Believe it or not, but you and your employees, well, at least some of them, have a different perception of office water coolers. You get these coolers to ensure that the employees can drink filtered water as and when they want. And all they see is an opportunity – the opportunity to gather around and talk. Yes, the water cooler effect* is a common phenomenon and chances are that your office is no exception. Of course, it may not be possible for you to stop the chit-chat completely, not that you should, but that’s another story. You can try and reduce it to a level where it does not hamper the productivity.
Usually, when the bottles are replaced, the employees tend to stay a bit longer near the office water coolers. What if there are no bottles? Won’t they just go there, drink water and come back? They are likely to. Interestingly, such coolers are available. Even better, they have many more benefits than just helping you cut down on the chit-chat your employees engage in. For instance, they are designed for an enhanced user experience and require no admin intervention, whatsoever. Likewise, unlike bottles, they dispense freshly filtered water.
Other benefits include:
- Automatic refilling
- Easy maintenance o You can opt for service packages, if the need be
- Need a simple mains water connection o No other prerequisites as such
And yes, with office water coolers, you can keep your employees hydrated**, making them more productive. Who knows, with less chit-chat and more productivity, you may be in a win-win situation.
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cooler#Water_cooler_effect
**http://blog.dlvr.it/2013/09/7-habits-of-highly-dehydrated-employees/
