Chatting around the water cooler is a phenomenon business owners once feared would lead to a lack of productivity but have since realised actually increases productivity and the health of their employees.
According to more than one research study, the casual minutes spent chatting around the water cooler about the previous night’s football game, a good movie or book, or sharing a joke while refreshing themselves with a chilled drink is beneficial for both the employee and the business.
Time expended chatting around the water cooler can:
- De-stress staff members and boost morale
- Give individuals time away from their desks or computers, giving both their brains and eyes a rest and enabling them to return to a difficult task refreshed and more able to deal with it;
- Enable employees to stay hydrated which is vital to their good health and will result in less sick days off, more productivity and clearer brains;
- Help staff to come up with great innovative ideas and provide a platform for discussion that could lead to solutions to work problems – even if the discussion is not about work, it could lead to some brainstorming and the spark of a light bulb;
- While many businesses make us of remote employees these days, this makes it difficult to get to know their colleagues, water cooler chats can bring employees together and forge great bonds that will lead to great teamwork; and
- Water cooler chats can improve employee engagement levels, which is, or should be, a top priority for any business;
If you do not yet have a water cooler in your office, speak to your management and impress on them all the advantages of investing in one, then get them to contact Living-Water for a free quote on the perfect water cooler solution for your office.
