4 benefits of having food options in the office
What does it take to get workers back to the office? Try offering free food option to them. Offering employees free breakfast and lunch or allowing them to order in is one of the top four ways companies are getting people back to the office. That’s according to software maker Robin, who collected data on employers calling employees every month for its Return-to-the-office Tracker.
The other three are knowing when key co-workers will be there, vaccine mandates, and offering flexible schedules. But one way to an employee’s heart is through their stomach, and businesses are leveraging free food in the office.
Here are some benefits to offering free food or providing a meal card to attract employees back to the office.
1 – Employee retention
Free food can help employers boost their job satisfaction rating. A survey of 1,000 office workers found that job satisfaction rates increased from 56 percent to 67 percent when free food was in the office. Those meals help nourish employees but also create an environment they feel is supportive of their efforts.
2 – Building an engaged workforce
Food in the office is also a great way to build engagement among teams. As people eat together, they get to know each other better. Eating together helps encourage discussions, especially if your office has a common space for this to take place. No matter how you do it, food creates stronger relationships and a sense of belonging to a team, key components to creating engagement.
3 – Productivity enhancement
Food can also help your employees increase productivity and work is done more efficiently. They can save time during their commutes, lunch breaks, dinners, and more if there is food for them in the office. Plus, knowing food is available helps them focus on work and not on how and what they’ll eat.
4 – Meal cards for your business
Ticket Restaurant is one way to satisfy all the different appetites in your office. It’s a prepaid meal card offered through Edenred Benefits. When you add Ticket Restaurant as an employee benefits, your employees would have access to a monthly meal allowance which can used in local restaurants, food-delivery apps, and grocery stores. Your employees will have flexible options and employers will have complete control of the program.
