Free Lunch Exists- and it pays!

More companies are offering corporate catered lunch as an employee benefit and realizing that free lunch pays.

Okay, okay, economics tells us there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but we’re here to prove it wrong and shake up how you view your bottom line. It may sound counterintuitive, but spending money on lunch for employees doesn’t decrease your earnings, it increases them.

Read on to find out how…

Productivity

Studies show that for every $1 invested in corporate lunch, $3 in employee productivity is gained.

But why?

Productivity is the rate of production and effectiveness of productive effort. Hiring a corporate catering service ensures your employees consume a healthy lunch, which boosts productivity by 150%.

When employees eat a healthy lunch, they’re also less likely to get sick. Poor health costs the U.S. $576 billion per year, $227 billion of which is attributed to lost productivity as a result of sick days and working while sick.

Read more on how corporate lunch boosts productivity.

Collaboration

Eating lunch together has been proven to increase communication and productivity amongst employees. Collaboration is essential when working as a team, and while team-building activities may feel forced to some employees, lunching together is natural.

You’re likely to see an increase inter-department collaboration, stronger, more productive teams, and more inspired ideas as a result of eating together. And as we noted above, productivity leads to profits.

Hiring and Retention

According to Glassdoor’s Quarter 3 2015 Employment Confidence Survey, 79% of employees would prefer new or additional benefits over a pay raise. The most sought after benefits include healthcare and extra vacation time, but millennials especially are seeking lifestyle benefits that include flexible schedules and corporate catered lunch.

Offering employees office lunch delivery makes them feel appreciated, and valued employees work harder and are less likely to search for another job.

Taxes

If you’re still unsure of all the benefits gained when offering employees corporate lunch, then look no further than tax time.

The cost of corporate lunch can be a tax write-off if you provide lunch in your office strictly for the convenience of you (the employer), then 100% of the lunch cost is deductible. If the average lunch cost is $11, that write-off ads up. Read up here for more details and speak with a tax professional.

Increased productivity, higher employee retention, and tax write-offs prove that free lunch does exist- and it pays.

Meet Rootasters:

Meg is a dreamer, entrepreneur, and homesteader based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She loves her cats, feasting, and road trips in her green VW Bug.