An office kitchen that runs without passive-aggressive notes
The kettle is where everyone waits for two minutes, which makes the kitchen wall the best-read notice board in the building. Use it for news, and let a few calm signs take care of the washing up.
Office kitchen and staff notice boards
A shared office kitchen needs a few polite A4 signs (wash up your mugs, label your food, fridge clear-out every Friday), labels on the tea, coffee and recycling bins, and a staff notice board by the kettle for birthdays, events and team news. Laminate everything on 250 gsm card and take notices down when they expire.
Last reviewed 3 October 2026
What an office kitchen usually needs
- 1
A staff notice board by the kettle
Birthdays, leaving dos, charity bake sales, new starters and the social calendar, under headers. People read it while they wait for the kettle, so put it at eye level beside it.
- 2
Kitchen etiquette signs
Wash and dry your mug, wipe the microwave, empty the dishwasher if it is clean. One calm, friendly sign each, in the place it applies, beats a page of rules on the fridge.
- 3
A fridge clear-out notice
Which day the fridge is cleared and that anything unlabelled goes. A regular, predictable clear-out ends most fridge arguments.
- 4
Labels for shared supplies
Tea, coffee, decaf, sugar, sweeteners, oat milk: clear labels on jars and shelves, so visitors and new starters help themselves without asking.
- 5
Recycling and bin labels
What goes in each bin, in words and pictures, matching your building's collection rules. Labels at the bin itself work better than a poster on the far wall.
- 6
Event signs
Cake in the kitchen at 3, Friday lunch, the charity raffle. An event sign on the door gets more people there than another email.
Sizes for an office kitchen
| Piece | Size | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Notice board headers | A4 strip, about 7 cm tall | Separates events, team news and social |
| Etiquette signs | A5 (14.8 × 21 cm) | Fits a cupboard door or above the sink without shouting |
| Fridge clear-out notice | A5 | On the fridge door at eye height |
| Supply jar labels | About 6 × 4 cm | Fits the front of a standard storage jar |
| Bin labels | A5 or A6 (10.5 × 14.8 cm) | On the lid or the wall directly above each bin |
| Event signs | A4 (21 × 29.7 cm) | On the kitchen door, read in passing |
Free printables for an office kitchen
Headers for the staff notice board, labels for the tea, coffee and bins, and event signs for cake at 3 o'clock.
Office notice board headers
Printable office notice board headers: an Around the office banner in 10 cm capitals and outlined strips for health and safety, first aiders and more.
OpenJar label maker
Make printable jar labels for a pantry, spices, jam or the freezer: round lid labels, rectangles, tall and oval labels at true size. Free A4 PDF.
OpenEvent sign maker
Make a big printable sign for a wedding, party or event: your words as large as they fit, an optional arrow, on A4, A3 or as a folded table tent.
Open
Want the staff board designed for you?
WallKiwi's display maker designs a whole notice board from one sentence, such as a friendly staff board for birthdays, events and team news in teal and coral, with headers and cards ready to print on A4. Designs use credits, and a free account includes some each month.
Questions people ask
What should go on an office kitchen notice board?
Birthdays, leaving dos, new starters, social events, charity collections and short team news. Keep formal policies and anything confidential elsewhere; the kitchen board is for the things people want to read.
How do I write office kitchen signs that are not passive-aggressive?
Make them short, friendly and specific, such as please empty the dishwasher if it is clean, thank you. Put each sign where the task happens and avoid capital letters and exclamation marks.
How often should the office fridge be cleared?
Weekly is common, often on a Friday afternoon. Announce the day on the fridge, ask people to label their food with a name and date, and clear anything unlabelled.
Who looks after the office notice board?
Give it one owner, such as an office manager or a social committee member, who adds things, dates them and takes old notices down. Boards without an owner fill with out-of-date paper.