More Office Days Are Now the Norm
Nearly nine in ten employers now require at least three office days a week. CBRE's 2026 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment Survey, published in July, puts the figure at 89 percent, up from 78 percent a year earlier. Some employers have gone all the way to five. Amazon told its employees to be in the office five days a week starting January 2, 2025.
Employees haven't fully caught up. The same CBRE survey found people come in an average of 2.9 days a week against an employer target of 3.2. For office managers, that gap lands on their desk: the office has to be worth the trip.
89%
Employers requiring at least three office days a week
2.9 vs. 3.2
Average office days worked vs. what employers expect
53%
Respondents naming a lack of amenities as a barrier to office attendance
What Keeps Employees Home
CBRE asked what draws people into the office and what keeps them away. Colleague engagement topped the draws at 77 percent. The biggest barriers were an inconvenient location (62 percent) and a lack of amenities (53 percent). Nearly half of organizations (47 percent) rated their own workplace experience as average or below.
CBRE's report puts it plainly: "Employees don't come to the office if it doesn't have the basics that make the trip feel worth it." It also notes that a dated or uninviting space signals that the employee experience isn't a priority.
An office manager can't move the building closer to anyone's house. The basics inside it are a different story, and the break room is the one space nearly everyone uses every day.
The Break Room Is Where the Basics Show
Employees notice small failures fast: an empty jug on a Tuesday, warm water from a cooler that can't keep up, no ice on a hot afternoon, nothing hot for tea. Each one is small, and together they add up to the kind of space CBRE describes.
A full office also puts more strain on the setup. A water supply sized for two or three busy days a week has to stretch across more of them, so jugs run out sooner and the delivery schedule needs another look. Office tap water has its own limits, and the reasons tap water falls short in most office buildings matter more when every desk is full.
…the ice and water this machine dispenses is legitimately the best I've ever had in any workplace ever. The proof is also in the fact that our service team members are coming into the office multiple times per day to use the machine when before they would grab a few bottled waters in the morning and we wouldn't see them again. It's actually improved the vibe between service team members and office personnel.
— Bryan Z., New Berlin, WI (Google review)
What a Full-Week Break Room Needs
The goal is water that's always there, in the form people want to drink.
A supply that doesn't run out
A unit connected to the building's water line refills from the line, so nobody has to watch the jug count or wait on a delivery.
A choice of temperatures
Cold water for most people, room temperature for those who don't like it ice-cold, and hot water for tea, oatmeal, or instant soup.
Ice on demand
Ice from the same unit saves trips to a freezer tray or a bag of store-bought ice.
One standout option
Sparkling or electrolyte water gives people something to look forward to on a full day in the office.
For that last one, the KUPA Station pours sparkling, still, and electrolyte-enhanced water from one unit on the water line. Sparkling and electrolyte water for the office covers how offices put it to use.
Bottleless Water Built for a Full Office
Bottleless Nation's units connect directly to your building's water line, so there are no jugs to order, store, or swap. The S1 pours hot and room-temperature water and makes up to 55 lbs of ice a day. The S3 pours hot and cold water and makes up to 130 lbs of ice a day. The M6 pours hot and cold water, with a compact floor-standing footprint that fits most break rooms.
Every unit purifies water right at the dispenser. Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane so fine most contaminants can't get through, and an in-tank UV LED keeps stored water sanitized. The S1 and S3 also have SMART monitoring, which reports how the unit is running back to our team.
Installation is included at no extra charge, and so are service calls. Our team handles annual preventative maintenance and the yearly filter change, and we aim to respond to service requests within two days. At every visit, we test the total dissolved solids (TDS) in your building's tap water and in our purified water with a meter. Browse bottleless water systems for offices, or talk to our team about your break room.
Related Guides
- Office and Corporate Hydration: The Complete Guide for Businesses
- Office Hydration as an Employee Benefit: What HR Needs to Know
- The Office Break Room: A Practical Hydration Setup Guide
- Office Water Dispensers: How Businesses Choose the Right Setup
- Why Tap Water Falls Short in Most Office Buildings
- Sparkling and Electrolyte Water for the Office
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a bottleless water cooler keep up when everyone is in the office?
Yes. It draws from the building's water line, so it doesn't run dry the way a jug does. The S1 makes up to 55 lbs of ice a day and the S3 up to 130 lbs, and a larger office can add units.
How many water stations does an office need?
It depends on headcount, floor plan, and how far people walk to reach water. Our team can help size a setup for your space, including how many units and where they go.
Who maintains the units?
Bottleless Nation's team handles annual preventative maintenance and the yearly filter change, and service calls come at no extra charge.
Can we offer sparkling water in the office?
Yes. The KUPA Station dispenses sparkling, still, and electrolyte-enhanced water from one unit connected to the water line.
How long does installation take?
Swapping out an existing cooler or fountain takes about 30 minutes, and an install that runs a line through a ceiling takes about an hour. Every site is different, and installation is included at no extra charge.
Does Bottleless Nation serve my area?
Bottleless Nation serves 33 markets across the U.S. The full list of service locations shows every market we cover.