
Shaping the future of FM: Five key predictions for 2025
Matt Bailey, workplace analytics specialist at Matrix Booking, explores the key predictions set to redefine workspace management and facilities operations in the coming year.
The modern workplace is being reshaped by forces that are impossible to ignore. Employees are calling for flexibility, businesses are chasing sustainability, and technology offers promising solutions while also raising concerns about privacy, security, and trust.
The year ahead will challenge organisations to rethink how they use their office spaces to meet these rising expectations without breaking budgets.
Here are the five key facilities management trends that will define the future of workspace management in 2025.
Navigating the four-day workweek
The Labour Government’s introduction of a new four-day workweek trial involving more than 1,000 workers has revived discussions about compressed hours, where employees could work regular hours over four days instead of five.
While earlier trials have produced mixed results, this initiative signals a growing momentum for the concept of fewer workdays without a reduction in pay. Next year, businesses will face increasing pressure to evaluate whether a four-day week is feasible.
For facilities managers (FMs), this will bring predictable shifts in workspace usage, with quieter offices on the fifth day becoming a recurring challenge. Adapting to this systemic change will require long-term strategies, such as consolidating activity into fewer areas on quieter days or repurposing underused spaces to prevent wasted resources and unnecessary costs. Using available data, FMs can make targeted adjustments to make office spaces work effectively with fewer people using them on some days.
Accelerating sustainability initiatives
Sustainability will dominate 2025 as businesses face pressure to meet the 2030 Net Zero targets and comply with ISSB standards, requiring large, listed companies to provide detailed environmental reporting on emissions and resource use.
A key priority will be addressing Scope 3 emissions, which account for over 70% of many organisations’ carbon footprints. These emissions span the entire supply chain, creating challenges no facilities manager can solve alone. Success will depend on collaboration with procurement, IT teams, and other departments.
Facilities managers will also need to balance sustainability efforts with budget constraints, but the path forward lies in sharing best practices, focusing on long-term benefits, and using technology. Sensors and workspace management platforms will likely be used more extensively to provide real-time data on inefficiencies, such as underused spaces or areas with high energy consumption.
Meeting flexible work expectations
Workplace flexibility will grow, driven by policies like the Make Work Pay plan, which aims to shift power towards employees and amplify expectations for greater autonomy in how, when, and where they work.
Facilities managers will be tasked with adapting workspaces to support these evolving demands. In turn, hybrid-friendly tools, such as booking systems and resource management platforms, will need to evolve to support diverse work patterns.
Managing the varied preferences across a workforce will present significant challenges, requiring real-time solutions that respond to daily fluctuations. Unlike the predictable quiet days associated with a four-day workweek, flexible work introduces greater unpredictability, making dynamic space management essential.
These changes may lead to a rise of Workplace as a Service (WaaS) models. We’ll likely see more companies adopt subscription-based office arrangements that offer flexible and scalable environments, reducing the long-term costs associated with fixed office spaces.
Redefining the role of the office
The past year has seen endless announcements from companies introducing or strengthening return-to-office mandates. This push for office attendance will drive a renewed focus on making time in the office worthwhile. The role of the office will increasingly shift away from individual desk work to emphasise collaboration, team-building, and social interaction. Facilities managers will need to provide spaces that actively support these objectives, such as collaborative hubs and versatile meeting areas.
The challenge will lie in balancing these expectations with fluctuating attendance. Offices must remain inviting and functional while avoiding underuse, providing a space that supports meaningful in-person interactions and the broader goals of the organisation.
Continuing the big AI debate
AI will remain a hot topic in workspace management. For employees, AI could function like a hotel concierge, simplifying and personalising the workplace experience. For facilities managers, AI offers opportunities to automate processes and gain deeper insights into occupancy and usage trends.
However, concerns about privacy and trust will continue to grow. Employees will be increasingly wary of being monitored under the guise of optimisation, and these fears risk eroding trust in workplace technologies.
In 2025, the focus will be on striking a balance between accessing AI’s benefits and addressing these concerns. Transparent communication about how AI collects and uses data, combined with strict adherence to privacy laws, will be critical to maintaining trust while improving workplace experiences and operational efficiency.
Looking ahead
The year ahead promises significant changes for workspace management and facilities operations. By addressing the challenges posed by flexible work, sustainability, and AI, organisations can create work environments that are efficient, adaptable, and aligned with the expectations of the modern workforce.
Facilities managers will play a central role in this transformation, shaping workspaces that support business goals while meeting the needs of employees amidst the pressures of an ever-changing landscape.
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