Even though you love your job, it’s always nice to have a few minutes when you can get away from your office and spend some time in the break room. Giving you a chance to relax, talk to coworkers, and get re-energized for the rest of your day, it’s important that your office break room be comfortable and accommodating. Rather than have an area that feels cramped and uninviting, here’s how big your break room should be at your office.
The 75+25 Rule
When designing break rooms in an office building, most companies tend to go by what is known as the 75+25 Rule. If you use this, it means your break room will need to be at least 75 square feet, plus an additional 25 square feet for each person who can be seated in the room when at its maximum capacity. Thus, if you want a break room designed for 25 people, it would need to be 75 square feet plus an additional 625 square feet, for a total space of 700 square feet.
Keep it Separate from the Office
While this sounds like a no-brainer of an idea, some workplaces fail to separate their break room from the office itself. As a result, while some employees are eating and having conversations, others are still trying to get their work done. Therefore, when you are discussing the aspects of commercial building design, try to make sure the break room and office will be separate from one another.
Create Spaces for Conversations and Collaboration
Believe it or not, some of the best business ideas are often hatched inside a break room. To help your employees relax, have conversations with one another, and collaborate on what may be your company’s next million-dollar idea, always have spaces in your break room where people can sit down together when eating or just relaxing.
Have Enough Room for Activities
Along with having enough space for people to sit comfortably before they return to their desks, you might also want to make your break room a bit bigger so that you can offer some fun activities. For example, you may want to design the break room so that it has enough room for a ping pong table, video game console, or even a place where employees can play board games or cards.
By making your break room as inviting and fun as possible, your employees will have one more reason to love arriving at work each day.