5 Reasons Why a Table Tennis Is Needed in the Office

5 Reasons Why a Table Tennis Is Needed in the Office

Office spaces are ever-changing. And whilst cramming in as many people as possible into tight cubicles was once thought to be effective, opinions are now diverging more than ever.

Employers are instead focusing on enhancing employee well-being. You can achieve this in a number of ways. An easy to introduce cost-effective measure is to situate games in the office. Table tennis tables are the ideal choice. Here are 5 reasons why table tennis is needed in the office.

1. Improves Employee Morale

Work is a fast-paced demanding environment. This is why stress levels are commonly very high. Workers need time to reset after busy periods to refresh themselves so that they can tackle the remainder of their duties.

Table tennis is a fun sport that easily fulfils this need. Just 10 minutes or so helps alleviate the pressure one might feel – in turn, invigorating them for the rest of the workday.

Another benefit is that anyone can play table tennis. It is a very inclusive sport, as it is not physically demanding and places a lot of focus on technique – allowing older employees to keep up with the younger ones!

2. Breaks the ‘Work’ Stereotype

Work is seldom associated with enjoyment. Rather, most people dread returning to the workplace after an evening of downtime. Therefore, it is important to break this stereotype so people do not see it as a bad place.

Table tennis tables in the office help to alter such attitudes. Not only do they provide copious amounts of enjoyment, but they also help the workplace to feel more informal, which is far more relaxing. As a result, employees will be more comfortable coming into the office. They will also be more engaged and far less likely to seek employment elsewhere.

3. Encourages Team-Building

Teamwork is an essential component of a functional business. Without effective teamwork, tasks may get missed or completed to a poor degree – a disaster when money is on the line.

This is why employers often push team-building exercises on their employees. They recognize how pivotal teamwork is and are happy to dedicate work hours to improve it. And yet, for many of us, these team-building exercises are almost always seen as useless. The whole experience feels very forced and everyone involved is less than enthusiastic.

Yet again, table tennis provides a much better solution. To play the game, you need at least two people; you may even have four people for doubles. This sneakily forces workers to engage with one another in a genuine way. Thereby helping employees bond in a natural setting that develops real relationships.

4. Builds Fitness

While many games would fulfil the benefits mentioned, table tennis stands above the rest in terms of building fitness. And this is a fact you should not overlook as an employer given the sedentary nature of most jobs. You want your employees to keep fit and healthy as it will likely result in fewer sick days taken.

Table tennis, on average, burns around 275-400 calories per hour for most people. This equates to around the same amount of calories burned as taking a brisk walk. This can make all the difference for workers who get little to no exercise outside of work.

5. Cost-Effective

Of course, as an employer, you likely want to do everything you can to improve the conditions for your workers. But ultimately, it has to be cost-effective. Irrespective of employee well-being, you are running a business, and it needs to be profitable.

And guess what? Table tennis is. For the small upfront cost of a table tennis table and a few ping pong paddles, you get a plethora of benefits that easily outweigh the investment:

• Providing a fun working environment reduces employee turnover, which in turn means you spend less time and money on job advertisements seeking replacements.
• Organically enhancing teamwork improves communication and collaboration between teams and departments, resulting in faster high-quality work.
• Helping keep employees fit mitigates the risk of obesity-associated illnesses resulting in fewer sick days.

With all of the benefits considered, it’s safe to say it’s not a question of should you buy a table tennis table for the office. But rather, when are you going to buy one?