Ergonomics Play Key Role In The Workspace Environment

Coworker.com recently completed a study that looked into the habits of coworking users. The study used a pool of 225 coworking users across 173 spaces in the US and internationally and it found that ergonomics are a key factor in the industry’s potential growth.

According to coworking space owners, 57% plan to open a new facility in the next year and, of those planning to open a new space, 63% only have one space today.  This indicates that it’s the “little guys” driving the growth in the coworking movement, not the larger firms like WeWork. Regarding locations for such new openings, the top 5 are:

1. Austin, TX
2. New York City
3. Barcelona, Spain
4. Denver, CO
5. San Diego, CA

Significantly, the study showed that coworking has become a global trend, since only 29% of the people planning to open new spaces will be doing it in the US, while 71% plan to open spaces internationally.

As for what members expect from coworking spaces, the #1 request is faster WIFI, followed by conference room access and ergonomic furniture (primarily standing desks). Additional findings include:

• 42% of coworking space owners believe that standing desks improve health for for users and 54% of coworking spaces surveyed have standing desks in their offices today. 
•  For those that don’t have standing desks, the reason 32% of them didn’t add the desk was price
• 38% of coworking spaces added standing desks because their users demanded it. Other reasons included:
  • Variety in the space – 24%
  • Wellness considerations – 22%
  • For events/networking – 5%

Overall, 76% of spaces that have standing desks have at least 10% of their space committed to standing desks.

According to memberes, the study found…

• 66% of people that work in a coworking space do it for 5 days a week or more
• 65% of coworkers say that community is the most important thing about a coworking space
• 29% have launched a startup based on people they’ve met at coworking   spaces
• 63% have hired someone they met in a coworking space
• 22% have started relationships (dating) with someone they met
• 91% of respondents said that ergonomic furniture is important or somewhat important to their decision in joining a coworking space
• When looking for ergonomic furniture in a coworking space
  • 39% want ergonomic chairs
  • 39% standing desks and/or laptop stands
  • 9% ball chairs
  • 8% standing mats
• Of the people that have used a standing desk, 75% rate it a 4 or 5 (out of 5)
• 48% of coworking space users believe that standing desks improve wellness
• 19% believe they improve productivity
• 16% believe they improve  mobility
• Of those that don’t have standing desks in their coworking space, 49% wish it did

Commenting on this study, Rachael Galloway, Brand Manager of VersaDesk, a leading manufacturer of ergonomic office products, noted that “feedback from our many clients in the coworking community emphatically illustrates why standing desks have become an integral element in such environments.

“We’ve always been aware of the growing interest in a healthy lifestyle,” she added, “but lately we’ve been hearing more and more about the positive effects of interaction, as the ability to work while standing delivers the added benefit of greater productivity and morale.”