There’s a consistent theory that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The thought is that starting your day without food leads to a lack of energy while waiting for lunch. That lack of energy comes from no fuel, which as many employers can attest to shows employees with a seemingly lackluster performance on the job. So what can meals like breakfast and snacks do for your staff? Plenty.
Have you ever noticed the office culture on those random office days when an employee or supervisor will bring in bagels for the staff? It could be for a birthday or another in-office celebration, yet beyond the social interaction and camaraderie comes another interesting observation: work runs more smoothly. Perhaps it’s due to food in their systems or just the motivation to succeed because of an appreciative meal, but there is a change in demeanor and performance.
Here is the harsh truth: many of your employees may be missing important meals. Perhaps they rush to the job and use most of their morning ritual time for travel or getting their families out the door. Maybe it’s during lunch and they would rather finish a work assignment than take a few moments to eat. Or it could be finance or diet-related. However, when the mind is hungry, it often loses focus. This can lead to more mistakes, tiredness, sluggishness, and crankiness. None of these attributes help an employee’s performance. If they’re not taking the time for meals, the solution is to provide them.
Here’s how.
Start the day off right
While many call a cup of coffee “breakfast,” that rush of caffeine will only get them so far. Providing breakfast will allow employees to fuel up for the day without relying on simply caffeine intake and start their day off with a meal prior to working. There’s room for quick socializing too, which makes the day begin on a high note.
Snack Time isn’t just for kids
There’s a reason why children get a snack break in school: it cuts down on mid-day crankiness and provides kids with enough energy to get through the day. Sound fair enough? Well, employees need that too. However, trips to the vending machine and soda machine might not cut it, especially when you’d like to promote optimal health. Providing snacks for employees will give them that mid-day boost to charge them up through the day.
Make it a “perk”
Finances are a problem for many employees, whether they choose to voice that or not. Oftentimes they will cut back on meals to save money, which has a trickle-down effect on their performance on the job. Providing these meals will help their budgets, make them more focused at work, while also having these “perks” build their office morale.
Options, Options, Options
Have options for meals where every employee wins. Some employees have allergies and other dietary restrictions, while others are extremely health conscious. Bagels for breakfast (including gluten free ones) are a great idea, but so are offering oatmeal packs, yogurt, and fruit. These are cost effective options where every employee is covered. Snacks like fruit, vegetable chips, crudité, and olive packs are all healthy options, but also good for fuel. Plus, keeping your staff healthy cuts back on sick days!