January 25, 2023

Firms failing to embed net zero into operations

A survey [registration] of 300 managers at organisations in industrial sectors across the U.K., U.S. and Germany by ESG consulting firm Sphera, claims that while 85 percent of companies now have net zero strategies, the majority are failing to incorporate them into daily business operations. Only 41 percent of operations managers have seen sustainability strategies produce significant changes in daily practices, and 32 percent say their firms do not align with science-based emissions targets. More →

January 25, 2023

Half of tech workers bracing themselves for layoffs, but fears may be unfounded

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Tech workers are pre-empting layoffs in 2023 and taking steps to protect their careers, according to a new poll from CWJobs. The survey – carried out among 2,000 UK tech workers – revealed more than half (53 percent) are pre-emptively applying for new jobs in case of redundancies at their firm. The research suggests that London tech workers feel at most risk, with nearly two thirds (63 percent) pre-emptively applying for a new job in case of layoffs – the highest out of any region. Young people are also more likely to make sure they have a Plan B in place, with 62 percent of 18-24-year-old tech workers actively applying for new jobs in case they are laid off, compared to 24 percent of those aged 55+. More →

January 24, 2023

Offices valued as a place to get work done, not just connect

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

The latest Workplace Survey from the Gensler Research Institute sets out to explore how employees are spending their time as they return to the office, how offices can more successfully support them, and the strategic design interventions that will have the biggest impact on the workplace experience. As companies consider the future of their workplaces, the new data suggests that U.S. employees are looking for offices that are both highly effective and offer a desirable mix of experiences. The highest-performing workplaces are those that support all modes of work, offer a wide range of experiences, and are located in amenity-rich buildings and/or neighbourhoods. More →

January 20, 2023

Vast majority of IT managers prioritise commercial success over sustainability

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Technology

A new poll claims that the vast majority of tech managers prioritise commercial success over sustainability, despite the fact that nearly all agree with the idea that sustainability is good for business. The report from Software AG is based on a survey of 2,000 senior IT decision-makers from the US, Canada, UK, Germany and France. It suggests that most organisations prioritise commercial objectives over sustainability in the face of economic challenges. This is despite the fact that almost all (95 percent) leaders agree sustainability is either a top or high priority and a similar number (97 percent) agree that other firms’ sustainability credentials are either essential or important in their own buying decisions. The annual Reality Check reports seeks to investigate how technology initiatives can benefit both sustainability and commercial objectives. More →

January 12, 2023

Wellbeing and organisational agility will dominate workplace conversations in 2023

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Mental health and wellbeing will dominate conversations about the role of work in people’s lives this year, due in part to the effects of the global pandemic, as well as social and economic instability around the world, according to the latest megatrends report from UKG. The report claims that many people are feeling overwhelmed in the face of negative news cycles headlining economic uncertainty, climate change, violence, and political unrest have contributed to a spike in mental wellbeing issues. More →

January 11, 2023

Glassdoor announces winners of best place to work awards

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Glassdoor has announced the winners of its annual Employees’ Choice Awards, honouring the Best Places to Work 2023 across the UK and four other countries. The Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards are based on the input of employees who voluntarily provide anonymous feedback by completing a company review about their job, work environment and employer over the past year. More →

January 10, 2023

Commercial property values and returns fell significantly in 2022

by Jayne Smith • News, Property

UK commercial property capital values decreased significantly in 2022, and annual total returns were also down, according to the latest CBRE Monthly Index. Capital values decreased 3.0 percent across all UK commercial property in December 2022. Rental value growth for the month was 0.2 percent and total returns were -2.6 percent. For 2022 as a whole, capital values fell 13.3 percent, and annual total returns were -9.1 percent, according to the report. More →

January 10, 2023

Flexible working and work-life balance most important features of new job roles

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

One in three (33 percent) employees say the most important factor to them when contemplating a move to a new job, after pay, is work-life balance, according to a new poll of 13,000 UK based employees from Hays. The survey suggests that the extent to which employees are satisfied with their work-life balance has been improving over the last three years. More →

January 10, 2023

People prefer flexible to hybrid working according to new poll

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

A new poll from MHR claims that people appear to prefer flexible to hybrid working. It suggests that a greater proportion of employees would prefer to work in the office with flexible hours (51 percent) than work from home with structured hours (41 percent). The survey [registration] of over 1,200 full time office workers across the UK and Ireland set out to find how their experience working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic compared to their usual work practices. More →

December 14, 2022

How different European countries tax working from home

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

When it comes to the tax implications of working from home, Belgium seems to be the most attractive European country. Those regularly working from home in Belgium can claim over €1,700. No other of the eleven nations examined by The Mobile Bank N26 manages to match the Belgians in this regard. In addition to Germany’s neighbour, Spain, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Greece, Poland and France were also analysed. As the data suggests, regulations and tax relief opportunities differ between nations, sometimes significantly. More →

December 14, 2022

People want their offices to perform more like hotels

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology

Employees today want more ‘hotel-style’ amenities such as areas for socialising, state-of-the-art infrastructure, outdoor spaces, onsite cafes, air conditioning, and flexible work facilities to entice them back to offices, according to a new poll from MRI Software. The firm’s Workplace Report [registration] claims almost two-thirds (64 percent) of respondents say such hotel-style features impact their decision on whether to work for an organisation, including more than one in ten who see failure to provide the right amenities as a deal breaker. More →

December 12, 2022

In person work can make the signs of burnout easier to spot

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A new poll from Barco claims that a third of people who mostly work in the office found it easier to tell when a colleague is overworked or stressed when seeing them face to face, leaving some remote workers at risk of struggling under the radar of management teams. This comes as over a quarter of staff report experiencing burnout over chronic work-related stress that has not been managed successfully. More →