Firms Feed Workers to Boost Morale

The way to employee satisfaction is apparently through their stomachs. Businesses slicing jobs and benefits in tough times are finding that free food is a cheap way to boost worker morale, the Boston Globe reports. The majority of financial officers recently surveyed—68%—is taking steps to boost employee spirits. Increasing contact was the top approach, but experts say food is also effective.

“It appeals to our need for relatedness,” says a communications professor. “You kind of break through that barrier when you sit down and break bread together.” Adds one payroll manager, “The ones we keep, we want to take care of.” But it’s not a selfless move: Companies need the employees that remain post-layoffs to stick around. “Feed ‘em and they’ll come," the manager notes. (More employee stories.)