An in-depth analysis of workers’ attitudes towards an underground facility in USA with a focus on breaks and breakrooms

Abstract

With the increase in urbanization and industrialization and the ever-increasing problem of space, sustainable solutions such as underground work places are on the rise. However, considering the huge investments required to make such spaces a success, in-depth studies regarding various aspects of underground workplaces (UW) need to be made. One such factor that determines this success is breakrooms. Though several studies have identified breakrooms to be a major factor in employee health and satisfaction, this hasn’t been explored in the context of UW. In this paper, we present an analysis of a qualitative study conducted in Missouri, USA on 73 underground workers to understand worker attitudes and behavior during breaks and towards breakrooms. According to our analysis a wider variety of food choice (cafes, food courts or well stacked and hygienic vending machines), restorative elements (such as outdoor gardens, indoor greenery, pictures of landscapes or virtual windows), private rest spaces for employees to get some personal time and the ability to communicate with the outside world (connectivity, Wi-Fi, landlines etc.) are important factors that need to be considered while designing such spaces.