Office rental, electricity, dining room, equipment… In addition to the salaries of its employees, a company must finance the work environment of its employees. A global cost that has fallen in recent years, according to the Association of Work Environment Managers (ARSEG).
To reach this conclusion, the organization questioned 110 companies that have 100,000 jobs, 120,000 employees and occupy 2 million square meters of offices.
In detail, the cost of work environments per position contracted by 10% between 2017 and 2021. It thus amounts to 12,481 euros in 2021, compared to 14,135 in 2019. Regarding the cost of work environments reduced to number of square meters occupied by a company, reached 681 euros, 8% less than five years ago. Finally, the cost of work environments per employee, measured for the first time in this edition of the study, reaches 11,605 euros.
Less business trips and more teleworking
Several factors are involved behind this downward trend, in particular, it is the drop in spending related to resources and equipment that has most affected the overall cost of work environments. It can be explained, in particular, by the reduction in the number of business trips and the increased use of teleworking. On average, a company spends 1,179 euros on trips and postage, that is, 49% less than in 2017.
The second item of expense that has fallen on the employer is the cost of energy. It stands at 20 euros per square meter, 13% less than in 2017. According to ARSEG, this drop “is attributable to the reduction in energy consumption in buildings and the optimization of expenses”. The effect of inflation, which will be taken into account in the next edition of the study, should inflate this cost item.
Businesses are also spending much less on employee services like corporate catering.
rising rents
On the other hand, construction-related charges, which represent the most significant cost for the company for each concept, increased slightly. In question, the increase in tertiary real estate, particularly in the Ile-de-France and in the main regional cities. A slightly slowed down trend due to the confinements and the health crisis, however, points to the ARSEG.
Rent per square meter thus stands on average at 352 euros, 5% more than in 2017. Property taxes, at 50 euros per square meter on average, have also increased by 9% in five years.
Due to the drop in other cost items, starting with the means and equipment assigned to employees, the relative participation of rentals and insurance in the costs of shift work environments has increased. It went from 42% in 2017 to 49% in 2021.
Source: BFM TV
