We talk about a lot of things around the modern office. But we rarely talk about the kitchen that often doubles as the break area. At first glance, it’s easy to see why a lot of articles tend to focus on other areas of the business. But the kitchen is actually one of the more important areas of your entire business. It affects everything in ways you may not have considered.
The kitchen, after all, is where your employees take breaks. It’s where food is prepared. Where tea and coffee are made. All of this has a big effect on employee satisfaction which, in turn, has a big effect on productivity. Speaking of productivity, the amount of time an employee spends in the kitchen should be taken into consideration. If things aren’t streamlined and the place is a bit messy, they’ll be spending more time in there doing what they need to do.
A focus on the kitchen of your office is a focus on productivity and time-saving. So here are some tips for keeping the office kitchen as unchaotic as possible!
Etiquette
Your office should have a policy, or a set of rules, when it comes to kitchen use. This is going to help you keep clear of trouble. Consider writing out some rules and placing them where people can see them. Ensuring people wash up after themselves means that people that come in later will have less mess to deal with. Making the rules clear also helps newcomers to the office settle in quicker. Of course, when someone doesn’t follow the rules, it can be hard to tell who the culprit is. So when things start getting a bit messy, send out an email to all your employees reminding them of the rules.
Health and safety
This is extremely important when it comes to the kitchen. We talk about health and safety in office a lot. But let’s face it: where else in the office is so much danger presented? You’ve got sharp objects, hot surfaces, spillages – most of the office dangers we talk about happen right here in the kitchen. Make sure there are cleaning supplies within easy reach. Paper towels, mops – anything to absorb spillages. This ensures that no-one can have the excuse of not being able to clean up dangerous spills! As for the risks of cuts and burns, you should make sure there’s a first aid supply. These are useful throughout the office (paper cuts, anyone?). But they’re particularly important in the kitchen.
Tea and coffee
Tea is a pretty simple thing. You put a teabag in the cup, put hot water on it, and bam. You’ve got a good cup of tea. But when it comes to coffee, that’s a completely different story. The quickest way of getting coffee ready is via freeze-dried coffee. However, a lot of people who like coffee hate the taste of instant stuff. They want the rich taste of coffee from coffee makers. Don’t be tempted to skip out on a decent coffee maker. Not only does it account for more tastes, but it also helps save time when someone wants to prepare a cup.
