Business Info - i142

01732 759725 magazine 29 OFFICE DESIGN What areas of office life have the most scope for improvement? And where should employers prioritise investment to create a happier workplace? To find out,Workthere, the office space broker and website listing platform, compiled a list of 48 aspects of office life and asked 11,000 office workers in 11 countries to tick those they considered to be important and those they were broadly satisfied with. It then gave each a ‘satisfaction gap’ rating based on the difference between the proportion of respondents who considered it important and the proportion who were satisfied with it in their own workplace. Here are the five areas of office life with the greatest satisfaction gap, according to theWorkthere What Flexible workspaces are set to contribute billions of pounds to local economies in the UK over the next 10 years, claims Regus. A new study of second-city and suburban workspaces commissioned by the workspace provider shows that the on-going migration of flexible office space to the outskirts of major UK cities is creating a ‘flex economy’ that could contribute more than £12 billion to local economies over the next decade. The report states that flexible workspaces benefit local economies through job creation (an average of 231 jobs wherever a co-working space is opened) and an uplift in Gross Value Added (GVA), the value of goods and services produced in an area. The study found that an average coworking centre in the UK will generate £20 billion GVA each year by 2029, of which over £12 billion will go directly into the local economy. This comes from a combination of ‘the sandwich economy’; improved It is safe to assume that Steelcase has addressed all the aspects highlighted above in its new Learning + Innovation Centre in the heart of Munich. The three-building, 14,400 square metre campus brings together 230 employees from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) to promote learning and spark innovation. Jim Keane, President and CEO of Steelcase, said: “We designed a place where people could come together from all over Europe to build relationships, learn, fail and grow together.We believe this is central to innovation, but it’s not just for us; it’s for our customers, too. It gives them a place to experience real work as it’s happening and to see how space can support and accelerate business results.” Where to prioritise investment for a happy workforce Flexible workspaces to give £12 billion boost to local economies Coworkers Want report, plus steps employers can take to redress the imbalance. 1 Air quality – satisfaction gap 28% (imp. 80% – sat. 52%). Top tip: check that air vents are open and unblocked and air filters are replaced regularly. 2 Noise levels – satisfaction gap 25% (imp. 78% – sat. 53%). Top tip: introduce specific breakout rooms where people can interact and talk without disturbing others. 3 Temperature – satisfaction gap 23% (imp. 78% – sat. 55%). Top tip: maintain an optimum temperature of around 22°C to improve happiness and productivity levels. 4 Quiet rooms – satisfaction gap 22% (imp. 76% – sat. 54%). Top tip: turn meeting rooms that are often unused career and earning prospects for residents, including those that might not be able to commute to major cities due to caring responsibilities or a disability; and more business being done locally by flexible workspace users. Mark Dixon, CEO of Regus parent company IWG, said: “When people commute into major cities, their wallets commute with them.What this study shows is that providing more opportunities for people to work closer to home can have a tremendous effect, not just on them, but on their local area too.” He added: “Businesses also recognise the benefits and we are seeing increasing into dedicated quiet spaces or, if that’s not possible, introduce ‘phone booth’ style rooms where workers can work without distraction. 5 Comfortable workspaces – satisfaction gap 21% (imp. 82% – sat. 61%). Top tip: ensure each employee has plenty of desk space, a comfortable chair and a working environment that’s not too loud, hot or cold. Workthere was established by Savills in 2017 to help co-working and flexible workspace providers market their space and businesses find flexible, co- working and serviced office space across Europe, America and Asia.Workthere is completely free for occupiers and covers the entire flexible work space market, as well as specialist spaces such as laboratories. www.workthere.com demand from companies of all sizes for flexible space in smaller cities and towns. Larger businesses are opting for a ‘hub and spoke’ real estate model. At the same time, smaller enterprises want to cluster and collaborate, and so choose flexible workspaces to be near other businesses.” www.regus.co.uk Office space finder Spacepool is a new online platform that connects independent workspace operators with businesses looking for office space. The site is designed as a one-stop-shop for finding and securing space: it enables businesses to filter searches by location, price, availability and type; engage directly with providers; arrange site visits via a dedicated messaging service; agree contracts; develop bespoke lease agreements and terms and conditions; and make payments. www.spacepool.com

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