CBRE: 3 out of 4 corporations will change their offices to take better care of the well-being of employees

Already 74% of European corporations are developing a wellness strategy, i.e. care for the well-being of employees in the workplace. Employees expect it. As many as 80% of them admit that the company’s offer in this regard will be a decisive factor in their employment and remaining at the company for the next 10 years – according to the CBRE report entitled “Wellness. Get to know the office of the future”. CBRE experts indicate that the buildings, which should be designed and changed in accordance with wellness standards, will be of key importance.

– The office of the future is technologically advanced. It is full of the most modern solutions; however, they are not the only ones that determine whether a building is considered as implementing the wellness strategy. We assume that by 2040, the lines between work and private life will be blurred. And this will change the perception of office in a natural way. It will not be the place where we spend eight hours a day, but the space in which we want to be, because we can relax there, discuss issues with customers or team members in convenient conditions, and even take care of our own health. In Poland, we have several buildings that already meet these assumptions, and the emerging investments are adapted to these requirements. A good example is the Podium Park office building being erected in Cracow – says Kamil Tyszkiewicz, Director, Advisory & Transaction Services, Office Space Rental Department, CBRE.

Office and home space
The basic idea of wellness is the lack of a rigid work schedule, which means that employees can come to the office when they want. But when they come, they are supposed to feel comfortable. Hence, it cannot be just a space for comfortable work. Fitness club, cafeteria, canteen, dry cleaner, medical centre or ATM not only should be close to the building, but even located in the office building. Owing to that, employees will be able to deal with everyday duties, actively rest or relax during breaks from work.

– If coming to the office becomes a choice and not a necessity, it is obvious that we must offer incentives that will make employees want to come to work. Comfortable conditions at the desk are definitely not enough. The entire space is supposed to promote relaxation, which is why wellness-type buildings most often have a lot of greenery, which, interestingly, can be taken care of by employees themselves. At the Podium Park, employees will be able to grow herbs, fruits or vegetables – says Kamil Tyszkiewicz.

Focus on a healthy lifestyle
According to the data of the Social Insurance Institution, in 2016, Poles spent 220 million days on sick leaves, and stress was the second most common reason for absence. In addition, the CBRE survey shows that as many as 79% of employees consider efforts to strike a balance between private and professional life as stressful. Therefore, the office of the future must offer such benefits that, on the one hand, will reduce the levels of stress, and on the other hand, will take care of the health of the employee. Some of the most popular solutions are a gym in the workplace, distributors of healthy snacks or a sufficient number of bicycle racks, which encourages the use of this mean of transport.

An individual approach to space
Each employee has different needs – a young parent expects something else than a student who combines work with education. Therefore, companies should approach these persons individually; and not only in terms of flexibility of working hours. One can make decisions regarding the allocation of jobs based on the number of hours spent in the office (and not the position in the organizational hierarchy) or allocate jobs at the windows to those who spend the most time at desks. In addition, it is worth taking care of a personalized mobile application that will be connected to the sensor system in the common areas of the building. This solution was also proposed in the Podium Park, owing to which everyone can freely manage the interior conditions.

– Podium Park is an office complex being erected in Cracow, characterized by timeless architecture and above-standard solutions in the field of ecology and modern technologies. Our ambition was to create the most friendly working environment on a European scale, which will have a direct impact on the comfort of use of space by more than 6,000 employees. As part of this project, we have planned many facilities and unique solutions with a view to the natural environment and the comfort of future employees. This is confirmed by the BREEAM INTERIM certificate at the highest possible level – Outstanding and qualification to the list of the six most ecological investments in Europe in the prestigious BREEAM Awards 2018 – notes Wojciech Dobrzański, President of the Podium Investment Management Board.

Full version of the CBRE report entitled “Wellness. Get to know the office of the future” is available here: https://idealab.cbre.pl/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/wellnesspl1804cbre.pdf