Office Workers More Productive When Water Coolers Are Handy

One of the basic requirements that an employer must provide for the health and safety of their employees is a ready supply of fresh, clean, uncontaminated water. Sometimes in difficult economic circumstances when a business is looking at ways to cut costs, there may be a temptation to remove the office water coolers and substitute them with tap water, bottled and placed in the staff refrigerator. However, this method is not cost effective as it requires someone to be responsible for keeping up the regular supply and it introduces a health risk if the water is stored too long before consumption, or becomes contaminated during refills.

Health authorities all agree that regular hydration is essential for employees to maintain consistent levels of work performance. Dehydration can occur without people really being aware of it and if thirst is used as an indicator, that generally means dehydration is already in progress. By providing their staff with a ready supply of office water, employers are not only complying with health and safety requirements, but also increasing productivity.

Making the office a pleasant environment

Large offices that occupy whole floors of a building require several office water coolers placed at strategic intervals throughout the work space. This is a productivity measure also, because staff members don’t need to walk any distance to the staff kitchen, or wait to use the tap or the refrigerator. They simply fill their drink container from the water cooler closest to their desk, and go back to work. It also assists with the ergonomic advice that desk-bound employees should get up and move around every hour to prevent back, shoulder and arm fatigue.

Placing an office water cooler in the reception area is as important as having comfortable furniture, plants and other décor to welcome visitors. People who have come for a business meeting or a job interview are put at ease by the simple act of getting themselves a drink of water. If clients are required to wait for unusual lengths of time, it helps to keep them in a positive frame of mind if they are offered cool filtered water while they wait.

Wide range of office water coolers available

Today’s water coolers are stylish and unobtrusive, and are made to suit most office spaces. There are free-standing models, some small to suit areas where space is at a premium and larger models for more spacious premises or well-designed reception areas. Other models are made to sit on top of a bench or can be split so that the filtration system is hidden under the bench top and the cooler bottle sits on the top.

To stay afloat in these economic times, businesses must look for ways to keep their costs under control. However, this should always be balanced against productivity and staff morale, both of which could be affected without a ready supply of cool, fresh, filtered office water.