The kitchen is an integral part of the office. It is the place where employees take a break, have some snacks, and refresh themselves with a cup of steaming coffee. According to a recent survey, 72% of employees believe that the productivity of an office relies on the condition of the kitchen. If the place is a wide-open area with nice seating arrangement, employees of different departments sit together, discuss on various work-related issues, and make a plan regarding how will they work in a coordinated pattern. The end result of working collaboratively is the enhanced productivity of the office.
Do you feel that your office kitchen becomes out of date? Is it a rundown place? Do you think that it needs to be updated or renovated? Yes, you have come to the right place. Continue to read this post regarding how to update an office kitchen.
Kitchen layout
The office kitchen updating task starts from the altering of the layouts of the place(Kitchen). There are six kitchen layouts. These are Galley Kitchen, Island Kitchen, L-Shaped Kitchen, G-Shaped Kitchen or Peninsula-Shaped Kitchen, and One-wall Kitchen.
However, these designs are appropriate for a home, not for the office. The shape of the office kitchen needs to be in a somewhat triangular shape. In a triangular area, as you know, there are three cones. Place the fridge, install an ADA kitchen sink, and cooker at each corner. If you do not maintain the triangular shape, your office kitchen will be crowded and a chaotic place. Another important design issue is the layout should be as such so that employees have easy access to the place.
Lighting
There should be ample lighting inside the place. But, do not use bright artificial light because such intense light makes the atmosphere harsh. Install soft light or use the shed outside the light to makes a cozy environment.
If you prefer an eco-friendly lighting system, the kitchen should have a wide window for unhindered passage of the sunlight. The use of a wide window also makes the place airy.
Ensure your office has all the necessary essentials
First, check the kitchen cabinets and make sure that the storage has below essential items.
- First aid kit
- Coffee mugs
- Paper towels
- Napkins
- Dish soaps
- Sponges
- One unit of a can opener
- Paper bowls and plates
- Plastic fork and spoons
Keep the kitchen clean.
Both common employees and the head of the office use the kitchen. So the place needs to be clean and tidy. However, the first person to keep it clean is you.
Do not leave your dirty cups beside the sink. Clean the spills or mess you created. Prepare a kitchen cleaning schedule. The schedule should be as such- fix a day of the week, divide the kitchen into different parts like the kitchen sink, floor, refrigerator, microwave oven and then assign the cleaning tasks of these parts among various workers on that day. Maintain this cleaning schedule to get a clean, hygiene kitchen.
Among different parts of a kitchen, a kitchen sink becomes dirty quickly because of frequent use of the part. To prevent it from becoming messy quite often, install a stainless steel sink and touchless faucets there. Stainless steel sinks are rust-resistant and easy to clean. On the other hand, hands-free faucets ensure efficient use of water, thus environment-friendly and keep you from paying a hefty amount of water bill.
Seating arrangement
Your office kitchen should not be a place to grab a snake and drink a cup of latte, mocha, or cappuccino. The seating arrangement of a kitchen should be as such so that four or five employees can sit together and share their views while eating snakes and drinking coffee. To make it happen, set a round table, and place comfortable chairs around the table. In this setting, employees can participate in group discussions and share their ideas.
Technology
Technology is everywhere. So, why should it not be in the office kitchen? There should be several charging outlets in the place to charge mobile devices. In addition, it should have a wi-fi facility to stay online.
Conclusion
Employers are making working rules more flexible towards workers. Many of them do not impose strict dress code, rigid working hours, and offer several worker benefits like health insurance. The goal of the owners is to satisfy the employees so that the workers work more diligently to boost production.
Recently, employers also identified that there are some relationships between the condition of the office kitchen and productivity. So, they are now giving much emphasis on the improvement of the office kitchen.