Free hot drinks are more popular workplace benefits than mental health support, according to one survey.
Research conducted with 1,000 office workers by TLF Research on behalf of hybrid-working venue platform Reef App, showed that 35% of these employees really like to see readily available tea and coffee in the workplace.
Free fruit was also highly valued by 24%, while having access to zero-price breakfast items such as toast and cereal could clinch the deal for a further 21%.
One in five (20%) said that free snacks were key and a similar proportion (21%) answered that having a drinks hour on a Friday to “wind down the week” appealed to them.
Yet just 19% said mental health support was key to where they worked.
Other top perks office workers rated as important in the survey were fully remote working where they never need to visit an office (20%) and having their birthday as an extra day of holiday (24%).
But the most desired aspects of an employment contract were flexible hours (48%) and hybrid working (41%).
James Coughlan, founder of Reef App, said it is no surprise that hybrid working and flexible hours top the bill in light of the pandemic as people now know they can be productive without the traditional constraints of needing to work in the office or at home from 9-5.
He explained that the Reef App team knew from speaking to staff that food is also important when it comes to work, as it is fuel needed to get through the day and many employees are now bored of eating the same thing at home every day.
“We miss that popping out for a sandwich or grabbing something from the staff kitchen or canteen,” said Coughlan. “We know it’s something people really appreciate about working from the third workspaces we connect them with such as a café, hotel or restaurant, the access to really good food and drink, which they don’t have to prepare themselves.”