Egress Systems

Breakout Spaces in Offices: 6 Creative Designs for Modern Workplaces in 2026

The importance of breakout spaces

Breakout areas aren’t just a place for staff to spend their lunch break. They can be used for collaboration, socialisation, wellness, and so much more.

These kinds of spaces are sought after by employees, with 87% saying they’d like their employer to offer healthier workspace benefits, such as wellness rooms.

Breakout spaces can also be valuable for productivity, catering to the diverse

preferences of employees in your office. While you might have teams that like a busy, collaborative office, others may want a quiet space for focused work.

Conversely, you might have an office layout where staff have their own workspaces, but require somewhere to collaborate from time to time. It’s about creating spaces that allow staff to break out from the usual office environment, which can be tailored to their requirements.

Additionally, breakout rooms can be beneficial for your brand image. Many brands have breakout spaces which reflect their company’s specialism – think tech-rich arcades at a games development company, for example.

However, the right breakout spaces can actually be instrumental in building your company culture too – not just showcasing it. The right communal spaces can foster a more sociable, unified environment for employees and your company as a whole.

Breakout Spaces in Offices: 6 Designs for Modern Workplaces in 2026 Find out why breakout spaces are so important in offices and discover six options for your workplace – from private and peaceful to fun and flexible.

HR leaders: Are you already struggling with this year's holiday calendar?

If you’re still juggling requests in inboxes and Excel, you’re wasting hours on admin and still risking gaps in coverage, last‑minute clashes, and unhappy teams.

Here’s how a time and attendance system makes holiday planning calmer and more consistent:

✅ See everyone’s booked leave and remaining entitlement in one central calendar, so you spot clashes and coverage gaps before they become a problem.

✅ Apply your holiday policy consistently with clear rules, approval workflows, and built‑in checks for notice periods and UK leave rules.

✅ Give employees self‑service access to request time off, view balances, and track approvals, reducing “quick check” emails to HR.

✅ Use real‑time data on staffing levels, busy periods, and historic patterns to decide when to allow more leave and when you need all hands on deck.

✅ Instead of firefighting every summer, your team can focus on what really matters: supporting managers, protecting employee wellbeing, and keeping service levels high.

If you’re planning your next holiday season now, what’s the biggest challenge you want your time and attendance system to solve first?

https://www.egress-sys.co.uk/

Struggling with ongoing absence management headaches?

Some businesses still rely on outdated methods like the Bradford Factor, but is it really the most effective way to manage employee absence today?

This latest blog from Egress Systems explores whether the Bradford Factor still has a place in modern absence management—and what smarter, more proactive approaches look like.

If you are dealing with recurring absences, inconsistent tracking, or uncertainty around compliance, this is well worth a read.

More importantly, it highlights how the right systems and support can turn absence management from a reactive burden into a streamlined, data-driven process.

Read the full article here: https://www.egress-sys.co.uk/managing-absence-do-companies-still-use-the-bradford-factor/

With Egress Systems, you gain more than just software—you get practical support to help you:

Track and manage absence more effectively

Identify patterns before they become problems
Improve employee well-being and accountability
Reduce administrative strain on your team

If absence management is costing you time, productivity, or peace of mind, it may be time to rethink your approach.

Contact - 0115 931 4007 - [email protected]

Still tracking employee time and attendance in spreadsheets?

As teams grow, Excel and Google Sheets start to creak. Manual updates, version chaos, and formula errors all chip away at accuracy and eat into HR and payroll time.

Modern time & attendance systems change that:

Automated clock-in/out and leave tracking – no more re-keying data into payroll

Built-in calculations for overtime, holidays, and breaks – fewer mistakes and faster payroll runs

Real-time dashboards so managers spot patterns and issues before they become problems

Clear audit trails that support compliance and reduce disputes over hours worked

Self-service for employees, improving transparency, trust, and overall experience

The result? Less admin, lower risk, and better decisions about how time is used across your organisation.

If you’re still wrestling with attendance spreadsheets every pay period, it might be time to explore a system built for this.

Contact Egress today on 0115 931 4007

or email [email protected]

Why Time & Attendance Systems Matter More Than Ever

Many businesses still track employee hours manually—but are they fully compliant with UK employment law?

