Archived Breakroom Ideas

[WestLoggy]

O/N cleaning crew spiffy's up ours but then it is up to each to clean up after themselves for the remainder of the day. We all know how well that works. Egads ... do these people live like this at home? The crew works hard to clean it up but by the time the o/n flow crew arrives it is a mess.

P'butter/jelly and one of those k-cup coffee things is always provided. P'butter/jelly usually has hairs and scum in it. K-cup coffee thing is gross and the coffee plugs are not provided - you must bring your own. We have a Culligan filtered water station for hot/cold water and yes ... we have cable TV though, it seems it is always playing a children's cartoon station or *eegads* Fox News.

Plenty of brand posters hanging on the walls with cheery 20-somethings floating in the air, grinning ear to ear as the glide through the Spot logo. Then on another wall there are pages from children's coloring books torn out and painted up. Most have kept within the lines but not all of them. Oh, and they are done by TMs. Have no clue when they have time to do this but alas, there they are.

All in all, it's pretty brand with all the red and white and cheery pretty models glaring at you as they practically molest the Spot logo. Keep with that and you should be fine.

 

[Anelmi]

You guys get coffee?? Jealous....

 

[Yetive]

Cable and a nice tv. A couple of 8 foot tables and 4 or 5 small round ones. We have the event calendar, and some Target info posters. There are usually signs for individual fun events that are coming up. Sometimes, tms will post info about volunteer events they are involved in.

We have 2 fridges, 2 pop machines, and 2 snack machines. Kitchen area has 2 microwaves, toaster oven, paper plates, napkins, cold cups, cooking/serving utensils, plastic forks/knives/spoons. Cabinets have the crockpots/griddle/serving bowls etc. Also basic condiments, peanut butter. Mustard, catsup, jelly in fridge.

There is a food/events table that almost always has some kind of food on it, usually fruit and baked goods.

We also have the coffee cart. Kuerig, regular coffee maker, electric kettle (wish we had the insta hot thing). Someone brought in a french press, but no one ever uses it. It is stocked with cups, lids, sleeves, stirs, powered creamer, sugar/substitutes, honey, and sometimes a starbucks syrup or 2. We have ground coffee, kcups, hot chocolate packets, and a couple kinds of tea. (Its good to have a couple coffee drinkers on staff ).

 

[Yetive]

Does that budget roll over if not fully used each month? My store often goes months without putting anything out, then spends thousands at once on catered meals at the end of the year.

Our HR is a bit of a miser. Throughout the year, we have smaller fun events, and she keeps the break room well stocked and clean. Then in Q4, she splashes out on food for the team. No more art projects etc. She polled the team, and everyone decided that's what they wanted. As a result, we always have the basics covered, have the occasional fun event, and have lots during BTC and Q4. Much better than the busy work fun events suggested by Spot, imho.

 

[HRZone]

Does that budget roll over if not fully used each month? My store often goes months without putting anything out, then spends thousands at once on catered meals at the end of the year.

It does not rollover but it varies by month - November and December it's huge. August is the third biggest month so if your store is not giving you food in August they are probably using it on food for the etl/stl meetings.

Budget depends on your org chart.

 

[HRZone]

Really!? Seriously that'll be the only thing I need. However in my store you want coffee? Go buy it at Starbucks.

You guys get coffee?? Jealous....

Starbucks is required to order a certain amount of coffee each week and it has to be used by a certain date.

At our store they have a lot left over So we use it in the breakroom. Your HR should work with Starbucks to see if they can pass anything along.

 

[Yetive]

Well, if your Starbucks has enough coffee left to supply the breakroom, they aren't brewing it often enough. They are actually required to brew coffee every half hour, and the only way Starbucks can police that is by the amount ordered. If they are on schedule, there should be about one pot worth of beans left every day. We will grind that for the break room, but if I see more than that headed upstairs, I know they aren't following the brewing routine. Probably way more info than you ever wanted to know .

 

[HRZone]

Well, if your Starbucks has enough coffee left to supply the breakroom, they aren't brewing it often enough. They are actually required to brew coffee every half hour, and the only way Starbucks can police that is by the amount ordered. If they are on schedule, there should be about one pot worth of beans left every day. We will grind that for the break room, but if I see more than that headed upstairs, I know they aren't following the brewing routine. Probably way more info than you ever wanted to know .

Good to know! Herein lies the issue with a store where our CTL rarely gets to spend anytime in cafe or Starbucks because they are LOD four times a week

 

[PM2NO]

I'm in a store without Starbucks and our Food Ave isn't opened until 10 so having coffee supplied to us was a nice gesture although our team at times will turn the pot off when there was plenty left so we end up having to make new and by that time break is over

 

[oath2order]

I can't wait for Thanksgiving now omg

 

[oath2order]

I'd like to see things be in good repair too. Functioning lockers and tables that don't wobble would be nice.

I'd like functioning lockers but the dumbasses in my store keep forgetting which locker they put their stuff in.

Somehow.

