A flexible return to the office

Workery+ solves many of the problems of returning to the office and responds to the changed needs and wishes of employees. Well-being at work and the opportunity to influence one’s daily life have also been taken into account.

The crisis of 2020 raised the requirements for business premises to a new level and brought uncertainty to many about the business premises needs of the future. At the same time, workspaces and ways of working are rapidly changing and becoming more diverse. It is difficult to say with any certainty how many workers will be working at the office today, tomorrow, next autumn or in 2025. How many would prefer to work remotely, at their workstation, in a café or somewhere else?

We commissioned a study by the international The NextGen Project, with about 1,100 responses to the online survey. Aged between 20 and 40, the respondents represented the millennial demographic that makes up more than half of the world’s workforce. The most significant concrete factors that young people appreciate in their work include having your own workstation, a short commute and flexible remote working options.

Anticipating spatial needs will continue to be challenging, which calls for the development of new ways of managing business premises. In the Workery+ concept, a company signs an agreement on workspace for a specified number of employees, pays for the space according to use and gains access to its own premises, open workstations or a suitable combination of the two under a flexible agreement.

What all of this means is that flexibility is necessary, business premises needs are changing and hybrid work is here to stay. The Workery+ concept gives companies the opportunity to try halving their total office space for a year, for example. After a trial period, it is easier to find a suitable solution and facilities that correspond to actual needs based on direct practical experience.

Safety is a concern

The return to offices is approaching and many people are now wondering whether it is safe.

“The safety and health of business premises must be guaranteed so that companies and their employees can return to the office. YIT’s Workery+ business premises concept largely starts from the development of safety,” says Anders Stenbäck, Vice President, Offering and Services at YIT.

Safety and health have also been addressed in spatial planning. This includes focusing on adequate space between workstations, the ergonomics of office furniture and providing disinfection stations. Each Workery+ member can choose to use an adjustable electric desk and choose either a saddle chair or an office chair with a backrest and armrests.

“Our workspace features touchless sensor taps and light switches as well as air purifiers. In addition, the desktops at the workstations are antimicrobial. Conference rooms and other areas where people sit or spend time are regularly cleaned and disinfected,” Stenbäck adds.

Information security issues have also been carefully considered. The groundbreaking concept of the Workery+ office premises in Vallila received this year’s Smartest Building Award in the Real Estate and Building Futureproof event.

Hotel-quality services

In addition to comfort, a modern office also needs to offer state-of-the-art services. Workery+ provides a hotel-quality service package for users to choose suitable options, such as occupational well-being services for employees to access conveniently during the working day.

Workery+ Vallila also has a private gym for corporate customers. It is a great alternative to individual sports vouchers. During the working day, the gym can be used for activities such as exercise breaks or lunch yoga, which can also be streamed to employees who work remotely.

“This is a comprehensive coaching concept for companies, which makes it possible for all employees to participate. In addition to workouts, our services include stress management and nutrition coaching, for example,” says the gym’s Business Director Saara Aura.

“We can create personal fitness programmes for the company’s employees once a year. This makes it possible for employers to provide high-quality services for their employees at a low cost. The service is also tax-deductible and represents a competitive advantage for companies,” Aura adds.

According to the gym’s CEO Tuomas Takalo, the concept has been made easy to implement and the aim is to promote well-being at work among a large group of people. Well-being has an impact on both job satisfaction and sickness-related absences.

The lobby café and restaurant were also designed to facilitate casual meetings between the people who work at Workery+ Vallila and people who visit the premises. The high-quality restaurant Sture16 Eatery and Sture16 cafe & bar are run jointly by four industry veterans with years of experience. The lunch restaurant is also open to other people in the Vallila area.

Smooth everyday life

All Workery+ offices are within easy reach due to good traffic connections, whether employees prefer to use the train, metro, tram, bus, bicycle, car or kick scooter. Companies can let their employees choose where they want to work on a given day and what is the most convenient way to reach the office. Employees can choose the most suitable office location close to their home and thus minimise their commuting time.

Workery+ offices are locatedin Vallila, above Akateeminen kirjakauppa on Esplanadi, and in Kalasatama’s Teurastamo neighbourhood in Helsinki, and in Accountor Tower in Espoo’s Keilaniemi district. There are plans to further expand the network in 2022 with the opening of Workery+ Käpylä.

Try Workery+ Vallila for a day for free