Search Results for: benefits

Small businesses are aware of benefits of using AI, but don’t know where to start

Small businesses are aware of benefits of using AI, but don’t know where to start

According to a new poll from hiring platform Indeed, around a third of small businesses are scared to implement AI, despite acknowledging the many apparent benefits of doing soAccording to a new poll from hiring platform Indeed, around a third of small businesses are scared to implement AI, despite acknowledging the many apparent benefits of doing so.  According to Indeed’s survey of 1,000 business leaders at British small businesses, 41 percent of small firms want to integrate the technology into their business, but don’t know where to start. This paralysis means that small businesses – which make up  over 99 percent of the nation’s total businesses – are missing out on improvements to costs, efficiency and overall work satisfaction that they themselves say it can bring about, the report argues. More →

The adoption of GenAI has major benefits for project management, report claims

The adoption of GenAI has major benefits for project management, report claims

hose who transform the perceived threat of GenAI into an opportunity will undoubtedly be in demand for their innovative leadershipA new report [registration] published by the Project Management Institute claims “those who adeptly transform the perceived threat of GenAI into an opportunity for their project teams and organisations will undoubtedly be in demand for their innovative leadership.” According to the report, 91 percent of project managers who use AI in more than 51 percent of their recent projects (Trailblazers) experienced a significant impact on project quality management. Compared to just 40 percent for project managers who use AI in 15 percent or less of their recent projects (Explorers). More →

International report calls for collaboration on AI, highlighting both benefits and risks

International report calls for collaboration on AI, highlighting both benefits and risks

A landmark report claims to shed light on the double-edged sword of advanced artificial intelligence (AI)A landmark report claims to shed light on the double-edged sword of advanced artificial intelligence. Backed by over 30 nations, the International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI paints a picture of a technology brimming with potential benefits, but also fraught with potential risks if safety isn’t prioritized. This first iteration of the report, launched at the AI Safety Summit, fulfils a key commitment set forth during the historic Bletchley Park discussions and the subsequent Bletchley Declaration. More →

Greater support for public health professionals could reap huge economic benefits

Greater support for public health professionals could reap huge economic benefits

Millions of people in the public health workforce could help reduce ill health in the UK, new report finds The Royal Society for Public Health has today published a new report calling for greater collective support for the millions of people in the UK workforce that are positively contributing to the nation’s health. The report argues that there are up to 1.5 million people working across a huge range of occupations who, with the right training and support, have the potential to help produce better health outcomes, reduce pressure on the NHS and grow the economy. More →

New plans for public sector productivity ‘will deliver up to £1.8 billion worth of benefits by 2029’

New plans for public sector productivity ‘will deliver up to £1.8 billion worth of benefits by 2029’

The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has outlined plans to improve public sector productivity that the government claims will deliver up to £1.8 billion worth of benefits by 2029.The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has outlined plans to improve public sector productivity that the government claims will deliver up to £1.8 billion worth of benefits by 2029. The statement focuses on public sector productivity because the government says it is “an alternative to accepting an ever-increasing bill for public services as [it] sticks to its plan to move on from the high spending and high tax approach that was necessary to get the UK through the shocks of Covid and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A new focus is needed on the long-term decisions required to strengthen the economy and give people the opportunity to build a wealthier, more secure life for themselves and their family.” More →

Club Employés and Weavr partner to give people more choice and control over employee benefits

Club Employés and Weavr partner to give people more choice and control over employee benefits

European employee benefits platform, Club Employés, has partnered with embedded finance specialists, Weavr, to power a debit card solution for employee benefitsEuropean employee benefits platform, Club Employés, has partnered with embedded finance specialists, Weavr, to power a debit card solution for employee benefits, which gives employees the power to pick the perks they prefer. By expanding access to relevant benefits through the capabilities of embedded finance, employees are more likely to engage with the benefits provided by their employers. More →

Creating the epicentre: unlocking the untold benefits of next-generation office spaces 

