Yesterday was 'International Day of Happiness'. According to a recent survey by health services and technologies provider Telus Health, 38% of workers in Europe are at high risk of poor mental health; almost the same proportion of respondents said they were more sensitive to stress since the COVID-19 pandemic.
An environment that promotes physical and mental well-being could be important to attracting employees back to an office setting and enhancing productivity — something that operators of coworking spaces have been taking on board as they think through their offerings.
Today, it is not unusual to see coworking spaces offer fitness facilities, nap pods, high-quality food options, and even childcare to cater to the diverse needs of their members. All the signs are that this approach is working. For example, research from the Prague University of Economics and Business found that the unique environment provided by coworking spaces helps people find emotional support, increases productivity and allows for better exchange of knowledge, especially for those juggling both work obligations and family commitments. And research published in the Harvard Business Review revealed that coworking can provide better social fulfilment and help decrease employee loneliness.
What does this mean for corporate?
The rise of coworking spaces offering a range of amenities once seen only in Silicon Valley poses a challenge for traditional corporations and how they think about their office space. Corporations today must invest in creating a workplace that fosters physical and mental well-being. This might involve offering on- Industry insights report 2024 site amenities like fitness centres, wellness programs and access to mental health resources. It might also mean leaning into flexible work arrangements, including promoting coworking and potentially offering stipends to support this
Download the complete trends report
To understand what’s happening in the coworking industry today — and how that could shape the space for years to come — we’ve pulled together five big trends. Some of them have been slowly bubbling up over time, such as an increasing focus on work-life balance and the importance of mental health, as well as a need to pay more attention to the sustainability of our workplaces. Other trends have exploded in the past few years, such as the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies.
Discover five new top trends in coworking and how to implement them in your corporate offices, via our latest trends report.
