With more and more businesses and freelancers discovering the benefits of working in collaborative and flexible coworking spaces, Workthere (a brokerage service and listings platform for coworking spaces and serviced offices) has captured a global snapshot of the market, analysing which workspaces have the best wellbeing offerings. And we’re very proud to reveal that Plexal has been ranked third in the UK, with Fora taking the first spot and x+why in second place.
Workthere’s Coworking Wellbeing Awards were decided based on a host of factors, including how much natural light is in a building, the availability of outdoor space, community events and amenities like on-site showers. Workthere’s research also uncovered some interesting insights about how coworking spaces are keeping members happy and healthy, such as:
- 62% of those surveyed measure their air quality at least every month
- 38% have a gym in the building
- 98% say their building contains plants
Some workspaces are also going the extra mile by creating dedicated wellbeing apps or offering sleep/relaxation pods.
“Loneliness can be a struggle for small startups and founders, so we make sure we give our members lots of opportunities to come together and support each other”
Commenting on the research, Hannah Cookson, Plexal’s ecosystem manager, said: “We spend so many hours of our day at work, so it’s so important that our environment makes us not just productive but also happy, healthy and relaxed. At Plexal this is extremely important to us. We’re lucky enough to have lots of open spaces (like our indoor park) and quiet spots (like our phone booths) where members can work, meet or unwind.
“We also create an events programme that helps our members stay healthy (we’ve got yoga classes and a football club) and connect with each other. Loneliness can be a struggle for small startups and founders, so we make sure we give our members lots of opportunities to come together and support each other.”
One thing’s for sure: coworking is here to stay and the we way we work will continue to be shaped by people’s desire to feel energised, happy, creative and connected both inside and outside the office.
At a glance: what Plexal’s doing to take care of our members’ wellbeing
- Free yoga classes twice a week
- On-site showers, lockers and bike racks to help members take advantage of nearby cycle routes and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is on our doorstep
- Members’ Night, Breakfast Club, Football Club, Women in Tech Lunch and Unplug & Play (our games night) to bring members together
- Sleeping/meditation pods, phone booths and private snugs for quiet time
- Natural light flooding the building
- An indoor park filled with deckchairs
- Fresh fruit and a healthy vending machine
- Dedicated community team (The Squad) who know each member and are on hand to help
- Legendary summer and Christmas parties
- Ping pong table
- Bird scooters to get us to work
- …and more!
