Who is the Up Group?
Up (formerly Chèque Déjeuner) is an international group whose parent company is a cooperative society. Its flagship products are Updéjeuner meal vouchers and UpCadhoc gift vouchers. Through our payment solutions and services of a social and local nature, we give companies and local authorities the means to improve the purchasing power and quality of life of employees and citizens. Through our strong activist commitment and our desire to promote access to healthier food, culture, and leisure activities, we are one of the main players in the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). Founded in France in 1964, the Up group is now present in 28 countries and has 3,541 employees, a third of whom work in France, spread over ten sites.
As a large cooperative group, why did you choose Multiburo’ s flexible workspaces?
We made the choice of a flexible lease for our team in Toulouse and are considering this transition for other locations. This decision was an innovative choice for us because until now we have been operating on a traditional 3-6-9 lease model. However, this traditional solution is interesting when we can commit ourselves in a viable way over the long term by having a clear vision of the evolution of the workforce, the environment or even the health context, which has become an important element.
We therefore quickly realised that we had to move towards a flexible solution, both from a legal and a planning point of view. But in the interests of our employees, we wanted a gradual change. With Multiburo, we found a partner who listened to us and was able to adapt to our needs and offer us a solution adapted to our uses. We were also won over by a company on a human scale, with recognised expertise and values close to our own.
What is the feedback from your teams who are now benefiting from this solution?
In addition to the quality of the location, our employees especially appreciate the diversity and modularity of the spaces offered: closed and allocated spaces, open spaces, rooms that can be reserved on request, collective space, etc. The possibility of adapting the layout of the offices to the variations in our activity – which peaks at the end of the year – is another real advantage. The possibility of adapting the layout of the offices to variations in our activity – which peaks at the end of the year – is another real advantage.
The flexible system is also perfectly suited to our business practices: in the provinces, many of our employees are salespeople, whether they are sedentary or travelling, for whom parking and security are important issues. Thanks to Multiburo, they finally benefit from services and a friendly collective atmosphere, two aspects that are particularly appreciated when they return to the office!
How does flexibility fit into your corporate culture?
The flexible approach is totally in line with our corporate culture and echoes our commitments to our customers. We sell QWL solutions, so we must do everything in our power to promote the QWL of our employees! By putting usage and the human being at the centre, flexible solutions meet this requirement.
More broadly, I am now convinced that real estate should be considered as a spearhead by the employer. When you recruit someone, you should be able to give them a choice of working environment. The challenge is to offer a variety of solutions so as not to risk missing out on talent. The company’s real estate choices are therefore an integral part of a social innovation approach.
What are your perspectives on office space? What is the place of flexibility?
Today we see flexibility as a complementary solution to traditional real estate solutions. A solution that we are turning to more and more. Our flexible approach has been launched on half of our real estate in France. It meets the needs of our local teams, but also the needs of our staff who have to move regularly throughout the country (between 30 and 100 people). While we plan to keep a few of our own sites, as visual anchors for the company, we want to develop more and more flexible workspaces throughout France.
Do you have a project? Do you want to expand in France, Belgium, or Switzerland?
Multiburo’s experts are at your disposal to help you with your flexible real estate.
France: +33 (0)1 72 92 06 60
Belgium: +32 (0)2 403 11 09
Switzerland: +41 (0) 22 561 84 84
Or by email: flex.immo@multiburo.com