by Brianna Crandall — March 4, 2013—Many facilities managers have experienced changes in their facilities in recent years as on-site amenities have grown more common along with more collaborative workspaces and related trends. After it was widely reported that Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer has built a nursery near her office to accommodate her child care needs, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) released the following empirical information regarding the growing popularity of on-site child care services and other amenities at workplaces around the world.
According to The Workplace Amenities Strategies Report (October 2012), which compiled the responses of 848 facilities managers to identify trends in managing workplace amenities, on-site child care amenities have become more common in order for employees to save time and be more engaged at work. Of the surveyed facilities managers, 75%indicated that their facilities offer on-site, full-time child care, while another 9% offer off-site, full-time child care.
The physical aspects of the work environment have a direct impact on the productivity, health and safety, comfort, concentration, job satisfaction and morale of the people within it, notes IFMA. This impact can be enhanced with workplace amenities such as cafeterias, day care centers and recreation areas. As competition for talent grows more fierce, more companies are offering better workplace amenities than ever before, adds the organization.
Other popular amenities highlighted in the survey include:
- Break rooms (93%)
- Multi-purpose spaces (72%)
- On-site fitness areas (54%)
- Cafeteria/food services (52%)
- Nursing/lactation rooms (50%)
IFMA , the widely recognized international association for professional facilities managers, supports 23,000 members in 78 countries. The association’s members, represented in 130 chapters, an institute, and 17 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than $100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facilities managers, conducts research, provides educational programs and produces the World Workplace conference.
