It's beneficial for everyone to offer good employee benefits. And a few extra perks are nice too. However, some small businesses are limited in what they can really afford to give their employees. But there's one splurge every company in the world needs to make for employees:
Coffee.
It’s a simple pleasure, but it’s one that people depend on. Thirty-eight percent of workers think they couldn’t live without it, according to a recent study. Small business owners, listen up. Providing your employees with free coffee is an easy, cheap way to keep them happy. And productive. Here’s why:
People Just Love Coffee
Java has long been a staple of the American office. 65% of workers drink coffee on the job, an average of three cups a day. Chances are you can include your employees in that figure.
With today’s soaring Starbucks prices, giving your employees free coffee will help them better manage their budgets. It will also help them improve their timekeeping, as they will no longer risk running late to work because the line at the coffee shop was too long.
Coffee IS Good for You
Study after study after study suggests real benefits to drinking coffee from a health perspective, including:
- A study in which researchers funded by the American Heart Association and the University of Colorado School of Medicine found that risk of heart failure or stroke went down 8 percent for each additional cup of coffee per day.
- A British study of 498,123 people found that the ones who habitually drank coffee were between 10 and 15 percent less likely to die during any 10 year period than non-coffee drinkers.
- A Stanford University study that tracked 100 people over several years, and found that coffee drinkers tended to live longer than non-coffee drinkers. Here, the theory--just a theory, but still -- was that increased caffeine consumption might counteract the "fundamental inflammatory mechanism associated with human aging."
Coffee Improves Work Performance.
Science doesn't lie. Caffeine keeps people awake, alert, and focused. It also improves memory and concentration, which helps reduce the number of mistakes they make. For those who work long or late hours, caffeine has also been proven to help prevent work-related injuries.
Coffee Breaks Create a Positive Office Culture
The coffee pot is the new water cooler. Giving your employees coffee won’t just improve their abilities; it’ll better their environment. Taking coffee breaks with colleagues is an easy way to get to know them better. A coffee maker can also facilitate teamwork. Forty percent of surveyed employees said they’ve had productive work conversations over coffee.
Perks Improve Office Morale
Giving your employees free stuff helps them feel valued and appreciated. Thirty-seven percent of people would prefer having free coffee every day to the company Christmas party, says another recent survey. In tough economic times, when other perks are cut, keeping a decent pot of coffee in the break room is a way of telling your employees that things aren’t hopeless.
It Won’t Cost You Much.
You don't have to splurge on coffee service, a good coffeemaker and a supply of decent coffee is really all you need. Club stores such as Costco are a good option for bulk buying and they do offer discounted memberships to businesses and most also offer in office delivery for a nominal fee.
While you are shopping for coffee, do stock up on a variety of options, and include tea for those who prefer it.