IFMA Releases Global Facility Management Pulse Report
The International Facility Management Association’s new report introduces the FM Workload Index and shows rising workload expectations for facility professionals worldwide.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Jan 20, 2026
Facility management workloads are expected to rise globally over the next year, according to a new report from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and the Simplar Foundation—an outlook that may have implications not only for operations and budgets, but also for worker safety.
The Facility Management Pulse Report introduces IFMA’s new Facility Management Workload Index (FMWI), which tracks expectations for workload, staffing, budgets, and project activity. Based on responses to IFMA’s Q3 2025 Facility Management Index and Economic Pulse Survey, the inaugural FMWI reading is +43 on a scale from −100 to +100, indicating that more facility professionals anticipate increased workloads than decreases.
More than 1,400 professionals from 80 countries participated in the survey, representing approximately 3.2 billion square feet of managed space across sectors including health care, education, manufacturing, utilities, public administration, and professional services.
“FM leaders face steady workload growth supported by modest budgets and constrained staffing,” said Nickalos Rocha, IFMA’s director of benchmarking. “Organizations that align planning, sourcing, and risk management early will be better positioned to sustain performance and meet demand.”
While the report focuses on operational trends, safety researchers have long cautioned that increased workloads often translate into longer hours, overtime, or compressed schedules—factors linked to higher injury risk.
Research published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that employees working 12-hour days faced a 37% higher risk of occupational injury, while jobs with overtime schedules showed a 61% higher injury hazard rate compared with jobs without overtime. The study also found elevated injury risk among workers logging 60 hours or more per week.
(“The impact of overtime and long work hours on occupational injuries and illnesses,” Occupational and Environmental Medicine, BMJ Group: https://oem.bmj.com/content/62/9/588.full)
Federal safety agencies have also identified fatigue from long or irregular work hours as a contributor to workplace incidents, citing reduced alertness, slower reaction times, and impaired decision-making.
As facility teams take on expanded responsibilities amid staffing constraints, safety professionals say workload monitoring should be viewed as a risk management issue—not solely a productivity concern. Increased demand can affect maintenance schedules, response times, and employee well-being, particularly in environments that operate continuously or support critical infrastructure.
IFMA President and CEO Michael V. Geary said the new index is intended to help organizations anticipate challenges before they escalate.
“The findings, and specifically the FMWI, help facility leaders understand the forces shaping workload expectations across regions and sectors,” Geary said. “That insight allows organizations to better prepare for staffing pressures, economic conditions, regulatory impacts, and other risks that influence performance.”
The Facility Management Pulse Report is designed to serve as an ongoing benchmark, enabling facility leaders to track changes over time and compare conditions across regions and industries.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for OH&S.