Can a humble lunch break rebuild great workplace culture?

Well, butter my bread and call it a sandwich 🥪 - it’s four years since COVID-19 started and the workforce is still trickling back to the office! The ‘Return to Work’ conversation started back in 2022 and now it’s 2024 and the debate over going back to work continues to rage. Today we’re asking how workplaces can reorient themselves as attractive places for employees with the almighty power of lunch. 

Let’s cut to the cheese 🧀: the pandemic is old news, but its impact on work culture has stuck around like the smell of an overripe Camembert. Despite many employers hating #WFH (and it’s friend ‘hybrid working’), the comforts of home have been hard for employees to leave behind – no commutes, pets as colleagues, and the freedom to conduct meetings in pyjama bottoms (we won’t tell if you won’t). 

Getting people back in the office is an undeniable challenge that most future focused workplace happiness teams puzzle over daily. 

Well, we think the secret ingredient might just be a great lunch. Because, there is a sense of boredom creeping into our home workspaces, of being 24/7 in the same space (argh). And a little pang of nostalgia for office banter, work BFFs and shared breaks is brewing. 

Office lunches build comradery

Enter the humble lunch break, stage left, ready to make its triumphant return. It's not just about refuelling with a leafy green salad 🥗 or a hearty sandwich; it's about the camaraderie that's built when breaking bread 🥖 together. It’s about the eureka moments that happen over a helping of curry, the team spirit fortified by communal french fries, and the network weaved with a spaghetti strand of connection.

Employers, take note: if you want to lure your team back to the office, don't underestimate the power of a mouth-watering spread at any time of the day. Startups and creative agencies have long known the secret sauce of workplace satisfaction, offering up culinary perks that turn lunch hours into the highlight of the day. It’s not just about feeding stomachs; it might also feeding souls and the invisible threads that tie a team together. Jargon (although possibly not pun) free. 

Bring back Taco Tuesdays

Picture this: Monday morning, the office is buzzing with more energy than a double-shot espresso. Why? Because word on the street is that Taco Tuesday 🌮 is making a comeback, and nobody wants to miss out on guac o’clock. Wednesday rolls around, and the sushi platters roll in🍣, chopsticks at the ready. By Thursday, the salad bar is creating more buzz than the latest industry news, and come Friday, pizza is uniting the office like a cheesy peace treaty.

But it’s not enough to just dish out free food. In today’s world, values are the new currency, and sustainability is the gold standard. Businesses need to step up their game, serving up lunches that are as kind to the planet as they are to the palate. Think locally-sourced ingredients, waste-reducing initiatives, and plant-based options that even the most carnivorous of colleagues can't resist. 

Now obviously not all workplaces need to do this every day. But we think this is the face of workplace benefits – one that acknowledges that life doesn’t stop for work, but that work can certainly include some life. It’s a recognition that the social fabric of a workplace isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the soft power that can drive hard results.

Let’s make lunch (and offices) great again!

So, fellow office dwellers, let's rally around the rallying cry to "Make lunch great again!" Let’s return to our desks with the promise of gastronomic joy and the prospect of rekindled office friendships. Because if there’s one thing that can bridge the gap between home comforts and office culture, it’s the universal language of delicious food.

And for those still on the fence, remember: a great lunch isn't just a meal; it's a taste of togetherness, a side of strategy, and a main course of motivation. It’s the glue in the sandwich of team cohesion, and it just might be the best recipe for getting people back to work with a smile on their faces and a spring in their step.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to turn the lunch hour into the power hour. Let’s eat!

Warning: There were approximately 5 terrible food related puns in this article. Should we have done more? Give us your feedback below!