by Fern Shaw | Aug 24, 2021 | Uncategorized
In a word, yes. They most likely are. With radical changes in work structures in multiple industries over the last two decades, so too has the water cooler station. Whereas before it may have been that the only ‘away from the office’ space was where the floor standing water cooler was (did that make the carrier of the desktop water cooler happy or unhappy we wonder?), as work styles and office space has changed, so too has the work environment.
Breakout spaces now aren’t only for hotels and conferencing venues or sports stadiums, but are, more and more, becoming a standard in any workspace – be that in a smaller office where partitioning is made use of, to larger organisations where a breakout area is a wholly separate room or even an entire floor in the largest businesses.
Are breakout spaces necessary at work?
Again, yes. A change in scenery, a creative space to reflect and think or a separate, more casual space where to retreat for a while when stress is high at work is what breakout spaces are all about.
Why are they necessary?
Breakout spaces not only reduce stress, they also enhance employee creativity and productivity, benefitting not only the individual but also the company overall. Any environment that reduces tension or creates a space where one can replenish their drinking water, defuse or relax is of instant benefit with potentially long-term benefits too.
Should your water cooler be in the breakout space?
Absolutely. Drinking water regularly is crucial to one’s ability to focus, concentrate and better perform throughout the working day. There is no better place for a water dispenser than in a breakout space. Moreover, if your organisation hasn’t yet gravitated towards such a space, then any easily accessible, ‘classic’ water cooler station will suffice.
by Fern Shaw | Feb 9, 2015 | water cooler, Water Coolers
I was idly sitting on Ollie’s desk (a colleague), pretending that his having a new desk top water cooler (the Aquaid-400-Desktop-Water-Cooler no less – nothing but the best for ol’ Ollie it would seem) didn’t make me green with envy – I mean, what’s he got that I haven’t? – swinging my legs and acting all nonchalant when my cartoon vision brain flashed some images at me. No, no Cyanide & Happiness (do yourself a favour and look the strip up), visions of raining destruction and mayhem down on unenviable Ollie, but how very weird ‘O’ words are.
Think about it. ‘O’ words (and by ‘O’ words I mean words that begin with an ‘O’, not words that contain an ‘O’ – catch up! catch up slowpoke!) are just, well … odd. More than that, a lot of ‘O’ words just sound strange too or; their meaning is strange.
Some prime examples:
Obsidian – A hard, dark, glasslike volcanic rock formed by the rapid solidification of lava without crystallisation. say it aloud – Ob-sid-eean. Doesn’t is just sound mysterious and mercurial and other wordly?
Onomatopoeia – This means the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g., cuckoo, sizzle).
Odd – Such a short stumpy little word and often used to describe much bigger things deserving surely a larger, more eloquent description. e.g. saying that Jack the Ripper was ‘odd’ just doesn’t quite cut it (sorry, very bad pun).
Ovoid – Egg-shaped. I suppose egg shaped is an odd (haha) shape and there deserves an odd (ha haaaaaa!) sounding descriptive word.
And my current favourite:
Obsequious – This means to be servilely ingratiating or fawning.
Have you also noticed how the meaning or description of each ‘o’ word is rarely straightforward? Hmm … in an alternate universe I’m sure there’s some bigger meaning, but frankly my dear, my grey matter’s a bit sponged out now.
I’m going to keep things simple, and come up with a new plan of action as far as Ollie’s desktop water cooler is concerned. I’ve always had my eye on the H-Duo, one of AquAid’s newest cool(ers) on the block /desk / countertop, so I’m off to do the obsequious thing with the powers-that-be and see if that’ll score me my own lime green desktop!
