For many office workers slumped at their desks all day and working a considerable amount of (unpaid) overtime, levels of fitness can slide dramatically.
At the end of a gloomy winter’s day, employees gather on train platforms, or in gridlock at the traffic lights, too weary to even think about that late night jog or a 30-minute evening work out.
However, it is now commonplace for organisations to offer gym memberships at a discounted rate to their employees. Firms can often agree a corporate discount with a local gym, increasing the temptation for employees to join. Such an incentive is also often used to lure skilled workers to the organisation.
While offering a gym can provide excellent benefits, there are certain risks too, notes Jane Fox-Edwards, head of real estate litigation at Allen & Overy LLP. Health and safety is an obvious area of concern and adequate insurance cover needs to be obtained.
Strict protocols must also be adopted and adhered to in terms of health checks and inductions, as well as controlling out of hours and unsupervised use, for example by way of mandatory use of personal alarms connected to a central system and providing clear equipment instructions.
Assuming the premises are leased, a company needs to ensure that it complies with its lease obligations, for example by obtaining any necessary landlord’s consents to alter the premises or for the change of use.
Running an in-house gym can be a noisy business too, Fox-Edwards adds. Vibrations caused by running machines and group exercise classes can impact adversely on other parts of the building and the need for sound proofing will need to be evaluated early on. As a general rule, gyms are less likely to be an issue in the basement, but expert advice should be sought at an early stage, particularly as to the potential impact on any sub-tenants and neighbours.
Employers are recognising this appeal: the report Employee Benefits/Cigna UK HB Healthcare research 2012 found that 20 per cent of employers now offer their staff access to subsidised gym or sports facilities as a core benefit, while a further 31 per cent do so on a voluntary basis.
But for offices without the convenience of a gym nearby, there are three options for running a gym in the workplace itself — managing it in-house, having it managed by an FM service provider as part of a wider FM service package, or having an on-site gym run as a self-contained operation by a specialist gym services contractor.
In-house gyms
Management of an in-house gym often rests with the FM or a gym instructor. Lawrence Jones, chief executive at networking company UKFast, installed a gym at his company’s Manchester headquarters. The company’s head of personal development also acts as the company’s personal trainer, but many organisations with in-house operated facilities only bring in a gym instructor for inductions.
“I knew someone who had managed up to 20 gyms previously, so I approached him,” says Jones. “I felt that his experience would provide the gym’s users with in-depth knowledge, in order to make the most of the facility.”
Deciding whether to bring in a qualified gym instructor to run the gym, or place the responsibility with the FM, partly depends on how well-used the facility will be. A lone treadmill and static bike would hardly need such expertise, but many organisations with gyms have incorporated other fitness classes, run by a qualified instructor, to make the facility pay.
“We have kickboxing classes on offer,” says Jones. “The management of the gym has gone smoothly and, as a result, the general health of the workforce has been elevated.”
This method of implementation is not typical, however. Most organisations will find it hard to justify the cost of a fitness instructor, unless the facility is constantly being used to capacity.
Sweating the assets
Lawrence Jones, chief executive at network technology firm UKFast, has established an ethos of healthy living, creating a hive of physical activity at his offices.
“Having an on-site gym makes it much easier for people to exercise together, which is often seen as a motivational tool.
“We have since started a running club, netball teams, and we take small teams on outdoor assault-style courses in Snowdonia. We are now investing time in building an app to track an individual’s fitness progress. Everything we have introduced is aimed at improving people’s lives. By making people feel good about themselves, you often generate better performance.”
For some, the responsibility of running an on-site gym may be best placed with the FM service provider contracted to provide a bundled package. The gym at pharmaceutical company BASF’s headquarters in Cheadle, Cheshire is managed through its FM contractor, Sodexo, with responsibility taken by the site’s soft FM services manager. It’s the only such facility at a BASF site in the UK at present, although the firm’s Bradford site is looking to follow in Cheadle’s footpath.
Having the service provider run the gym off-loads what can be a full-time responsibility in management and maintenance.
Furthermore, the service provider is arguably better equipped to arrange aerobics classes, running clubs and other fitness schemes to complement the gym facilities. Sodexo employs a gym instructor each Wednesday to manage all inductions and classes.
