The Benefits Of Having A Water Cooler In Your Office

Staying hydrated is important for good health and with the summer season fast approaching, this has never been more important.

There are lots of different facilities you could opt to have in your office such as kitchen equipment or a vending machine, but by far the quickest and easiest option is a water cooler.

Here’s a look at the benefits of having a water cooler in your office, not just in summer, but all year round.

Optimise performance

As a business you may spend a lot of time, money and effort on striving to improve the performance of your employees, monitoring their output and providing coaching and feedback.

But what if there was an easy way to boost their performance by up to almost a third, whilst at the same time reducing the number of sick days too? You might be surprised to learn that a water cooler can do just that.

Research has proven that being properly hydrated can improve concentration, memory and energy levels. Both brains and bodies benefit hugely from getting enough fluids, and drinking water throughout the day can help workers to stay alert, awake and efficient for longer, helping to stave off tiredness and improve focus.

A water cooler is the easiest way to help employees have access to clean and safe drinking water that’s appealing and convenient to reach.

You may think that there’s no chance of dehydration because plenty of tea and coffee is drunk. However, you might be surprised to learn that in these situations there’s actually an increased risk of dehydration. This is because caffeine acts as a diuretic and increases water loss.

The feeling of thirst is actually a sign that the dehydration process has begun; people should be drinking before they feel thirsty for optimum health and performance.

Easier access

Making sure that your staff has enough fluids is just as important for the business as for the individual but it’s easier said than done.

Encouraging staff to bring water and drinks to work or installing vending machines are two possible alternative options. However, neither are as effective as a water cooler.

Carrying enough drinks to work to the last the day takes pre-planning and organisation and particularly during the summer, could be heavy. Vending machines are typically very large and will only fit in certain places within the office.

By contrast water coolers are an easy and efficient solution and if you opt for a stand-alone model, can be placed anywhere in the office. Small and unobtrusive, water coolers can fit into the most convenient spot so workers don’t have to walk far to get a drink.

Delicious to drink

Most people opt to drink either flavoured drinks or hot beverages but when the right type of water is drunk it can be particularly refreshing and delicious.

Tap water rarely tastes as good as bottled water, typically because it’s saturated with chemicals and may also be affected by the source or the method of delivery, imbuing it with either an earthy or coppery flavour.

By contrast bottled water is without the undesirable medicinal taste and is natural, fresh and clean.  Office water suppliers don’t use chemicals as a filter and instead of using tap water, use natural spring water. This makes the drinking water taste very different and a far cry from the metallic tap water that’s typically found in the UK.

Conclusion

Keeping employees hydrated is really important for you as a business because not only will your staff stay healthier and less likely to be off sick, their performance will improve too. Make it easier and more convenient for employees to get a drink by installing a water cooler and you should see a real difference for just a minimal investment.

Image Credits: R L Hyde and Kate H