Does Coffee Increase Productivity in the Workplace?

Caffeine benefits: The science behind the beans

What are the caffeine benefits behind drinking coffee in the workplace? Surprisingly, recent data reveals that a whopping 67% of UK employees believe they become more productive after savouring a cup of coffee during their working hours. But what’s the science behind these beans’ magic?

One of the benefits of drinking coffee is its energy boost. After a morning cup, people feel energised to face the day due to the caffeine levels in coffee. Because coffee is a stimulant, it heightens brain activity and increases adrenaline and cortisol levels in the body which results in sudden energy boosts and improved mental awareness.

Here are some of the ways caffeine affects our body:

• You’ll feel more energetic and alert – Your adenosine production (the brain chemical that makes people sleepy) becomes blocked when the body absorbs caffeine, making you feel more alert and awake.

• You’ll feel more positive – Dopamine (the brain chemical that gives the feeling of happiness) is naturally boosted when the body absorbs caffeine leaving you feeling a bit brighter.

• You’ll feel more energetic – Your adrenal glands become stimulated after caffeine, triggering the body’s fight-or-flight response. The survival-mode activation results in an increased production of adrenaline, causing your heart rate to rise and blood flow to the brain to increase, making you feel more energetic overall.

• You’ll process more information – Recent studies have identified that caffeine provides long-term benefits such as increased entropy levels (our high-functioning and processing brain capabilities). Meaning that it can help to improve cognitive performance, including verbal memory.

The benefits of drinking coffee: workplace productivity

Coffee consumption is an essential part of the day for some employees who work in the office. Whether they are grabbing a cup before heading into a meeting or while tackling a difficult task, coffee and productivity are very much interlined for these people. In fact, this drink breaks up their day and gives a much-needed boost.

Here are five benefits of coffee in the workplace:

Keeps employees alert

As we’ve seen, caffeine blocks adenosine in the brain, increasing our alertness levels. In the workplace, caffeine might give an employee the boost to overcome a groggy feeling in the morning or to fight through a post-lunch slump with a kickstart to finish out the workday. These energy boosts allow employees to maintain or even boost their productivity levels with improved reaction time, attention spans and overall cognitive performance.

Improve your employee’s memory

Coffee consumption and caffeine have been found to enhance memory performance, making memories sharper and easier to recall the next day. This can provide benefits to the workplace as employees are less likely to forget important details, facts and skills from previous days, allowing them to produce some of their best work.

Gives employees a break

Many employees use a coffee break to socialise at work. When employees build connections at work, they’re more likely to enjoy coming in due to the positive and productive workspace. Knowing this, it is understandable why 76% of UK employees agree coffee breaks are a good way to collaborate with people in different departments and teams who they might not usually speak to. These conversations help employees to allow their minds to rest during a brief break so that on their return to a task they have a clear head and more energy towards solving a task.

Increase your employees’ focus

As we’ve seen, there are many positive effects to coffee, such as increased attention and focus. Focus is crucial in the workplace, helping staff to stay on task and maintain deadlines. Ongoing attention requires energy and caffeine boosts can help employee to remain focused when a balanced intake is used.

Keeps employees creative

Grabbing a coffee in the workplace gives your employees a much-needed break during their working day. The boost of caffeine or break can help to stimulate the brain and jolt creativity into action. With a clearer head, many people’s thoughts become innovative. So much so that research shows that 53% of UK employees who regularly drink high-quality coffee at the office have had a creative idea during coffee breaks.

Managing coffee consumption in the workplace

With these caffeine benefits in mind, it is important to manage your coffee consumption wisely. An excessive caffeine intake can lead to unwelcome side effects such as jitters, increased heart rate and even anxiety. To ensure a positive coffee experience that doesn’t affect productivity negatively, moderation and education is key.

To help manage the potential implications of coffee, consider the following:

• Educate your employees to pay attention to their body’s signals – if they start to experience restlessness or jitteriness, it might be time to cut back on the caffeine

• Provide high-quality coffee machines to help your staff opt for quality over quantity – investing in quality beans and a thoughtful brewing process can make each sip more enjoyable, encouraging the reduced need for excessive coffee consumption

• Encourage hydration – remind your employees to balance their coffee intake with plenty of water to stay hydrated and offset any potential dehydration caused by the caffeine by investing in a water solution and placing it close to your office coffee machine

• Advise your employees to be mindful of when they consume coffee – avoiding coffee too late in the day will help to increase your employee’s sleep quality and rest allowing them to be more refreshed the next day

• Provide diverse options – remember that not everyone shares the same coffee preferences as some may want to opt for a decaf cup. Providing these options will help increase employee sentiments

By helping to manage your staff’s coffee consumption in a way that suits their individual needs and preferences, will enable them to enjoy the benefits of drinking coffee without any unwanted side effects. This not only provides health benefits to your employees but also contributes to increasing workplace well-being levels. In fact, 75% of UK employees have agreed that having high-quality coffee available in the office suggests that their employers care about their well-being.