We all know that employees are the backbone of any company. They are the ones who do what needs to be done, and they’re always there on time with a smile on their face. However, it can be hard for them to stay motivated when they have nothing interesting to do during their lunch break or at the end of a long day. If you want your employees to feel valued and appreciated, then providing an outdoor area where they can enjoy themselves is one way to show them how much you care about them. Here are eight ideas for creating an outdoor area that will benefit both your employees and your business!
1) Offer Clean Restrooms
The first thing you should do when creating an outdoor area is to make sure that your employees have somewhere clean and comfortable to use the restroom. You don’t want them having to run into their cars or go off-site every time nature calls, especially if it’s cold outside!
2) Have Fun Activities
Having fun activities available for your employees to enjoy while they’re outside is another great idea. Whether it’s cornhole, horseshoes, or bocce ball, there are countless options out there that will appeal to people of different ages and lifestyles. Provide a list of the games you have on-site so employees can pick and choose which ones they want to play.
3) Create a Family-Friendly Environment
Offering your employees an outdoor area where they can spend time with their families is another way to make them feel valued. If they have children, bringing them outside during lunch is a great way to encourage family bonding which will help improve work/life balance. Plus, having family picnics or barbecues is a beautiful way to bring everyone together.
4) Install a Coffee Bar
If you want to make your employees feel like they’re on vacation, then installing a coffee bar is one way you can help them achieve that feeling. Who doesn’t love having access to delicious and freshly brewed coffee whenever the mood strikes? Having different flavors available will encourage people to come back for more as well! If you offer different types of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in your outdoor area, then you will have a variety of options available at all times.
5) Serve Casual Food
Another thing you can do to make your employees feel like they’re on vacation is by serving casual food that everyone will enjoy. If possible, provide a grill and let them cook their lunch instead of buying pre-made sandwiches or salads every day. Not only does this save you money in the long run, but it also encourages employees to get outside and socialize with each other.
6) Hold Team-Building Events
If you want to improve morale and get your employees working more closely together, having team-building events is a great idea. Whether playing cards or hiking in the woods, countless activities will help people bond with one another while improving their teamwork skills. The more they work as a team, the better results they’ll achieve in their work.
7) Buy Benches and Other Outdoor Furniture
If you don’t have the budget for fun activities, free coffee, or new restrooms, then one thing that won’t cost much is buying benches and other outdoor furniture pieces. This will give employees an area to relax and socialize with one another during their break times.
8) Use Portable Storage Solutions
Finally, storing supplies and other things in your outdoor area can be a good idea as well. Instead of cluttering up the inside of your workplace with items you need to store outside, save yourself time and hassle by using portable storage solutions like plastic crates or metal lockers instead. This way, everything will stay nice and organized until it’s time to use it again!
