Why Flexible Office Spaces Must Address Employee Well-Being In 2025

UK employers are still facing the long tail of the pandemic’s impact. Although most CEOs expect a shift to being back in the office full time within the next three years, 41% of workers still work remotely, 28% do so in a hybrid model and 85% say they would prefer a hybrid model.

While the office versus remote debate has provided opportunities for smaller businesses to attract workers with flexible working policies and a well-being-focused culture, the economic backdrop is making this harder, Clockwise Chief Operating Officer Alexandra Livesey said. As 2025 approaches, the impact of the government’s autumn budget requires company leaders to think even harder about the real estate they occupy — but space providers can help. 

“Questions facing businesses today include how to do more with less, how to maximise technology and how to support work-life balances in light of the high well-being expectations of the new generations in the workforce,” Livesey said. “Our role as office space providers in 2025 will be to support members as they face these challenges.”

Since flexible workspace provider Clockwise was launched in 2017, the way people use spaces has changed considerably, Livesey said. Many people now look for setups that boost productivity and maximise the time people spend in the office while understanding that the whole team might not be in at the same time. 

The Clockwise team increasingly sees members removing desks to make room for a mix of breakout spaces and varied settings for productive work. They are also making more use of areas Clockwise provides, from lounge areas to collaboration tables and private booths. 

Clockwise recently launched a new member feedback platform to continually measure feedback and understand how members’ needs are evolving. In 2025, this is likely to include a greater shift toward considering well-being in the workplace, Livesey said. 

“It’s not just about providing yoga classes and bike storage to encourage better physical health. It’s about integrating a consciousness of overall well-being into everything we do,” she said. “This ties into what we have always offered at Clockwise, from how our on-site teams support our members with a healthy café menu and meeting room snacks to access to outdoor areas, communal spaces and quiet areas.”

Clockwise has always supported members’ mental well-being by growing communities and boosting engagement within its properties, but Livesey said she expects this will increase in 2025 to further encourage people to return to the workspace. As businesses face more cost pressures, they will increasingly need the support of space providers.

“We understand that many small businesses can’t provide resources like events for their teams themselves,” she said. “They can also learn a lot by attending events with a mix of other businesses to gain perspective and build a wider community. It gives some of our members the chance to host events themselves and reach a wider network.”

While Clockwise aims to further encourage people to visit its physical workspaces across the UK and mainland Europe, the company will continue to offer the Clockwise Campus, a metaverse-based workspace. 

The digital platform offers the same variety of spaces that are available in physical locations as well as online events, with the aim of being an adaptable solution for a hybrid work environment. Users join through custom avatars, enabling them to engage with colleagues, clients and partners around the globe.

Clockwise intends to expand further in 2025, Livesey said. The business is set to open an additional property in Brussels in the summer, its first as a managed space on behalf of the property owner, and has more in the pipeline.

“In 2025, we’re expanding, bringing the very best of Clockwise spaces to new regions and areas to bring flexibility and quality workspaces to even more businesses,” she said. “We plan to double down on our small-business support, guiding members through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead by using some of our own experience as a fast-growing, now multinational business, but still very much with the heart of a scale-up.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Clockwise and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

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