That old saying “families that eat together, stay together” may soon be the mantra at your workplace, based on a new study from Cornell University.
Cornell researchers investigated how shared meals among city firefighters in more than 50 firehouses helped foster greater collaboration and bonding. Using interviews and surveys of firefighters and supervisors, the researchers were able to show that the firefighters who ate and cooked meals together scored higher on surveys measuring cooperative behavior and better work-group performance. In essence, the employees that eat together, work better together.
[See: Healthy Snacks for When You Feel Hangry.]
“Employers should consider introducing spaces for employee mealtime in order to improve cooperation and performance among workers,” suggests lead author Kevin Kniffin, an applied behavioral scientist and visiting assistant professor at Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. This study could not have come at a better time, as a news consumer survey by the Hartman Group shows that desktop dining is the new norm — and more than 45 percent of Americans eat lunch alone.
[See: 10 Healthy Meals You Can Make in 10 Minutes.]
In his book “Slim By Design,” study author Brian Wansink, professor and director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, provides science-based strategies for employers to make workplace environments healthier and more appealing places for employees to bond and break bread together. According to Wansink, if the lunchroom exudes the chilling atmosphere of an interrogation room, with ugly furniture, work safety signs doubling as art and “a microwave with brown stains from burrito explosions,” it’s no wonder the employees are exiting the building at lunchtime in search of a fast-food joint.
Rather, employers can inexpensively makeover their employees’ lunchroom to encourage communal eating. For example, Wansink advised one company to repaint the drab lunchroom walls and add better lighting, new appliances, comfy chairs, a nice dining table and eye-appealing wall hangings. The company also replaced some of the items in the vending machine with healthier lunch and snack options. As an additional carrot to get the employees to bond together at lunch, Wansink recommended that there be free fresh fruit daily in the lunchroom. The company purchased inexpensive bananas, placed them in a decorative bowl in the middle of the table, and within a month, the lunchroom became busier than Macy’s on Black Friday. The lunchroom became the place to enjoy lunch, bond with co-workers and get a free serving of fruit to boot.
[See: 8 Unusual Grilling Ideas, from Chickpeas to Grilled Lemonade.]
Bottom line: Sprucing up the employee lunchroom and adding some healthy food options may actually help improve a company’s bottom line. Throwing in a bunch of free bananas wouldn’t hurt, either.
More from U.S. News
What to Eat and Drink During Menopause
8 Food Combinations to Embrace (and 3 to Avoid)
7 Exercises Men Should Do Every Day
Why Employees Need to Break Bread Together originally appeared on usnews.com
