Free joe can caffeinate workplace morale
Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 report spending an estimated $440 a year and log more than 38 hours of time toward purchasing coffee and tea during the work week.
So concludes a survey commissioned by Keurig Inc., a Reading brand that markets machines that can brew a single cup of coffee. (At right is a photo of a machine taken from Keurig's website.) Keurig is a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. of Vermont.
One focus of the survey was to get input on how to improve the mood of the workplace. Not surprisingly perhaps, the survey finds that free joe can have a salubrious effect on cubicle morale - under the right circumstances, complimentary caffeine can cause even the most cynical of drudges and drones to whistle while they work.
In fact, free gourmet coffee is as nearly as prized as flexible hours and casual work days when employees can mothball the pinstripes and bust out the khakis and cargo pants, the survey suggests.
Undertaken in early January, the national survey is based on telephone interviews with 958 adults, Keurig said.
As a perk, meanwhile, the annual holiday party around Christmas may be highly overrated, with 37 percent of employees surveyed saying that they would prefer free, daily fresh gourmet coffee or tea over a party, Keurig said.
Why is free coffee so prized? Perhaps it's because 50 percent of employees surveyed reported they are looking to cut back coffee-and-tea spending, suggested Keurig, which added that small perks can make employees "feel more valued."
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