An unprecedented study highlights the saturation of company parking lots in 2025 and reveals employees' expectations.

A subject made even more complex by recent upheavals in the world of work and mobility: teleworking, flex office, rise of soft mobility, explosion of electric fleets... Far from being anecdotal, the figures revealed by this study carried out by Sharvy among 70.000 users & 250 client sites in February 2025 underline that this subject impacts the majority of employees in France (75% use their individual car for their home-work journeys) and is a deep source of dissatisfaction and stress on a daily basis (22% of employees consider company parking as one of the three levers most easily activated by their employer to improve QWL within their company).

Saturated company parking lots: a quantified overview of the situation in France in 2025

A need for parking in companies which still concerns the majority of French people

In 2025, 75% of French people will still use their private car for their home-work journeys, a figure that reaches 82% outside the Paris area. While the car dominates long-distance travel, it also remains the preferred mode of transport for short journeys of less than 5 km. The advantages of the private vehicle (personal well-being, transporting children, reducing arduousness, etc.) explain why, despite changes in mobility, this trend remains stable over the years. But who says private car means needing to park when arriving at work in the morning. A real hassle for the French, 36% of whom are frequently delayed while looking for a parking space. On average, they spend up to 30 minutes per week looking for a parking space.

A company parking offer that is both saturated and underused

Faced with this demand, the parking offered by companies is struggling to meet its needs and suffers from two structural problems. First, while they paradoxically always seem full, company parking lots actually have an average occupancy rate of 2%. This is due in particular to the fixed allocation of many spaces to certain employees, without any direct link to their presence or their actual needs. Second, managing peak traffic is complex: for example, 70% of companies in urban areas report that their parking lots are saturated during peak hours. In high-density areas like Paris, Lyon, or Marseille, this saturation rate sometimes exceeds 85%.

New regulations that put strong pressure on existing spaces

On the infrastructure side, new regulations now restrict the construction of large office parking lots: the number of spaces is thus calculated based on the surface area of ​​the premises, with an average of approximately 1 space for every 30 to 50 m². While this measure has the laudable aim of promoting alternatives to private cars, the fact remains that parking infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the growth in the workforce. On average, only one space is available for every 3,7 employees, putting significant pressure on existing spaces. This saturation leads to frustration, time wasted parking, and can even increase delays and absenteeism. It therefore has a real impact on the quality of life and working conditions of employees on a daily basis.

For Marta MOLINA FUSTER, HR PMO & People Analytics, AEGON: "At Aegon in Spain, we've redesigned our parking management to improve fairness. No more tenure system (a source of inequality): now, all spaces are shared via the Sharvy app, with the exception of some reserved for management. This system allows spaces to be freed up in the event of absence (teleworking, vacation, illness) and ensures a balanced distribution thanks to reservation history. To encourage sustainable mobility, employees who carpool benefit from priority access. The result? We have optimized parking and a positive impact on the environment."

Overcrowded company parking lots: employee expectations and impact on the company

A direct impact on employees' well-being at work

The saturation of company parking spaces significantly affects well-being at work. Nearly 24% of employees believe that their daily commute has a negative impact on their morale, with finding a parking space being one of the main factors. This loss of time, added to the 72% of respondents already affected by excessively long commutes, generates frustration and stress. In 2025, it is therefore not insignificant to read that 22% of employees consider company parking as one of the three levers most easily activated by their employer to improve QWL within their company. This figure highlights the growing role of parking infrastructure in well-being at work. Offering greater convenience and fluidity of access is becoming an essential lever for attracting and retaining talent, while optimizing the employee experience.

Employees want change in 2025

For several years, employee preferences have been shifting toward more sustainable and practical modes of transportation, such as electric mobility, carbon-free mobility (bicycles, scooters), carpooling, and teleworking. These trends reveal a desire to reduce carbon footprints while facilitating daily travel. This requires a thorough review of company parking infrastructure, with the integration of innovative solutions such as parking management applications that must effectively meet these new needs. Their advantages? Acting autonomously like a smart control tower that manages employee mobility: managing access, optimizing parking space utilization, adapting space availability in real time, and anticipating variations in demand. The result: time savings for companies and a lot less frustration for employees.