Creating the epicentre: unlocking the untold benefits of next-generation office spaces 

Many associate the notion of futuristic office spaces, filled with equipment like sleep pods and beer taps, with companies that have a young workforce or challenger brand identityMany associate the notion of futuristic office spaces, filled with equipment like sleep pods and beer taps, with companies that have a young workforce or challenger brand identity. The association is often linked to tech giants like Google, which created quite a stir when it originally revealed its indoor slides. Whilst the inclusion of playground furniture in the office is not right for every business, the assumption that unconventional workspaces should be limited to unconventional companies simply isn’t true.  More →

Flexible working and its benefits are enjoyed most by highest paid workers

Flexible working and its benefits are enjoyed most by highest paid workers

Low paid workers have the least flexible working, and the gap between the number of flexible workers on the lowest and highest salaries has increased in the last year, according to figures from the Flex for Life 2023 reportLow paid workers have the least flexible working, and the gap between the number of flexible workers on the lowest and highest salaries has increased in the last year, according to figures from the Flex for Life 2023 report from advocacy group Flexibility Works. Just half (51 percent) of workers surveyed for the report earning less than £20,000 a year work flexibly, compared with eight in ten (80 percent) workers earning more than £50,000. The figures are from an analysis of flexible working in Scotland, which is supported by the Scottish Government and The Hunter Foundation. More →

Employers over-estimate the wellbeing benefits of hybrid working

Employers over-estimate the wellbeing benefits of hybrid working

Employers and employees have a differing opinion about the health and wellbeing impact of hybrid workingEmployers and employees have a differing opinion about the health and wellbeing impact of hybrid working, according to a new poll from GRiD. Two thirds of employers (64 percent) believe that hybrid working has had a positive impact on their employees’ health and wellbeing, but only 53 percent of employees agree. Where they do concur is on the number of people for whom hybrid working can have a negative impact, with 6 percent of employers, and 7 percent of employees, acknowledging that it is not a positive experience for everyone. More →

Benefits of zero-hours contracts outweigh downsides for most people

Benefits of zero-hours contracts outweigh downsides for most people

zero hours contractsNew research from the CIPD suggests there needs to be a more balanced and nuanced debate about their place in the labour market, that recognises both the positives and downsides to zero-hours work. The CIPD’s new research ‘Zero-hours contracts – Evolution and current status’– claims that this kind of arrangement – where there’s no guaranteed minimum number of hours that must be worked – is an established part of the UK labour market. It finds that the number of people on ZHCs has changed little since 2015, making up just 3 percent of employment. Fewer than a fifth of employers (18 percent) use ZHCs, and they’re most often used in the hospitality and entertainment industries, in the voluntary sector, and typically in roles such as bar staff, waiters/waitresses, and care workers. More →

What are the benefits of having a coffee machine in the office?

What are the benefits of having a coffee machine in the office?

benefits of a coffee machine in the officeOffering hot drinks to employees is about much more than satisfying your legal obligations. With firms across industry facing the challenge of hiring and retaining staff, you have to use every trick in the book to attract talent and keep it. Having a great quality coffee machine in the office can help with that. Roast & Ground are coffee experts who service British industry, they have seen first hand how coffee machines can positively impact an office. They have also seen several tangible benefits of having a coffee machine in the workplace. More →

Research casts doubt on environmental benefits of hybrid working

Research casts doubt on environmental benefits of hybrid working

commuters and hybrid workingA permanent post-pandemic switch to hybrid working may do little to reduce carbon emissions as the majority of remote workers travel further each week than their office-based counterparts, new research from the University of Sussex Business School reveals. The newly published study finds that, prior to the pandemic, most remote workers in England travelled further each week than office-based workers – despite taking fewer trips. This was partly because remote workers tended to live further from their workplace than non-teleworkers, so had longer, if less frequent, commutes. In addition, remote workers engaged in more travel on the days when they worked from home – for example, by making extra trips to shops and cafes. More →