Remember happy hour? It’s that magical time right after work when colleagues let their hair down over a few drinks and transition from work to home with the help of some laughs and libations. Well, it turns out that coworkers still want to bond—they just don’t want to do it after work. And many of them would rather do it with a lot less booze, thank you very much.
ezCater’s recent survey reveals that 68% of employees prefer socializing with coworkers during the workday instead of at happy hour or a work-sponsored party. Additionally, 78% say that spending time with coworkers over food at work is better for team bonding than post-work drinks.
Now that socializing during the midday lunch break is in, food is an even more fundamental part of every workplace. The way your business does lunch can improve employee productivity and collaboration. Does your business provide food for work?
Workers admit they sneak out early from post-work events
If you invite your team to a post-work social hour, they might come, but they don’t really want to be there. 64% of workers surveyed said they feel obligated to participate in post-work functions, and over half have lied or made excuses to skip out on an after-hour event or leave early. Others simply ghost without telling anyone.
What gives? Possibly, with so many people being used to the comfort of WFH, they’re not used to face-to-face small talk and they’re anxious to return to that safe space.
Or maybe they’ve gotten used to making post-work plans, and enforced fun with coworkers cramps their style. Whatever the reason, they’d really prefer not to party with their work team during their down-time.
If you want your employees to enjoy work-related socializing events, you’re going to have to make time during the workday. Creating excitement around lunch is one way to bring people together.
Your employees want a lunch break (and free lunch)
In recent years, the rise of the hybrid work culture has altered the way we work and socialize with our coworkers. As a result, most (81%) wish their workplace offered more bonding activities during work hours. This is even more prevalent among Millennials and Gen Z employees.
Everyone appreciates free food. It’s a morale booster and something coworkers enjoy chatting over. In fact, 87% of employees wish their workplaces offered free lunch and time to eat with coworkers.
Free, healthy lunches are as beneficial to companies as they are to employees. They increase worker happiness, which contributes to a healthy company culture. This can improve retention rates and attract new talent.
That’s why modern businesses use free lunches to draw their hybrid workers to the office, fostering workplace community and combating WFH burnout. Plus, more employees show up at work on days when food is provided. That social glue made by sharing meals brings and holds teams together, even when they’re separated at remote workstations for periods of time.
At CarGurus, Facilities Manager John Hart says lunch has become the preferred time for co-workers to socialize. “When lunch arrives, everyone comes up to the cafeteria and there’s a light-hearted atmosphere,” he says. “Culture is our number one priority and we see people creating new relationships, talking with other departments, and coming up with great ideas that challenge a previous convention — all because of lunch.”
Lunch is the new happy hour for the sober-curious
Happy hour isn’t what it used to be. Younger generations are drinking less. Many are sober-curious, meaning they prefer to limit their consumption. So it makes sense that they’re less likely to enjoy happy hour after work.
Gen Z spends 40% less on alcohol than their Millennial counterparts, and 61% of employees say they prefer a free catered lunch with coworkers to an alcohol-provided happy hour. Sharing meals is a more inclusive way to bring teams together because everyone eats, but not everyone drinks alcohol.
Also, lunchtime gatherings don’t cut into a long commute. “A lot of team members commute to our downtown office from the suburbs, so many of them are not inclined to stay for happy hours,” says Hart. “With lunch, employees still have time to get together, collaborate, and enjoy each other’s company, but they don’t have to stay late. ezCater plays such a big part in that.”
Lunch-citement is real
With happy hour on the way out, lunch is the new time for your workers to socialize. “Lunch-citement” is real! Nearly all workers (94%) feel a sense of lunch-citement if they know their office provides catered lunch, and most scope out the menu at least one day in advance (92%). Saving money (63%), the variety of food for lunch (61%) and how lunch gives workers a real break during their workday (59%) contribute to feelings of lunch-citement.
To foster workplace community during the age of hybrid workers, businesses must seek new ways of engaging their employees, and providing free lunches is what employees are saying they want.
Make food-for-work… work
Celebrate your midday “happy hour” and make it fun by leaning into that lunch-citement. Spark the magic by providing catered meals for your employees. Give them options to choose from so they can indulge in the meal of their choice—just like placing custom drink orders at a bar.
Lunch should be an event. Your employees will look forward to when the food arrives. And once it shows, that’s when the fun begins.
ezCater is a food-for-work solution that simplifies the complexities of supplying your employees with lunches they’ll eat together. Order food for your next event with ezCater and see how easy providing food for your employees can be.
The benefits of using ezCater for your business include:
• Flexible, scalable meals: Easily adjust your orders to accommodate adjusting headcounts, shifting budgets and dietary restrictions.
• Adjustable subsidy options: Provide free meals for your employees by covering the full cost, paying the flat delivery fee or selecting an amount anywhere in between. The price your business pays is up to you.
• Data and feedback: Use ezCater’s corporate dashboard and reporting tools to see your total spend, reviews of past orders and much more.
ezCater removes the difficulty of supplying food for your employees. Plan your next lunchtime happy hour with a catered meal from one of ezCater’s 100,000+ restaurants.
