Workers in the UK are more confident raising concerns at work than their leaders may realise, prompting calls for more businesses to keep pace and prioritise how psychologically safe people feel. Over three-quarters (77 percent) of frontline employees say they feel psychologically safe speaking up about problems or opportunities for improvement in their organisation, according to a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of SafetyCulture. Yet only 63 percent of senior management believe their workers feel that way – a gap that suggests many leaders may be underestimating their own culture. More →

The results of a a new survey suggest that employee motivation does not collapse in uncertain conditions but instead changes shape, with leadership behaviour emerging as the decisive factor. The findings, based on polling conducted by Wiley Workplace Intelligence, indicate that the most significant risk to engagement is not ambiguity itself but a perceived disconnect between leaders and their teams. The data suggests that employees continue to seek direction and purpose even when clarity is limited. Rather than becoming disengaged, many respondents reported adapting their focus, placing greater emphasis on trust, communication and visible leadership. More →

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, has officially opened the call for entries for the 2026 New Furniture Makers Awards, celebrating the UK’s most talented emerging furniture designer-makers. The annual awards recognise excellence across a diverse range of disciplines within the furnishing industry. For 2026, the programme expands with the introduction of a new Upholstery Award, reflecting the growing importance of this craft within contemporary furniture design. More →

More than half of UK freelancers and small business owners have considered giving up self-employment over the past year, according to new research from The Accountancy Partnership. The survey of 1,060 self-employed professionals found that 50.7 percent have thought about returning to traditional employment in the past 12 months. Of these, 16.4 percent said they had seriously considered leaving self-employment altogether, while 34.3 percent said the idea had crossed their minds briefly. More →

New polling from Lenovo suggests that the widespread, and often unregulated, use of artificial intelligence in organisations is creating operational risks, increasing costs and slowing the return on investment from AI initiatives. The company’s latest Work Reborn Report, based on a survey of 6,000 employees worldwide, claims that more than 70 percent of employees now use AI tools on a weekly basis. Up to a third of this activity is taking place without formal oversight from IT departments, contributing to the growth of so-called shadow AI. More →