Yes, Outdoor Picnic Tables can Benefit Employees and your Bottom Line
Having a relaxing space at the workplace is a tangible benefit for most employees. The ability to enjoy lunch or an outdoor break in a calm, outdoor environment that allows fresh air and some sun exposure can be a huge deal for employees that sit in cubicles or work on a line during the bulk of their shifts.
This article is about how different factors of a communal break area can be benefited by selecting the right equipment and how that space can translate to a better employee population and help to minimize work related stress for employees on the jobsite.
Premier Polysteel is a premium outdoor furniture manufacturer for the commercial outdoor industry. We produce what we believe to be the finest outdoor tables and seating for year round heavy use cases. Our design and materials offer a long-lasting, low-maintenance product that your employees can easily relate to in style, comfort, and aesthetics.
Below we will highlight some best practices for building a communal space that can benefit not only your employees but your bottom line through improved productivity and long-term value in your outdoor space investment.
Outdoor open air spaces can improve productivity and creativity
Fresh air is beneficial for employees of all types, if for nothing else but the break from the same day-in and day-out work activities. This is true for office workers, production line employees, and just about any other employee in an office or commercial setting. Getting a simple break from tasks throughout the day can help recharge an employee and help refocus them for the job at hand.
Creating a space outdoors is important then, for keeping employees happy, fresh, and comfortable throughout all aspects of work. A few moments in quiet reflection alone, or the ability to talk with co-workers over lunch, or share non-work related ideas can be helpful in breaking up the monotony of the work schedule for many employees.
Proper lunch areas, especially considering the huge shifts in work and social environments over the past couple of years can be a safe haven for workers who want to feel comfortable with enough room to feel socially distanced, but not unsociable.
Indoor rooms are great, but outdoor rooms offer a dynamism that just isn’t available indoors. And besides, while the weather is nice outside – let the natural environment help to promote happier workers.
Collaborative, social environments can improve morale and workplace comradery
Outdoor meetings may not be a reality for some teams, but for others they can spur on better discussion, more comfortable meetings and allow for better social integration in teams that may not collaborate often inside. Picnic tables, like those in our commercial outdoor furniture portfolio are designed for inclusion of all people who use them, and these improved social interactions can lead to better morale.
Having a variety of seating areas can help employees make a decision of how they want to contribute to the discussion or stage themselves relative to peers and can make for a much more relaxed meeting environment that can still produce serious results. This inclusive environment feels much more creative and allows for better flow of ideas across small groups or in breakout sessions for larger groups.
A relaxing, high quality break area for employees can have a positive impact on recruiting
Walking a potential new hire through the campus or work environment and being able to highlight comfortable, quiet spaces for eating and social interactions, shows that potential new hire that Human Resources and company management care about their employee wellbeing.
A professional outdoor eating area can improve impressions by potential employees about the workplace balance and how much thought the team has put into its employees. A well manicured and peaceful outdoor area with comfortable seating options and tables that facilitate different activities can go a long way to sharpening the perception of the company.
Maintenance for Premier Polysteel outdoor commercial furniture is minimal
Premier Polysteel makes world class, well-proven commercial outdoor furniture. The strong, permanent feel of the types of outdoor furniture we build contributes to comfortable feelings while using the equipment and reminds users that they are utilizing a premium product.
We have made heavy-duty commercial benches, picnic tables and other accessory items that are in the public space for decades – contributing to a more relaxed mindset all over the corporate sphere.
Made from steel that is welded, primed and finished with a polyvinyl coating about ⅛” thick that seals the entire steel inner structure, our equipment is robust, weather resistant and comfortable to use. It is safer than alternatives thanks to balanced engineered designs and strong build quality that can hold a lot of weight. They are anti-tip, UV stabilized and weather resistant year round. With a plethora of installation options, we offer a line of products that are ADA compliant by design, and fit into commercial spaces well.
Rust is not an issue thanks to the plastisol coated exterior, and there are no sharp edges anywhere on our products. The generous sizing of the entry and exit points enable users of all sizes. Due to the durable plastisol coating that covers the entire product, maintenance is minimized.
Compared to other options on the market, maintenance requirements are among the lowest, and simple cleaning can be done with mild detergents or diluted bleach and commercially available cleaning implements. More aggressive cleaning can also be done, thanks to the superior build quality, and quick work can be made with a pressure washer or hose. Water drainage is not an issue thanks to the design which incorporates drip-through holes that are still suitable for day to day activities on the tabletops.
Disinfecting our products is easy and it’s an important consideration given the improvements in overall workplace hygiene that have taken place recently.
Additional considerations for an outdoor employee space
When deciding on outdoor furniture for employee spaces, you should consider how many employees you need to provide for during a shift or during high traffic times to ensure no employee is left out.
Having additional space that does not incorporate equipment or tables can be important too, especially for ADA compliance and to create a feeling of relaxation and depth.
An important consideration will also be shade structures. We offer table mounted umbrellas with canopies made with Sunbrella fabric. These can provide adequate shade in absence of larger foundational shade structures and help to minimize discomfort in light rain or during sunny days.
The shade from an umbrella enhances the already class-leading touch comfort of our tables and surfaces – which utilize the properties of the polyvinyl coating to minimize temperature extremes as the coating insulates against heat or cold retention and minimizes those extremes.
Choosing tables for your space
We have many styles of tables to choose from. Shop now for picnic tables for your outdoor commercial space to see all the varieties.
We offer 12 color choices, and two surface designs as well as several shapes and styles to enhance your space and meet a needed aesthetic or functional consideration.
Among the options are two tabletop styles: the perforated steel has a flatter surface which is better at keeping beverages upright. The classic look of expanded metal has diamond-shaped openings. Both styles drain well and dry quickly when they get wet.
Other furniture options and accessories that can enhance a worksite or campus
Lastly, it’s important to think about additional outdoor needs, such as trash receptacles, bike racks, benches and grills. These items can improve the capabilities of your outdoor employee space and allow for a broader range of activities for employees on different schedules or for the worksite on a whole.
We have a large catalog of complementary products that can enhance such a space. Our goal is to help you improve morale, increase outdoor space usability, and facilitate a better bottom line by catering to a better overall experience for your employees. Positive employee experience at the workplace is proven to have a legitimate tangible effect on your employees creativity and productivity.
We invite you to call us with specific needs or browse our large portfolio of products and see which items could improve your outdoor space on a commercial workspace project.
