About Jayne Smith

Posts by Jayne Smith:

London commercial property market shows some resilience

London commercial property market shows some resilience

market

New analysis by McBains, of commercial property transactions worth £100m-plus completed in London over a 12-month period suggest a fall in the total value and volume of deals, but the market holding relatively strong in the face of COVID-19 and uncertainty over the UKs impending EU exit agreement. More →

WorldGBC and global leaders call for historic Built Environment Day at COP26

WorldGBC and global leaders call for historic Built Environment Day at COP26

EnvironmentThe World Green Building Council joins nine international organisations to sign a letter to COP26 President, Alok Sharma, requesting a Built Environment Day at the climate summit in November 2021. The day at COP26 would be dedicated to the action pathways to accelerate the decarbonisation of the built environment, and it will demonstrate how business and governments are catalysing solutions to the climate crisis. More →

Leading universities lag behind on sustainability teaching, research claims

Leading universities lag behind on sustainability teaching, research claims

sustainabilityResearch conducted by EIT InnoEnergy, sustainable energy accelerator, claims that the world’s top ten universities including the University of Cambridge and Harvard University offer, on average, 2.8 courses focusing on sustainability and energy. This is compared to a global average of 5.6, as the accelerator calls for a more robust and comprehensive decarbonisation outlook by all major education players. More →

People still struggling with shift to remote living

People still struggling with shift to remote living

livingA lack of balance through lockdown has been felt most dramatically by Brits living in house shares according to new research released by Microsoft Windows. The research claims that over 40 percent of people living with house mates, friends or professionals are finding it increasingly difficult to destress and unwind after a long and challenging day; while a further 1 in 5 of the UK population admit that work and play has become blurred in 2020. More →

Maternity leave causes women to lose out on £3.2 billion

Maternity leave causes women to lose out on £3.2 billion

Maternity leaveWomen taking maternity leave collectively lose out on £3.2bn worth on earnings, a fall of nearly half their average annual salary, claims new research from Direct Line Life Insurance. More →

Location of workplace becomes more important to workers

Location of workplace becomes more important to workers

LocationThe location of a potential employer’s workplace is becoming more important to workers – despite a surge in people working remotely, according to outplacement firm Randstad RiseSmart UK. Almost half (49 percent) of workers now say location is an important factor in choosing an employer, up from just over a third (35 percent) pre-pandemic. More →

Third of people working from home worry about mental health

Third of people working from home worry about mental health

mental healthIn a recent survey of 4,000 office-based employees and 1,000 employers in the UK, U.S, Singapore and the UAE, a third of employees expressed concern for their mental health whilst working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research, conducted by health benefits provider, Aetna International, examines the perceptions of both employers and employees when it comes to corporate health and well-being. More →

Several factors impact wellbeing of people working from home

Several factors impact wellbeing of people working from home

wellbeingA new study on work-life balance claims that the COVID-19 crisis is a crucial factor – but not the only one – behind low levels of wellbeing among employees working from home. A research team including Professor Ilke Inceoglu, Professor of Organisational Behaviour and HR Management at the University of Exeter Business School, analysed data from 835 university employees, who completed a baseline questionnaire on wellbeing and took a weekly survey. More →

Legal and mental health concerns mount as businesses brace for redundancies

Legal and mental health concerns mount as businesses brace for redundancies

redundanciesDespite the last-minute extension of the furlough scheme, new research conducted among UK business leaders claims that great concern remains around making redundancies and in particular the legal risk. The survey of over 440 UK business leaders, conducted by employment law and HR support firm Ellis Whittam, also claims two-thirds (66 percent) believe the prospect of making redundancies has negatively impacted their mental wellbeing. More →

Covid-19 will transform the way technology is used in offices

Covid-19 will transform the way technology is used in offices

technologyA new paper from the British Council for Offices outlines how technology is being used in offices to combat Covid-19. While offices may be shut in the UK until 2nd December at the earliest, the paper outlines how the sector is adapting and embracing a range of new technology to ensure that offices can comply with hygiene and social distancing measures. More →

Mental health issues in young fathers caused by a lack of support in work and educational settings

Mental health issues in young fathers caused by a lack of support in work and educational settings

young fathersNew research published by Leeds Trinity University and parenting platform DaddiLife claims that young fathers face preventable barriers when accessing education and employment, leaving some in vulnerable positions with an increased risk of facing mental health issues. More →

Younger workers suffer most from remote working, new study claims

Younger workers suffer most from remote working, new study claims

workersStaff need on average three days a week (2.91) in the office to achieve maximum productivity, according to a new study by ISG. In results from the UK-wide “The Power of Place” study examining the future of the workplace, employees believed that spending on average three days a week in the office would be optimal for productivity. When asked how many days they thought would be needed to optimise their wellbeing, workers cited on average over half a day less, 2.34 days per week, in the office. More →