Should Employers Provide Tea and Coffee?

February 4, 2021

Should employers provide tea and coffee? The short answer is yes! Find out how providing tea and coffee can affect employee performance.

If there is one thing Americans love, it's caffeinated beverages. A whopping 64% of Americans drink coffee every single day.

What does this statistic tell an employer? If you have an office with employees, you need to be providing tea and coffee service.

Not only are hot beverages good for productivity, but they boost office morale, improve employee retention, and make employees feel like management cares about their workplace experience.

Why should employers provide tea and coffee to their team? We've outlined all of the benefits a workplace beverage station has to offer.

Why Should Employers Provide Tea and Coffee?

Serving coffee in the American workplace dates back to the 1900s.

After years of coffee rising in popularity, companies started administering fifteen-minute workday breaks. These breaks soon evolved into coffee breaks and chats. Thus, the coffee culture we know today was formed.

American employees were so attached to their coffee breaks that workers in the automotive industry went on strike in the 1960s due to the lack of coffee breaks available to them.

Consider a beverage station an investment that yields a profitable ROI. Tea and coffee provided by an employer is a simple way you can accommodate your team. Free tea and coffee at work lead to an extensive range of benefits that you, the employer, can enjoy.

1. Show Your Employees You Care

Do employers have to provide tea and coffee? No. But should an employer provide complimentary hot beverages? Yes.

Creating a coffee station in your office is a simple gesture that goes a long way. It demonstrates that you care about your employees and want to create an accommodating workplace.

When your employees believe management cares about their wellbeing, they perform better and are less likely to leave the company. Happier employees are more productive employees.

In 2019, Staples conducted a happiness survey to gauge what employees valued. According to the results, 68% of respondents said they would feel valued by their organization if their employer invested in the office workspace.

What does that mean for you, the employer?

You don't have to purchase a ping pong table or invest in nap pods like Google. Providing a selection of coffees and teas is an affordable way to invest in your office, and show your employees their efforts are appreciated.

2. Encourage Employees to Take a Break

Employees who chain themselves to their desks aren't doing anyone a favor. Refusing to take a break leads to lower productivity and increases the risk of employee burnout.

Many employees, especially those who are new to the team, believe that hammering out non-stop work will create a good impression. It's up to the employer to design a workspace that encourages hard work but also emphasizes taking breaks.

Forbes reported that the benefits of taking regular breaks include:

Releasing stress
Refreshing the mind for creative thinking
Increasing productivity
Improving self-care

A coffee station is an excellent way to send the message that breaks are okay. The coffee serves as a reason for an employee to get up from their desk, stretch their legs, and refuel.

3. Increase Productivity

Coffee improves cognitive performance, sustained attention, and memory. A mid-day cup of joe helps people retain information from meetings, solve problems faster, and focus on tasks.

In addition to mental clarity, people report that coffee makes them feel better. It eliminates fatigue, reduces inflammation, and stimulates dopamine production. Dopamine is a feel-good chemical that comes from your brain. Increased dopamine levels lead to better moods and emotional stability.

That being said, having a coffee station in your office can boost your team's overall productivity rates. Tea also provides similar benefits.

All types of teas are rich in antioxidants that fight off diseases, boost metabolism, and enhance cognitive health. Tea plants contain theanine, a unique amino acid that induces feelings of relaxation without causing drowsiness. Drinking tea is calming and lowers stress levels.

Theanine also reduces the risk of dementia, lowers blood pressure, and incites alertness. It helps people stay focused for long hours, and the added attentiveness decreases the risk of silly mistakes.

With so many health benefits, an employer should make hot tea and coffee in the workplace a priority. Employees will love it, and employers appreciate the boost in focus and productivity.

4. Build Office Camaraderie

You don't need your employees to be best friends, but having a team with strong relationships can heighten productivity, morale, and motivation. It can also help you retain talent and lower employee turnover rate.

It can be difficult for employees to get to know everyone in the office while being seated at their desks. That's where an in-office beverage station comes in handy.

Providing a central place where employees can gather, chat, and refuel is the only icebreaker you'll need in the office. Making new connections builds a more cohesive team, which benefits your business.

5. Save Time

Finally, having employee facilities in the workplace eliminates the need for midday coffee runs to the local Starbucks.

Having coffee at-the-ready is convenient and saves employees from taking an extended break to the local coffee cafe. It's helpful for employees who don't have time to drive somewhere for a quick cup of joe. And it's beneficial for employers who want to eliminate office time wasters.

The bottom line is your employees are going to need coffee or tea at some point. Would you rather them leave the office or fill their mugs a few feet from their desks?