2 December 2025
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie

Based on the South Mall, in the former RDJ Building, Republic of Work is a trendy and well located shared office space

The number of remote and hybrid workers using it has increased by 302% in the last five years.

The membership figures show that these new ways of working are showing no signs of slowing down in the Rebel County, with an expectation of further uptake at ROW in 2026.

The organisation on South Mall offers a number of membership options to individuals which include hot desk space, meeting rooms, business lounge access and mail handling facilities. Companies can also avail of an option for their employees through the Staff Pass Membership, which has proven to be a popular choice with firms in Cork in recent times.

The membership gives companies 25 monthly passes for employees to use the shared workspace and refreshment area along with access to meeting rooms, the printing facilities and a conference space.

ROW created the membership package for companies to give their staff the opportunity to work in an environment outside of the office, at a central hub, while enhancing and retaining community and in-person interaction.

According to a recent CIPD HR Practices in Ireland 2025 study, just over two-thirds of organisations (69%) included hybrid working in their strategy to attract and retain talent.

Frank Brennan, CEO at Republic of Work, said: “More businesses are recognising the real value of flexible, hybrid working. We’ve seen a big increase in teams using our Staff Pass memberships to get people together for off-sites, workshops, and focused collaboration days. The membership gives access to high-quality workspace and community with networking built in.

“People are genuinely relieved to have space again – somewhere other than the kitchen table – and the energy that creates is fantastic. We are also seeing groups of employees come together to use the meeting rooms for 2026 planning. At Republic of Work, our community is at the heart of everything we do, and it’s great to see companies embracing that.”

Earlier this year, Republic of Work was listed in the top 50 of Europe’s best startup hubs by The Financial Times ranking Top 10 in UK & Ireland and Top 2 in Ireland.

For more information on Staff Pass Membership, visit https://hubs.ly/Q03VCg450

Republic of Work on South Mall, Cork City.