Water Cooler Chat Can Raise Productivity

It’s actually beneficial for the company when employees chat around the water cooler about their kids or extend their coffee breaks to rehash last night’s hockey game. Those informal minutes spent reliving good things happening outside the office can actually help people to work more effectively, according to a new study in the research publication Impact by Charlice Hurst, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the University of Western Ontario.

“Most managers tend to look at personal conversations among co-workers as a waste of company time,” she said. “But time spent in this way can boost people’s happiness with their job and benefit the organization.”

She said, “When you receive an enthusiastic or encouraging response from your co-workers, you will be happier with your job, and this will tend to lead you to act in ways that benefit the organization.” For example, you might go to some trouble to help out another co-worker, defend the company against criticism, or even volunteer for an event to build employee morale.

“The results should prove to employers that it can be a good idea for employees to take a break and talk with co-workers about personal experiences that matter to them outside their jobs,” she said.