A reflection of employer branding and CSR commitment, a challenge for attracting and retaining talent

Beyond individual comfort, parking policy is an integral part of the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) strategy. By integrating sustainable solutions—such as encouraging carpooling, installing charging stations, and developing alternatives to individual vehicles—the company affirms its commitment to more responsible mobility. Such an approach not only reduces the company's carbon footprint but also strengthens the company's image as an employer concerned about the well-being of its employees and environmental issues. As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, companies must redouble their efforts to attract and retain the best talent. The quality of infrastructure, particularly that related to mobility, therefore plays a key role. Overcrowded, poorly organized parking spaces that are poorly adapted to new modes of transportation (electric vehicles, carpooling, soft mobility) can quickly become a source of frustration, negatively impacting employee well-being and productivity. Conversely, intelligent and seamless parking management becomes a real differentiating asset, helping to strengthen team satisfaction and talent loyalty.

For Didier BAUD, Director of General Services, ONET: "At ONET, we have redesigned the organization of our parking lot to better meet the needs of our employees, while respecting our environmental commitments. This is why we have created a space dedicated to electric vehicles (21 spaces, or 6% of our parking lot). To ensure optimal management, we have implemented the Sharvy application. The application's algorithm prioritizes spaces in our underground parking lot, thus offering increased comfort for our employees who benefit from closer and more protected access. Once these spaces are occupied, the system directs vehicles to the outdoor spaces. This reorganization has not only reduced the saturation of our parking lot, but also offered solutions adapted to hybrid and electric vehicles, by integrating the reservation of charging stations to encourage sustainable mobility among our teams. This approach allows us to both improve the efficiency of our parking and contribute to reducing our carbon footprint."

Overcrowded company parking lots: 3 concrete cases where Sharvy's intelligent digital platform helps businesses

1st case: optimize the existing system to guarantee smoother access for everyone

One of the most effective solutions is to implement a smart digital platform for booking and sharing parking spaces, such as the one offered by Sharvy. Unlike traditional corporate parking, where some spaces remain underutilized while others are constantly saturated, the smart reservation system offered by Sharvy adapts space allocation based on employees' actual needs. Thanks to Sharvy, companies can combat the phenomenon of "ghost" spaces, irregularly occupied by employees (with a designated space) who are working remotely or traveling. By integrating a logic for automatically releasing unused spaces, Sharvy maximizes their availability and guarantees smoother access for everyone.

2nd case: automatically optimize access and resolve the problem of “no-shows”

Installing automated access control (badges, license plate recognition cameras, etc.) makes it possible to identify employees who reserve a parking space without actually going there, by cross-referencing reservation data with actual parking entrances. If no trace of a passage is detected after a certain period of time, the absence is recorded as a "no-show." In the event of a no-show, the space can be released after a certain period of time and made available to another user waiting. This automated analysis not only frees up unused spaces for other employees, but also relieves congestion in the company's parking lot.

3rd case: encourage teleworking & hybrid working

A company that chooses to offer its employees the opportunity to work remotely several days a week will logically significantly reduce the number of vehicles on site and thus facilitate the use of its parking infrastructure. Beyond this immediate relief, this approach must also be accompanied by a strategy to rethink the organization of office workspaces. By combining remote working with flexible office and parking management, via flex office and desk booking solutions like those offered by Sharvy, each company can thus become capable of adjusting the occupancy of its premises and parking automatically and according to the real needs of its employees.

For Justine MASTIO LENZ, Head of Purchasing, Heritage & Logistics, IRD France: “In 2021, we redesigned our workspaces to better meet our employees’ new expectations and ease the pressure on our infrastructure, particularly parking. The goal: to optimize spaces while promoting collaboration and well-being. We created adapted zones (creativity, project-based work, concentration, conviviality) and added practical facilities. At the same time, the switch to three days of remote working, flex office, and desk booking via Sharvy have streamlined the use of offices and parking, reducing congestion and improving access for employees on site.”