The UK workforce loses 33 million workdays a year due to illness, 18 million of those due to mental health conditions. In its annual Health and Wellbeing at Work report, the CIPD calculated that 2023 had the highest sickness absence rate for over a decade, with an average rate of 7.8 days per employee. Many of us spend a large chunk of our time dedicated to our jobs, so it’s essential to consider a work environment’s impact on wellness. But what exactly is wellness, and how does your workspace impact it?

Wellness is an active process, allowing people to make positive choices regarding their physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Workplaces play a significant role in shaping the wellbeing of individuals who spend a substantial amount of their time at work. So, it is not just a buzzword or the latest trend but rather an essential component of a successful business.

Numerous studies show that healthy workspaces bring huge benefits such as increased productivity, enhanced employee retention and reduced absence. By prioritising wellbeing, your business can improve job satisfaction, reduce stress and benefit from more engaged, creative team members who are motivated to bring their best to their roles. So how can workspaces help people look after their mental and physical health? Let’s look at some key elements to ensure happiness and health in the workspace.

Recognising the need for flexible schedules and different preferences for working patterns can help promote good mental and physical health. By supporting flexible work arrangements like remote working, flexible hours and compressed working weeks, businesses can allow individuals to manage their work and other personal responsibilities effectively, reducing stress levels. For example, recognising that people have variations in their most productive hours and allowing flexibility to work around those, helps both early birds and late owls optimise efficiency and creativity. Moving away from standard 9-5 requirements by opting for flexible workspaces with 24/7 access gives people the freedom to create working patterns that suit them best.

Investing in a great space to work isn’t just about having an aesthetically pleasing office. It acknowledges the fundamental link between surroundings and wellbeing, boosting creativity and productivity. Well thought out workspaces are also a great way to show your team they are valued. When people feel valued, they are more likely to give their best and remain committed to the mission and vision of the business.

Clockwise provides workspaces specifically designed to support our members’ mental and physical health. From optimising indoor air quality and maximising daylight to incorporating natural materials, stunning art, and plants into our workspace designs, we offer beautiful settings with wellbeing in mind. We think health and wellbeing are such fundamental parts of working life that we’ve embedded them into our Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.

Working from the comfort of your own home can have its advantages, but whether you’re a one-person operation or part of a bigger business but don’t have the luxury of a dedicated work area at home, working remotely can lead to feelings of isolation or create struggles around separating work time from that all-important relaxation time. Having the option to work from a well-designed, flexible workspace with others can boost wellbeing by creating opportunities to socialise, share ideas, and develop valuable professional networks and providing that vital separation between work and leisure time.

For people who have to work from home, can’t get to a physical workspace often, or for teams with members in various parts of the world who are looking for a digital solution to increase more authentic interaction and collaboration, why not explore Clockwise Campus? The first office space to launch in the Metaverse, it brings some of the best elements found in our physical locations to the digital world. It allows users to enjoy great design, has spaces to meet and collaborate with colleagues, hold events or work solo, and like our physical locations, is designed to support wellbeing and productivity. It is accessible 24 hours a day, giving you the freedom to choose a working pattern that suits you best, or even explore life as a digital nomad and work from a new country.

We all know we need to eat better and move more, but staying on track with busy schedules can be challenging. Workspaces that encourage healthy habits can support people to remain active and nourish themselves properly. Clockwise workspaces offer bike storage for those who like to cycle to work as well as showers to refresh and revive cyclists or members who want to fit in a run or a gym class in their lunch breaks.

Looking for more inspiration to improve wellness at work, or want to learn about how flexible office space could improve wellbeing and productivity? Check our Community pages for further information.