The third option is the use of a third party, specialist gym facility management firm operating a branch of its facilities on site. Providers such as Personal Touch Fitness, Energy Fitness Professionals and Nuffield completely manage the facility, working with clients during fit-out and providing advice on how to make the most of the often-tight spaces in which gyms are housed.
Under the terms of this arrangement, such companies will be responsible for purchasing and installing gym equipment, for any health and safety checks and compliance issues.
Fit-out freaks
Fitting out former office space with a gym facility can be costly and several factors need consideration.
Location is a key — the gym may need to be positioned far from the main office area, or out of sight completely in the basement. The prospect of noisy machinery, air conditioning units or blaring music may persuade some to locate the gym in the most secluded area.
Access to changing and shower facilities is another consideration, and, depending on the size of the gym, these could range from a small shower unit to a full-scale set of changing rooms complete with lockers and changing cubicles.
Personal Touch Fitness runs two gyms for a major multinational drinks company
Does the service vary from site to site? Yes, one site is larger with a gym, class studio and additional services, like holistic and beauty treatments. The smaller site uses a space for classes and holds periodic well-being events to improve employee health and lifestyle awareness.
What is the typical structure/layout of a workplace gym? Space in offices is a valuable commodity. However, Personal Touch Fitness has many years of experience to provide the optimum solution for clients. Often potential space is used 25 per cent for changing rooms and 75 per cent gym. The skill is to utilise the space as well as possible, while keeping to legal spacing guidelines. Flexible use of space with multi-function gym equipment combined with skilled fitness professionals gives companies a clear return on their investment.
In what areas are such gyms typically located? Any available space can be utilised. This can start from a small room for treatments, meeting rooms for classes or larger under-utilised areas for small gyms. Like most of us, companies often accumulate and store items no longer needed, a bit like a loft at home — an easy storage space for items not used regularly. Gyms are often located in the basement as this is unsuitable for office space.
What kind of businesses are expressing an interest? Employees tend to be the first to suggest it. More people are using gyms resulting in a growing expectation for employers to value employees enough to provide such services. Offices with 3,000 employees down to as few as 50 have all approached us.
In order to minimise disruption, the changing area is usually adjacent, or close to, the gym room. (At UKFast, the gym is placed adjacent to its cafeteria, thus acting as a motivational tool for those not using the facility…)
The need for safe flooring and adequate ventilation may be a barrier, and sound-proofing may also be required. Depending on its proximity to the rest of the building, further insulation measures may be necessary, particularly if the space was previously unused or backs on to an external wall.
Chris Lundle, facilities manager at BASF’s Cheadle office, is an evangelist, having described his firm’s gym fit-out as having had “no teething problems”. However, he did note some logistical issues.
“Every single toilet unit has shower facilities. If we hadn’t had those in place, we wouldn’t have been able to do it, as the cost would have added considerably to the budget for the project. “These facilities were a short walk away from the gym — located in some disused office space above an old laboratory,” Lundle explains.
For Lundle and his team at BASF, controlling the temperature in what is an all-glass building was difficult.
“In the summer it could be very stuffy, as the glass would form a sort of greenhouse effect. Similarly, the winter months would be cold, thanks to the lack of insulation.”
Another requirement when planning the space for a gym is, quite simply, space. The British Standard BS-EN 957, also adopted as an International Standard ISO 20957, is published in 10 parts, with specific requirements for equipment such as rowers, strength equipment, bikes and elliptical trainers. For example, part six requires a clear space of two metres behind treadmills for safety reasons. The standard also details specific safety procedures and testing measures.
At BASF, a very high proportion of staff — nearly 80 per cent — participated in an induction during its opening week. Today, at least 10 per cent still use the facility more than three times a week.
A gym in such close proximity can have a positive behavioural change in the workplace. “Employees can spend more time exercising than travelling, making a better use of their hour,” says Jones at UKFast.
An on-site gym can aid the health of an organisation’s workforce in ways that go far beyond mere exercise. In one firm, basic health checks performed as part of its gym induction flagged up the existence of dangerously high blood pressures for a couple of employees, who were subsequently referred to the company’s occupational nurse and given advice on their next steps.
On the other side of the equation to set-up and operational costs are the added value aspects an on-site gym can offer to organisations in terms of more qualitative measurements of happiness and wellbeing — themes currently at the forefront of FM thinking.
