Workthere announces top 10 wellbeing rankings for UK flexible office space

Workthere has released the results of its second ‘Wellbeing within flexible offices’ ranking*, which reveals that the top 10 serviced / coworking spaces for wellbeing in the UK are:

Following its inaugural wellbeing ranking in 2019, Workthere once again invited providers of serviced and coworking spaces that it works with to take part in the survey that weighted a number of metrics including: indoor area per desk; outdoor area per desk; showers per desk; number of bicycle lock-up spaces; quiet rooms / booths per desk; number of community events per week; gym membership discount; onsite gym; frequency of air measurements, plants and the availability of a wellbeing app. This year the metrics also took into consideration the use of technology to enhance safety and wellbeing following the pandemic. 

When comparing responses with 2019, Workthere found that some of the key highlights included the fact that the number of flexible offices continuously monitoring air quality has significantly increased as a result of the pandemic from 25% in 2019 to 42% in 2021. In addition, the proportion of flexible offices offering exercise or meditation classes has increased by almost 10% since 2019 (48% in 2021) and 54% said that they were using touchless solutions to reduce contamination of surfaces to protect those working in their spaces, while 48% are utilising desk booking apps to ensure a smooth service for customers.  

Cal Lee, global head of Workthere, comments:

Whilst wellbeing was already an established focus for the flexible office sector, its importance for providers, employers and individuals has accelerated rapidly over the last 18 months, inevitably as a result of the pandemic. We have also seen the scope of wellbeing factors expanding with providers thinking about everything from office configurations, amenities and access to gym facilities to the inclusion of plants and checking air filtration.

This latest survey has helped give us a deeper insight into the wellbeing initiatives and key areas of concentration for providers in terms of the measures they are taking to support wellbeing across their spaces. This is an area that will only increase in importance as we move forward and will add another element of rivalry for providers as the flight to quality approach from occupiers adds a greater sense of competition to deliver the best in class space. I would like to thank all of the providers who took part in our survey and congratulate those who were featured in the top 10 ranking.

In response to a rise in demand for outside space, 61% of operators who responded to the survey currently offer some form of outdoor areas that can be used by customers. Workthere also notes that, as part of a wider drive for inclusiveness within flexible offices, providers noted that they have been doing more to create accessible workspaces. In fact some have entirely overhauled their workspaces to make them more accessible for wheelchair users, while others have adjusted the acoustics within their spaces to ensure that they are more accessible for deaf members.

Jack Williamson, head of Workthere UK, says:

Not only are flexible office providers focusing on the obvious areas of wellbeing, we are now seeing them adjusting their offer to make them more inclusive for all users. As part of this they have also been engaging with the wider communities in which they operate in order to support and create local opportunities.

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