Free meals at the office as a perk

Do you want to attract and retain workers? Who does not? Consider free meals. Company-paid lunches are a huge perk that’s hard to miss, especially if you’re a millennial. USA Today reports that offering your employees free food can lead to a job satisfaction rate of 67%.

Let’s look at this more deeply. Workers become less focused as lunchtime approaches, and begin to think about where and with whom to get their next meal. This creates a bit of a drag on productivity. But by providing a free meal at the office, you’re removing all the distractions.

How much will this cost? Providing a full-time employee with a $10 daily meal costs $2,600 a year, but you make up the price by getting employees back to work sooner; Just 15 minutes of their productivity around the clock before and after lunch each day and the meal pays for itself.

If getting employees back to the office is your problem in the first place, try offering free meals. Free breakfasts and lunches are one of the best ways companies lure workers back to their offices. It may be true that the way to an employee’s heart is through their stomach.

And let’s not ignore the idea that eating together creates strong social bonds. You bring a diverse group together and give them opportunities to make connections outside of their teams and departments. Furthermore, offering healthy meals to workers who might skip lunch or instead go for fast food translates to workers with more energy and focus in the afternoon.

You may be dismissive of the idea of ​​daily meals, but even an occasional lunch provided by the company yields results. Most workers see a once-a-week meal as a great perk, which boosts overall job satisfaction. You can choose free coffee and bagels in the morning, which works well, too.

There are more meal options than ever – food delivery services and on-site pop-up restaurants – to serve meals to employees. A prepaid meal card provides access to your monthly meal allowance that can be used at local restaurants, food delivery apps, and at grocery stores, providing your team with flexibility and control while monitoring your program. You’ll look like a hero for your business to boot.

Eating together is a way to build sharing between teams so people can get to know each other better. It encourages discussions and a sense of belonging. Productivity rises as workers save time because they know there is food to be served at the office.

It can work almost anywhere

Once only the domain of companies like Google and Apple, free food is something small startups have added to their list of employee benefits. value? Because employees spend less time away from their desks, you can estimate cost savings per employee anywhere from $2.50 to $4.50 per day. how? Your employees can work an extra half hour each day.

Especially for knowledge workers, sharing meals and communicating frequently helps build a collaborative environment. Take those who write code, for example. It can take 32% longer without an active connection. Employees feel more comfortable when there is trust and strong social bonds in the workplace. Breaking bread together encourages breaking down barriers and getting people to act naturally.

Physical space is also key to forming relationships — friendships develop over short, passive connections made to and from home or walks through the neighborhood. An office coffee shop is a great place not only to facilitate physical contact between co-workers but also to entice new people to work for your company – people really want to work somewhere that cares about their health and wellness. Happy, loyal employees are more likely to talk about your work to clients, their professional contacts, and their friends and family. Eating meals together helps nourish team members, both literally and figuratively, and creates a supportive environment for their efforts.

Of course, you may want to work with an experienced HR consultant to help you customize a plan for your company. And remember, even if you offer this benefit, you still have to comply with other regulations, such as the rules for non-exempt employees.

Original content by © Industry All rights reserved. This information is provided on the basis that Payroll Partners does not provide legal, human or other professional advice or services. Professional advice on specific issues should be sought from an attorney, HR consultant or other professional.