We've just published a comprehensive resource guide exploring the critical intersection of time and attendance systems and employment law. Here's what every business leader needs to know:

✅ Legal Compliance: Understanding your obligations under the Working Time Regulations 1998 and ensuring accurate record-keeping for HMRC requirements

✅ Protected Rights: How proper time tracking safeguards both employer and employee rights around breaks, overtime, and working hours

✅ Efficiency Gains: Moving beyond spreadsheets to automated systems that reduce errors and save valuable admin time

✅ Audit Trail: Building a defensible record system that protects your business in disputes or compliance checks

The right time and attendance system isn't just about clocking in and out—it's about creating a framework that respects employment law, protects your workforce, and streamlines your operations.

https://www.egress-sys.co.uk/resources/time-and-attendance-and-employment-law-key-considerations/

Mental Health Awareness Week is about more than talking – it’s about taking action for ourselves and each other.

The Mental Health Foundation is calling on all of us to turn awareness into everyday acts of care, from checking in on a friend to building kinder, more supportive communities.

Even small steps – a conversation, a walk together, learning more about support – can boost wellbeing and help create a society where good mental health is a priority for everyone.

Read more here: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week/why-we-need-action-good-mental-health

Are you trying to find new ways to get more done at work, make project management better, and make payroll easier?

In today’s fast world, old ways of tracking time at work are just not enough.

This is why using employee timekeeping software can help.

Employee timekeeping has moved far beyond paper timesheets and manual spreadsheets. In a world of hybrid and flexible work, businesses need reliable, up-to-date data on how time is spent to plan effectively, control costs, and keep employees engaged.

Modern time-tracking tools make it easier to capture accurate hours, manage absences, and gain insights into productivity across teams, departments, and projects.

Used well, they can transform time from an administrative burden into a strategic asset.

https://www.egress-sys.co.uk/transform-your-business-with-employee-timekeeping-software/

We love finding simple techniques to improve the way we live, and this article from Happiful | Certified B Corporation® magazine includes some great tips.

Meal planning isn’t about perfection; it’s a simple way to make healthy eating easier, more enjoyable, and far less stressful in a busy week.

When life gets hectic, nutritious meals are often the first thing to slip, leaving us grabbing whatever is quickest rather than what truly fuels us.

Drawing on guidance from a nutritionist, this article explains how meal planning can be a supportive tool rather than another rigid “diet rule”: a way to reduce decision fatigue, cut food waste, and make it easier to nourish yourself consistently.

The key is to keep things realistic: spend 10–15 minutes once a week choosing a few go-to meals everyone enjoys, build your shopping list from that, and repeat what works instead of reinventing the wheel every night.

By planning around your schedule and energy levels (e.g. quick dinners on late nights, using leftovers for lunches), you’re more likely to follow through and less likely to rely on ultra-processed convenience foods.

Over time, this kind of gentle structure supports better physical health, steadier energy and mood, and a more relaxed relationship with food – no calorie counting required.

If you’ve been meaning to “eat healthier” but don’t know where to start, try a small experiment this week: plan just three balanced meals in advance and notice how much easier it feels.

Read more ...

Meal planning made easy – with guidance from a nutritionist Effective meal planning doesn’t have to be about efficiency and self-optimisation; it’s about making your life easier, and more enjoyable

Empowering higher education teams with smarter time & attendance

In colleges and universities, support staff often work a mix of shifts, contracts and departments – from catering and housekeeping to grounds teams and senior support roles.

Our flexible time and attendance systems are designed to handle all of that complexity with ease.

With Egress Systems, you can:

✅Track hours across multiple departments and cost centres for accurate reporting and payroll exports.

✅Support salaried and hourly staff, including time-in-lieu, overtime rules and flexitime options.

✅Use up to 40 different timesheet rates and create rotas for recurring working patterns.

✅Integrate time & attendance with your existing HR systems to avoid duplicate data entry.

Heads of Department get timely visibility of hours worked so they can resolve issues quickly and ensure overtime is paid correctly. Our team provides full training, support, and bespoke rule configuration.

Want to simplify staff management across your campus?

Get in touch with Egress Systems today to find out how our higher education time & attendance solutions can support your organisation.

T - 0115 931 4007
E - [email protected]

Step away from the screen and step outside this Earth Day.

Today’s a good reminder that looking after the planet starts with actually spending time in it – even if it’s just 10 minutes in the garden, a walk round the block or eating your lunch in the park instead of at your desk.

Fresh air and green spaces can lift your mood, ease stress and help you feel more relaxed, while even short breaks from your screen reduce eye strain and boost your focus when you get back to work.

Think of it as a daily reset for you and a small moment of appreciation for the world we’re trying to protect.

🌱 This Earth Day, try:

One walk without your phone

One break outside instead of scrolling

One moment to look up, breathe deeply and notice nature around you

Where are you taking your screen-free Earth Day break today? 👇