The modern workplace is undergoing a renewed transformation, not just because of technology or hybrid work models, but because employees are steadily returning to in-person environments with new expectations around health, well-being, and purpose.

While remote work remains part of the equation, its dominance is easing. As of mid-2025, just over 22% of U.S. employees work remotely at least part time, down from the prior year, and more than a quarter of companies were expected to return to fully in-person work by the end of 2025.

This shift signals something important: the workplace still matters, perhaps now more than ever, and healthcare is a key component.

Wellness Moves from Perk to Priority

Employee wellness has become a core business imperative, with data reinforcing what many employers are already experiencing firsthand. Recent research shows that 83% of businesses report employees are actively demanding well-being-focused benefits, signaling a clear shift away from traditional, perk-driven offerings toward support that meaningfully improves day-to-day health and quality of life.

Organizations now recognize the direct connection between health outcomes, engagement, and performance.

As a result, companies are investing in comprehensive wellness strategies that address physical, mental, and emotional health, moving well beyond surface-level offerings.

These shifts are influencing how space is planned and utilized. Quiet rooms, wellness spaces, and flexible layouts are increasingly common as organizations seek to support focus, recovery, and balance throughout the workday.

Healthcare Access Becomes Part of the Workplace Experience

Access to care is emerging as a differentiator in the modern workplace. Employers are finding new ways to bring healthcare closer to employees, whether through on-site or near-site clinics, telehealth-enabled spaces, or partnerships with local healthcare providers.

These strategies also align with broader trends toward mixed-use and amenity-rich environments, where work, wellness, and lifestyle intersect. As companies evaluate office footprints and locations, proximity to healthcare services and walkable, health-oriented communities is increasingly part of the decision-making process.

As Matt Gannon, Head of Agency Leasing at Colliers, notes: “Forward-looking companies recognize that healthcare access and well-being are now core to workplace value. Employers are not just adjusting benefits. They are rethinking how space, services, and well-being intersect, which is increasingly shaping leasing decisions and long-term workplace strategy.”

A Powerful Tool for Talent Attraction and Retention

In a competitive labor market, healthcare-forward workplace strategies are proving to be a meaningful advantage. Employees (particularly younger generations) are placing greater emphasis on employers that demonstrate a genuine commitment to well-being and long-term support.

Comprehensive healthcare offerings and thoughtful workplace design play a critical role in retention, engagement, and employer brand. Organizations that invest in these areas are seeing stronger loyalty, reduced burnout, and improved employee satisfaction, outcomes that directly impact business performance.

The Workplace Is Becoming a Health Platform

Healthcare’s influence on the workplace will continue to expand as businesses refine their strategies and respond to evolving employee needs. As organizations bring people back together, the office is becoming a strategic environment that supports collaboration, culture, and increasingly, health.

Healthcare — once viewed as separate from workplace strategy — is now shaping how companies design their spaces, attract talent, and support long-term performance. In today’s environment, employee well-being isn’t peripheral to the workplace conversation; it’s central to it.