As many as 74% of European corporations are working on a wellness strategy, i.e. caring for the wellbeing of employees in the workplace. Employees themselves expect this!
The CBRE report "Wellness. Discover the office future" shows that as many as 8 in 10 employees consider the company's headquarters a decisive factor in hiring and retaining them over the next 10 years. CBRE experts indicate that the buildings themselves will be of key importance and should be designed and modified in line with wellness standards.
"The office of the future is technologically advanced. It is full of the most modern solutions, but they are not the only thing that determines whether a given building is considered to implement a wellness strategy. We assume that by 2040 the boundaries between work and private life will be blurred. This will naturally change the perception of the office. It will no longer be a place where we are obliged to spend eight hours a day, but a space where we want to be because we can relax there, discuss various matters with clients or team members in comfortable conditions, and even take care of our own health. In Poland, we have several buildings that already meet these assumptions, and newly built investments are adapting to these requirements. A good example is the Podium Park office building currently under construction in Kraków." – says Kamil Tyszkiewicz, Director, Advisory & Transaction Services, Office Leasing Department, CBRE.
Feel at home
Feel at home
The main idea of wellness is the absence of a rigid work schedule, which means employees can come to the office whenever they want. And once they arrive at the office building, they should feel comfortable there, so it cannot be solely a space for comfortable work. Key places that should appear include a fitness club, café, canteen, dry cleaner, medical center, or ATM. Thanks to this, employees will be able to deal with everyday duties during breaks from work, actively rest, and relax.
Since coming to the office is becoming a choice rather than a necessity, it is obvious that we must offer incentives that will make employees want to come to work. Comfortable conditions at a desk are definitely not enough. The entire space should foster relaxation, which is why wellness-type buildings most often feature a lot of greenery, which, interestingly, can be cared for by employees themselves. At Podium Park, employees will be able to grow herbs, fruits, or vegetables." – notes Kamil Tyszkiewicz.
Combating employee stress
Combating employee stress
In 2017, employers and the state spent as much as PLN 18 billion (approximately EUR 4.2 billion / USD 4.8 billion) on sick leave for Poles (according to ZUS data), and stress was the second most common cause of absence. In addition, according to a CBRE survey, as many as 79% of employees consider efforts to achieve a work-life balance stressful. How can this problem be avoided? The office of the future must offer benefits that, on the one hand, reduce stress levels and, on the other hand, take care of employee health. The most effective and at the same time simplest solutions are: a gym in the workplace, food dispensers with healthy snacks, or a sufficient number of bicycle racks encouraging activity during the commute to work.
Adaptation to individual needs
Adaptation to individual needs
As many employees, as many needs. A young parent expects something different from a student who combines work with study. That is why companies should approach these people individually. Of course, this is not only about flexible working hours, but also about using this information for better organization. For example, workstations by the windows can be assigned to those who spend the most time at desks. Moreover, it is worth providing a personalized mobile application connected to a sensor system in the building's common areas. Such a solution was also proposed at Podium Park, thanks to which everyone can freely manage the conditions inside.
Podium Park is an office complex being built in Kraków, characterized by timeless solutions in the field of ecology and modern technologies. Our ambition was to create the most friendly work environment on a European scale, which will have a direct impact on the comfort of using the space for over 6,000 employees. As part of this project, we planned many amenities and unique solutions with the natural environment and the comfort of future employees in mind. This is confirmed by the BREEAM INTERIM certificate received at the highest possible level and qualification for the list of six most ecological investments in Europe in the prestigious BREEAM Awards 2018 competition." – says Wojciech Dobrzański, President of the Management Board of Podium Investment.
Summary
The CBRE report shows that as many as 74% of European corporations are implementing wellness strategies, and 79% of employees are stressed by the lack of work-life balance. Offices of the future are to combine work with relaxation – offering gyms, greenery, and even spaces for growing plants. An example of such an investment is Kraków's Podium Park, which received a BREEAM certificate at the highest level and was included in the list of six most ecological projects in Europe in the BREEAM Awards 2018 competition. In 2017, employers and the state spent PLN 18 billion (approximately EUR 4.2 billion / USD 4.8 billion) on sick leave for Poles, and stress was the second most common cause of absence.
