Coffee machine in the office: happy employees and a positive company culture

Hundreds of millions of cups of coffee are consumed every single day. How many of those coffees are drunk on a coffee break at work or even sitting at a desk? (Hopefully away from electronics).

A coffee machine in the office can make a big difference to company culture and how your employees spend their time while they are there. Contrary to what some people might think, a coffee machine doesn’t just have to be another drain on resources. Used correctly, it can be a wise investment.

In this guide, we’re looking at a lot of the benefits of having a coffee machine in the office and whether it can really make a difference?

A reward for hard work

Are you going to buy a coffee machine for your break room or elsewhere in the workplace? If you are on the fence about whether to do so, think of it as a reward for your employees. Okay, so it doesn’t equate to a pay rise, but anything that can improve the workplace is likely to be appreciated.

Regularly adding new and exciting things to the office, and to shared and communal spaces, can help to make your workplace a positive place to be. A coffee machine may not sound like much, but it could prove to be a huge upgrade on the current instant coffee regime.

Save your employees money

A cup of coffee every day from a coffee shop can soon become a costly expense. If your employees have the option to get a delicious coffee on-site they are less likely to leave the workplace.

This has a couple of benefits. Firstly, people will normally be delighted to have saved the money, and to have no real restrictions on how many cups of coffee they have every day before they have to start thinking about the cost.

Secondly, it can reduce the number of “coffee runs” when people are walking to a local coffee shop to find their latte or other delicious drink. Instead, they are more likely to stay on site, chat to each other, and generally make for a more thriving and positive environment.

A boost to energy

There is a reason why a lot of us need a coffee first thing in the morning to even function. The caffeine boost!

While there is a limit to how much caffeine people should really have, there is normally nothing wrong with having a couple of cups of coffee while you work, or before, or at lunchtime!

Giving people the option to go and take a little break, have a cup of coffee, and even take in some fresh air while they drink it, can let them come back into work reinvigorated and ready to chat with their colleagues or get on with the task at hand.

Encourage regular coffee breaks

You don’t have to encourage people to take breaks to take on caffeine, of course. It’s important to drink caffeine responsibly. However, you should be making sure everyone in your workplace spends time to take a coffee break.

Coffee breaks serve multiple purposes. They can allow people to recharge their batteries and switch off from work, but also help to encourage that happy and productive culture we’re aiming for.

For instance, coffee breaks can give people the chance to chat in a break room, make conversation with each other, and some people may even arrange to take breaks at the same time.

Any company or boss who hasn’t fully understood the benefits of taking breaks should seriously rethink their strategy. It isn’t about working your team as hard as you can for as long as you can, it is about making sure that they are supported and that they know they can take breaks.

Rested employees actually tend to be more productive. Who cares if your staff take a lot of breaks if they are excelling at the job?

Coffee can make people happy

Sounds like we’re overselling it? This isn’t the case at all. Coffee can make people happy. Studies have shown that those who drink coffee regularly are 20 per cent less likely to be depressed, and there are real, scientific reasons for this.

Coffee can help your brain to produce dopamine, which is known to be the brain’s “happy drug” helping to boost mood. This is the substance released when we are content or even when we eat a delicious meal.

Summary

A coffee machine doesn’t have to be a massive investment, and having the option for people to make their own delicious drinks in the workplace has lots of benefits you might not have thought about.

It is worth considering installing a coffee machine and reaping the benefits. You might even end up with happier employees and a great culture in the workplace.