Office Amenities

There is an ongoing debate (or possibly even, a battle) for whether or not teleworkers need to return to the office and office amenities are smack dab in the middle of it. The mass teleworking that started thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic has improved the quality of life for many employees by saving time to not have to get ready for work or commute, and saving money by not having to commute. Reduction in emissions from commuting also occurred, so trying to convince workers back into the office if they’re just working on a computer is a tough sell.

Clearly, people who work jobs that actually require a physical presence because they work with physical, rather than digital products, have already returned to their office building or other place of work. However, they are likely more disgruntled than before the pandemic, and the bout of inflation that has occurred in 2022. While it is clearly best to pay workers more in light of inflation, there are also workplace amenities that can help make the return to the office a little bit smoother whether it’s going back to an office building or warehouse.

These office perks typically come in the form of free coffee or a ping-pong table, but there are many other amenities that can make the lives of employees a little bit easier, rather than just trying to pump them full of caffeine to make them work faster. There’s a few Micro Real Estate pieces of hardware that can help employees out.

Office Amenities Examples

Vending Machines are the Best Office Amenities

Vending Machines are a staple of many offices and workplace break rooms, but with inflation, the prices on vending machine items have increased too. If your office doesn’t have a vending machine then it is a good idea to try to make a deal with a vending machine operator – you can list the microproperty on Micro Real Estate. If your workplace already has a vending machine, then it would be a good idea to work with the vending machine operator to subsidize the items and provide higher quality, and healthier snacks for your employees.

Employees are certainly more productive when all of their needs are met, and a hungry or “hangry” employee is not going to perform as well as an employee with a satisfied tummy,

Electric Vehicle Chargers as Workplace Amenities

Though the return to the workplace is going to require commuting by many people who no longer wish to commute, there are other things to consider when employees return to work. Many of them may have bought electric cars over the past few years as the adoption rate of electric vehicles is steadily increasing each year. So, if your business does not have a place for employees to charger their cars, they may get a little disgruntled, and if you’ve planned ahead to install a EV charger, they will be very happy.

Yes, some of your employees may have bought EVs, but I’m sure many more are thinking about buying one, but without easily accessible charging stations at work, they may not be able to make the switch. So, it’s probably a good idea to install an EV charger or two at your office building to get ahead of the EV adoption curve.

Shipping Container Farms as Office Perks

Creative office amenities are going to be needed to entice the workforce back to the workplace. The composition of the workforce is also changing, with younger folks feeling the need to eat healthier than previous generations. If you want creative office amenities that fulfill this health food desire, then you should consider on premises indoor/vertical farming, potentially in a shipping container.

If you’ve got extra space in a warehouse or parking lot, consider leasing it to an indoor farmer for a unique office amenity. Shipping container farms are becoming more popular and can be placed anywhere that has access to electricity (or sunlight for solar panels) and relatively easy access to water. So they are a perfect commercial building amenity that everyone from the interns to the executives can use. Though EV chargers are currently the coolest office amenity, I think shipping container farms are going to be a common amenity in the future. With the ability to locate a shipping container farm right at the entry or exit of any office building, it will be super easy for every employee to access fresh food.

If your office building hosts farmers markets on the weekends, then of course, a shipping container farm on premises is a perfect fit. Shipping container farms can grow the food, but they can also be a sport for your employees to buy fresh produce any day of the week, and all year round. From an employee’s perspective, if they can save time by picking up produce for dinner right outside of their office, then it is definitely a worthwhile office perk.

List of Office Building, Coworking, and Commercial Space Amenities

1. Vending Machines
2. Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
3. Shipping Container Farms
4. Food Trucks
5. Day Care
6. ATMs
7. Dry Cleaning Service
8. Ping-Pong Table
9. Kitchen with appliances like microwaves and fridges
10. Coffee Machines
11. Nap Pods
12. 3rd Party Ergonomic Assessments
13. Plants and Water Features
14. Couches and outdoor benches
15. 3D printers with a digital library of items
16. Wi-Fi or Helium hotspots
17. Art (Paintings, Installations, Sculptures, antique engines and machinery)
18. Museum – Allow employees to walk through the history of the company
19. Little Library
20. Good views
21. Time to use any of the creative office amenities listed above

Now if you’re looking for Apartment Building Amenities, Theme Park Amenities, or the Best Retail Amenities, then that’s a different story!