The Importance of Staff Catering for Business Productivity

The importance of a lunch break and high quality staff catering cannot be underestimated. We are all in agreement that school children need a lunch break – it gives them the energy they need to concentrate and to help them achieve their full potential. For some reason, that consensus seems to have been lost for adults in the workplace. It’s a puzzle – a decent lunch break for staff too can have a number of benefits for their well-being and office productivity.

False choice leads to lower staff productivity

It’s not uncommon to see employees struggle between the choices of taking a proper lunch break or cracking on straight through lunch with their work – or compromising with a snack at the desk. It’s a choice between relaxation and productivity. But it’s a false choice. In the long term, a proper lunch and break is the choice that will yield greater productivity.

A healthy and nutritious midday meal gives workers the energy to be productive and concentrated for the rest of the working day after the morning push. A midday meal undoubtedly gets workers in a better physical shape to be on top of their game throughout the day – whereas those who avoid lunch will feel the strain come five o’clock.

Arguably more important than the actual physical benefits of taking a lunch break, are the mental benefits. However, it’s very difficult to keep up the same levels of productivity and creativity for many hours straight. A change of environment, a stretch of the legs, and just simply switching off can be invaluable to improving cognitive function in the afternoon. It’s not uncommon to even have a breakthrough thought during lunch, in a less pressurised and relaxed environment. Kimberly Elsbach, a management professor at UC-Davis, puts it this way:

“Never taking a break from very careful thought work actually reduces your ability to be creative, it sort of exhausts your cognitive capacity and you’re not able to make the creative connections you can if your brain is more rested. If you’re skipping lunch to continue to push forward in a very intense cognitive capacity, then you’re probably not doing yourself any favours.”

Make staff catering more appetising for lunch

Of course, the staff catering experience has to be appealing to encourage staff to take the break that can be so beneficial. We feel our cashless staff catering system can help kitchens operate smoothly and quickly. There is nothing more frustrating than backed up queues during a lunch break, caused by the fumble in pockets for cash, or credit card machines that take longer to process or connect. Cashless catering by BioStore allows staff to collect and pay for their meal with the touch of a finger or simple swipe of a smart card. We tie the catering solution into the ID management system used throughout the rest of the office.

That means staff use the same authentication, an ID card or Biometric, to get into the building in the morning, log in to their computers, authorise printing and take advantage of any catering. With a fingerprint biometric, there is no hassle for staff. They can’t forget or lose the authentication they need to access all the services on offer, and they can be sure it can’t be stolen or used by someone else.

They can get staff catering quickly with a simple fingerprint scan – the authentication draws the payment from an easily topped up online account. Cashless catering from BioStore, means less time queuing for lunch and more time rejuvenating mentally and physically.

Improvements for catering staff

BioStore’s cashless catering for business doesn’t only help the staff in an office, but also gives the catering staff themselves useful tools to operate more efficiently. The BioStore cashless catering system completely integrates into management information systems. Catering staff can monitor and track sales, and use the information for deeper analysis of their products. This can help improve stock management and orders, and ultimately their budget.

Improvement for business as a whole

A positive and healthy attitude to lunch by businesses, with an efficient cashless catering system installed, can be beneficial on a day-to-day basis to employees and the catering staff. But in the long run, it’s really beneficial to the business as a whole. The office catering solution can be operated at its most efficient and within budget. But perhaps more importantly, well-fed staff, who are given an opportunity to take a break during the day, will in the long term be more productive, creative and happier.

Related links & news stories:

Time: Is Lunch a Waste of Time – or a Productivity Booster?

BioStore: Business Cashless Catering