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Wellness in the workplace is more than a fad

Author: AshbyCapital |

Employees don’t want to be stuck at their desks all day.

With staff working longer hours, having a comprehensive offering of facilities at hand, and creating a pleasant place to work, has never been more important.

Speaking to us, Peter Ferrari, Chief Executive of real estate investment advisor AshbyCapital, explains:

In a competitive market, where the battle to secure and retain the very best staff is increasingly hard fought, real estate developers are now latching on to the opportunity to create more attractive workspaces – by incorporating amenities that cater to businesses’ most important assets: their employees.

"‘Wellness’ is a buzzword increasingly thrown around - but what does it really mean? And what are the benefits in the workplace?

“A poorly designed office can affect performance. Configuring a building should be optimised to allow for natural light in offices, ensure air quality is of the highest standard, and include amenities. Keeping up with the latest technological innovations is also high on the priority list. Slow connectivity can cause stress and frustration for employees.

“We recently relaunched The Colmore Building, in Birmingham’s Colmore Business District, which has the widest offering of amenities of any office building in the city. The provision of over 100 cycle spaces and inclusion of changing facilities, including luxury showers, lockers, a drying room, and even a dry-cleaning service, means employees can cycle to work, promoting healthy and sustainable transport.

“An on-site gym open 24/7 means workers can exercise at lunch, there are treatment rooms providing services including massages, manicures, and hair blow-drying (which can also be gifted to employees to reward them for going above and beyond), and the in-house café offers healthy lunch options, coffees, and juices, as well as a great selection of wines and spirits for post-work drinks.

Forward-thinking businesses recognise that the world of work is changing and providing the best possible package for their staff can be beneficial for both employer and employee. Therefore, they must offer ways to make it as easy as possible to reduce stress, maximise efficiency, optimise time management, and incorporate healthy living into the working day.

Peter Ferrari, Chief Executive at AshbyCapital