Everybody enjoys the coffee break. Not only does it represent a few minutes away from the heavy work load back at the desk, but it also offers the opportunity to converse with friends and co-workers about a few topics pertinent (or not pertinent) to the day. But beyond just being a few enjoyable moments for the employee, research is beginning to show that it can increase overall productivity at the company as well. While this seems counter-intuitive, when looking at the reasoning behind it, some logic behind these conclusions begins to emerge.

First, we will analyze how the break itself can increase productivity. Studies have shown that, in a typical eight hour day, most employees only do a little more than six hours of work. Where the other two hours go varies – it may be spent surfing the net, backtracking over previous mistakes, randomly chatting with co-workers, or just flat spacing out. Now, that does not even take into account how much of the six hours of work are low quality or in need of being re-done at a future date.

There is also a factor where employees who converse with other employees throughout the day have been proven to be more productive. Here is the kicker – while workers may occasionally broach on off-topic subjects that bug bosses while they are on the clock, the number one topic for discussion at work is WORK. Employees who take breaks to talk to one and other are often sharing ideas and learning valuable insights from their co-workers. Let us liken it to an NBA basketball team. The best teams are the ones that are frequently communicating and talking to one and other on the court. The analogy is not much of a reach for any office. Inter-office communication is critical to overall success, and it is tough to promote this communication if everyone is spending most of the day in their cubicles or individual offices.

Next, we will deal with the substance of coffee itself. Coffee drinking has shown to be highly correlated with the most productive employees. The caffeine in coffee has been linked with increases in memory and concentration. Now, this should be noted that this is simply a correlation – meaning that the study showed that increases in one item occurred at the same time as increases in the other and vice versa with decreases. These studies have not gone so far as to prove that coffee caused these increases. Beyond these short term daily increases, coffee in moderation has been linked with some positive health benefits (please read my other recently posted article for more information on this subject).

None of this is to say that you should just sit around and chat with a few of your co-workers while drinking java all morning. You may find that your employer and other co-workers would frown upon this and your productivity would actually take a nose dive in that situation. But, as long as your boss does not say otherwise, do not feel any shame or guilt in taking a few minutes out each hour to stretch, chat, and even sip on a cup of Joe. You may find that the few minutes off lead to getting more done at a higher quality. Imagine that.

Author Bio: By Felix Chesterfield III; To learn more about office productivity, coffee products (such as Tassimo coffee), and the background behind these studies, please contact the author. I would be happy to discuss these issues in greater depth with any reader.

Category: Business Management
Keywords: Coffee, coffee break, office productivity