscriptions included!
- Workout equipment – Buy yoga mats, exercise balls, and dumbells for quick workouts.
- Break Room Fund – Let employees vote on break room amenities they want.
Budget break room ideas
- Bulletin board – Post announcements, welcome new hires, and recognize excellence.
- Team polls – Ask a Question of the Week, or This-or-That? Post responses publicly.
- Community puzzle – Solve a jigsaw, crossword, or word search puzzle as a team.
- Gratitude Jar – Allow employees to anonymously recognize their teammates.
- Adult coloring books and art supplies – A great low-tech mental escape, solo or not.
Food-related break room ideas
- Coffee/Tea of the Week Club – Taste new flavors! Try partnering with local roasters.
- Healthy snacks – Get creative with meats, nuts, and fruit. Avoid too much junk food.
- Rotating sweets – Small chocolates and candies are a fun afternoon indulgence.
- Kitchen basics – Stock utensils, condiments, and water: needed mealtime extras.
- Team lunches – Host a weekly lunch, or have employees bring dishes to a potluck.
- Themed mixers – A pre-shift bagel breakfast or post-shift soda float party never hurt.
Organization break room ideas
- Custom mugs – These make a great welcome gift and clear up coffee time confusion.
- Private spaces – Employees need to retreat. Curtains and dividers are simple fixes.
- Funny signage – An Office Space meme is a friendlier reminder to put away dishes.
- Cubbies or lockers – A personal place for belongings provides a sense of security.
- Go wild with a label maker – If they know what it is, they’ll know where to put it back!
- Keep extra supplies accessible – Cleaning wipes will get used if they’re easy to grab.
Small break room ideas
- Quiet hours – Noise-canceling headphones are a boon to your introverted employees.
- Decorate – Create an escape: staff photos, plants, and color can all set a mood.
- Cell phone charging station – USB outlets with cords or phone cubbies = easy win.
- Good smells – Use aromatherapy diffusers, bathroom spray, or odor-neutralizers.
- Mood lighting – Try dimmers or daylight bulbs in place of harsh overhead fluorescents.
What are the best ideas for a break room?
Simply put, the best employee break room ideas are the ones that show you took the effort to consider your team’s needs. The smallest gestures matter. Break rooms are not a one-size-fits-all amenity. Consider your team, then mix and match a few ideas from each category to BYOBR–build your own break room!
What should be in an office break room?
Comfort is key when meeting your employee’s break time needs. Invest in furniture that allows your team to comfortably sit or rest. If a full kitchen is not available, consider assembling a portable kitchen cart or another designated space for preparing home or takeout lunches.
What makes a great break room?
A great break room encourages employees to take a break from what they were doing and come back to the floor refreshed. This is why fun, novelty ideas work! Putting together a few pieces of a community puzzle or stretching on a yoga mat engage different parts of the brain, and creates space for a mental break.
What do employees want in a break room?
After you’ve met your employee’s immediate physical needs (hunger and rest), think about what you would find enjoyable—chances are they’ll appreciate the same things. Your employees want to feel cared for. Unexpected extras like a well-stocked candy jar are a great addition to a basic break room setup.
What should every break room have?
At a minimum, there are a few things that every break room should have. Your break room should be completely separate from the rest of the workspace—in open-plan offices, think about creating a slightly more private space utilizing a curtain or room divider. Employees should have a place to put their belongings and a place to sit. A fridge or a microwave will go a long way for team members who aren’t able to leave to buy their lunch daily.
How can I decorate my break room at work?
Each team is different, so consider what your employee’s unique needs are. Public-facing event staff may benefit from soothing settings–plants, dim lighting, and muted colors set a calm mood. Solitary warehouse workers could find staff photos, cheerful colors, and inspirational messages uplifting during those quiet days. Try working with a professional interior designer to execute a bolder, brand-aligned decor vision.
How do you make a break room more inviting?
Make it easy for your employees to see themselves in the break room, and it will naturally become more inviting. An employee-directed break room fund allows your team to tailor the break room to their unique wants and needs. Assigned cubbies and custom mugs provide clear delineation for how they utilize the space. Try giving your break room a fun name: “cozy cave” or “retreat room” to get your point across in a playful way.
Do you need more workers using your break room?
About the Author: Meghna Jaradi is a freelance writer and events manager with experience working for the Seattle Times, Kitchen Arts & Letters, Book Larder, Peddler Brewing Company, and more. You can contact her on LinkedIn.