 

[LUR99]

I would like a break room that is clean (including microwaves), has the refrigerators cleaned out regularly, and is stocked with snacks/inexpensive food, utensils, and napkins.


Does that budget roll over if not fully used each month? My store often goes months without putting anything out, then spends thousands at once on catered meals at the end of the year.

No, it does not roll over. Some months have a lower budget and some months have a huge budget especially towards the end of the year.

 

[PM2NO]

I'd like functioning lockers but the dumbasses in my store keep forgetting which locker they put their stuff in.

Somehow.

Happens in my store too. We converted to the non battery operated ones 6 months ago and it didn't take long for the team to mess it up and ruin the lockers. They always blame the lock but it's their stupidity to not remember simple things.

 

[HRZone]

I'd like functioning lockers but the dumbasses in my store keep forgetting which locker they put their stuff in.

Somehow.

Ugh and I have a key to unlock them but these idiots take the screw drivers and break them open like a crow bar

 

[Saul Goodman]

Another thing that's nice that I wish my store had would be a Kuerig and a griddle that stayed out.

We have both but the Kuerig was permanently put away because I guess one person didn't clean up after themselves. And the griddle is only special occasions. Even not supplying the coffee or food to heat up on the griddle, at least having them out so TM's could purchase items to use them with would be great

 

[Yetive]

That's silly. Just get out the keurig, make your coffee, and put it away again.

 

[SFSFun]

It does not rollover but it varies by month - November and December it's huge. August is the third biggest month so if your store is not giving you food in August they are probably using it on food for the etl/stl meetings.

Budget depends on your org chart.

View attachment 3527

That's interesting. We haven't spent anywhere close to that so far, and I haven't witnessed any catered ETL meetings.

For July, we had hotdogs, burgers, and chips on the 4th, and we had McDonalds on our double truck day. But we didn't have anything in May or June. Not even snacks or PB&J.

 

[WestLoggy]

It does not rollover but it varies by month - November and December it's huge. August is the third biggest month so if your store is not giving you food in August they are probably using it on food for the etl/stl meetings.

Budget depends on your org chart.

View attachment 3527

Holy crap, we're getting jipped. I've seen the spread at the STL meetings so that is apparently where ours is going. Geez ... even "popcorn day" is 24 packets thrown out on the counter in the morning which is consumed/taken straight away. Several years back and two HRETLs ago we had the usual smaller stuff but always had a monthly gig: subway sandwiches ... asian food catered ... STL/ETLs would get together and make chili, stews, etc and serve everyone. Now it's simply old p'butter with pubic hairs and stale saltine crackers.

 

[PM2NO]

I believe STLs/ETLs spend their budget on their own food as well for their hour breakfast and lunch. I'm senior level too and I never get asked to join them even though other senior levels get the perks of Starbucks delivered to them and get asked what they want for lunch. It's no wonder integrity scored so low on BTS

 

[Yetive]

Yes, Pcard is a different account. Starbucks is feast or famine with leadership--either they are gold members or don't set foot in there. Either way, it is purchased, not requisitioned.

 

[HRZone]

That's interesting. We haven't spent anywhere close to that so far, and I haven't witnessed any catered ETL meetings.

For July, we had hotdogs, burgers, and chips on the 4th, and we had McDonalds on our double truck day. But we didn't have anything in May or June. Not even snacks or PB&J.

Sadly the 549 is very abused. At my store it's used by gstls rewarding cashier's for getting reds. The big jar of candy in the ETL Hrs office. 549.

Any chat session that has food. 549

I had to take 50 bucks out of my stores budget to get us a new toaster oven.

 

[HRZone]

Yes, Pcard is a different account. Starbucks is feast or famine with leadership--either they are gold members or don't set foot in there. Either way, it is purchased, not requisitioned.

Is this asants? My CTL gave me a bunch of receipts from Starbucks and some of them had notes that made it look like an LOD requisitioning a drink from Starbucks for a team member.

Now I agree an LOD would not requisition a drink for themselves but aren't they able to requisition a drink for a team member (looking at you red card queen)

 

[PogDog]

A real butter knife for the peanut butter would be nice. Those plastic knifes don't work and we get peanut butter all over our hands.

Even better, and probably as affordable, a mini spatula. Its less likely to be taken for someone's personal lunch use and it makes getting the PB at the bottom easier.

 

[WestLoggy]

Even better, and probably as affordable, a mini spatula. Its less likely to be taken for someone's personal lunch use and it makes getting the PB at the bottom easier.

And licking it clean is usually more cumbersome than licking a spoon. Seriously ... we've seen it happen ... on a regular basis ... *Lick* ... right back into the jar

 

[Yetive]

Is this asants? My CTL gave me a bunch of receipts from Starbucks and some of them had notes that made it look like an LOD requisitioning a drink from Starbucks for a team member.

Now I agree an LOD would not requisition a drink for themselves but aren't they able to requisition a drink for a team member (looking at you red card queen)

I meant for themselves. If they were to give a drink to a tm, it would be 549.