The hand that feeds

Providing free meals to employees is an effective way to increase engagement and boost productivity.

- BOB NELSON AND MARIO TAMAYO

Like many things in a work environment, why should employers worry about feeding their employees? Can they not do that themselves with the money they are paid? In a nutshell (pun intended), you do not have to worry about this, but if you choose to consider the topic, the return on productivity, employee satisfaction, and wellness can be significant.

When it comes to employee happiness, 67 per cent of full-time employees with access to free food at work are ‘extremely’ or ‘ very’ happy at their current job, according to SnackNation, a snack delivery service for offices or homes, so it should not come as a surprise that free food is one of the top perks that employees desire. It is one of the major reasons why companies like Google and Facebook use it as a way to attract and keep top talent. Furthermore, that same study found that 48 % of job seekers weigh company perks, including the availability of snacks, in their decision to work for a company.

A survey of more than 1,000 full-time workers conducted by Peapod, an online grocer, found that more than half of people (56 per cent) are ‘extremely’ or ‘very happy at their current jobs. However, that number jumps to 67 per cent for employees who have free food at work.

Shareable meals are a source of workplace camaraderie, especially since the majority of workers spend nearly half their day using technology to communicate. Creating an environment where employees can interact while eating has a positive impact on company culture: 35 per cent of companies provide office meals to encourage team building, a survey from ZeroCater found. This is why so many firms have taken to provide free food throughout the workday, for example, in San Francisco alone: