DESIGN & INTERIORS
WORKING OUT Cyril Parsons, MD of Office Principles, looks at the trend to provide spaces for gyms and fitness
activities in the office environment and considers what it takes to make these spaces really work as an added employee benefit.
The provision of the workplace gym is generally considered to raise the bar when it comes to office perks, leaving behind those companies who offer access to shared leisure club passes and demonstrating a real commitment to staff.
There are, however, some key considerations to be met when factoring in gym facilities for new office spaces and fit outs.
Team talking In the first instance, it pays to plan and carry out the appropriate research to ensure this new facility is perceived as a genuine perk and to make sure it will be regularly populated. If nobody is interested in using the space, it’s not a real benefit.
Any businesses planning a refit or an office move should canvass the existing team – would a gym hit the wish list and be deemed of value? Don’t make assumptions. It could be that a percentage of staff would value a weekly dedicated, specialist class, such as yoga, above state-of-the-art equipment. To truly deliver something meaningful, you need to know what the end product means to the team.
Planning by committee There’s a wide choice of gym equipment out there. A common error is to invest in the wrong equipment – equipment that isn’t particularly popular and that won’t get used - leaving a queue of people for the rowing machine or the cross trainer when it would probably have been better to rent or buy more of those preferred items, while ditching the ones that no-one is interested in.
Again, it’s critical to engage the team and find out what works best for the majority. Select a committee to take charge of this aspect – a mix of genuine gym enthusiasts, along with those who are warm to the idea. The purpose of this group would be to ensure that the needs and interests of all employees are met and to establish what physical fitness levels you are working to.
Space, time and costs It’s not just about what the staff want; it’s about what you can
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deliver within that space and on budget. Again, knowledge rules and so you need to know what the equipment is and does and whether it can deliver what your staff is looking for.
Gym equipment involves a lot of big bulky items that take up space, which is another reason why you need to invest in the right ones. If you’re not certain what will be of genuine interest, avoid signing up for long-term rental agreements. Under-used equipment can be swopped for more popular items if you’re not locked in.
Be aware of how much space you have and how much square footage you want to give over to these facilities. A dedicated gym area will also require dedicated shower facilities, which will need to be factored into the mix, along with costs for these extra facilities and a timeline for installation.
The benefits Ultimately, we are all forging ahead to score points as employers, in a competitive recruitment market, and the gym, done properly, is an investment that will pay off.
A lot of people would like to work out but cite leisure memberships as a cost that they can’t always afford to maintain. Having an onsite gym is a well-received benefit and members of staff are likely to perform better as they gain from the positive effects that exercise allows. This, of course, impacts on productivity and supports a company’s successes in the long-term.
The gym on-site route is also another way of encouraging workers to socialize and to stay in the environment for longer; it makes them feel appreciative of the working environment and improves how the company is viewed internally and externally as a brand. It shows potential new recruits that this is a business that is prepared to put tangible, very real options in place to keep its workforce happy.
Do your homework first, invest in the right equipment and there’s a lot to be gained from having a workplace gym.
www.officeprinciples.com/
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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