Over half of young workers are more likely to apply for a job offering exercise benefits

Companies looking to appeal to young workers can make themselves stand out from the crowd by offering exercise benefits in the office, a new study has found.

The study, by flexible office specialist Workthere, found that over half (53%) of Gen Z workers say that they’re more interested in jobs that offer exercise benefits to employees.

Weight resistance training equipment tops the bill amongst Gen Z, with nearly half (46%) of 18–24-year-olds wanting to see these facilities in their office.

Across all age groups, 38% of workers say that they’re more likely to apply for a job if it offers access to onsite exercise facilities. Additionally, almost half (47%) of Brits say that they would exercise more often if they had the opportunity to use facilities in their place of work.

In terms of facilities most desired by Brits in the workplace, it’s swimming pools that come out on top, with a third (33%) of people dreaming of one at their office.

Whilst men across all age groups would prefer a swimming pool in their office (35%), over a third (36%) of female workers claimed they’d like to see yoga facilities made available in their place of work.

The top 10 most desired exercise services in the workplace are:

It has been reported that exercise at work has been proven to offer significant cognitive benefits in the immediate aftermath of activity, and helps to increase productivity, alongside the traditional benefits of exercise such as improved mental and physical health and better sleep1.

Cal Lee, Global Head of Workthere, said:

“We know it can be difficult to squeeze time into a hectic day for exercise. Often, when we get busy with our work schedules and personal lives, we tend to find excuses to skip working out.

However, our research has found that if offices can provide spaces or facilities for exercise, employees would be more inclined to incorporate fitness into their routine. Even if it’s just a 20-minute workout, people can feel mentally relieved and ready to take on the rest of the working day. Furthermore, this could also help employers beat the race of talent as potential employees are more attracted to workplaces offering wellbeing benefits that suit their needs.

Our Wellbeing report showed that 15% of our provider respondents offer the UK offer on-site gyms and 62% offer gym membership discounts of some sort. This is a clear indication that the flexible office sector is acknowledging the growing requirement for access to exercise facilities.”