About Jayne Smith

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Flexible working is crucial for many older workers

Flexible working is crucial for many older workers

The Centre for Ageing Better and Timewise have launched a toolkit to help employers maximise the benefits of flexible working. Experts at the two organisations say that enabling flexible working is particularly crucial in retaining the skills and talents of workers aged over 50, enabling them to manage health needs and caring responsibilities as well as achieve a better work-life balance. More →

New support for employees experiencing domestic abuse

New support for employees experiencing domestic abuse

Following a surge in calls from individuals to domestic abuse helplines during lockdown, the CIPD and EHRC have published new guidance for employers, setting out how to recognise and support staff experiencing domestic abuse. A CIPD survey of UK employees claims that just under a quarter (24 percent) are aware of their employer having a policy or support in place on domestic abuse. More →

Office space costs fall for only the second time

Office space costs fall for only the second time

office space

Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) has published the results of its annual Total Office Costs Survey (TOCS), claiming that the average outlay of occupying office space in the UK fell by 1.3 percent over the 12 months to June 2020 for new build accommodation and 1.6 percent for 20-year old buildings. This is only the second time costs have fallen in the survey since the global financial crisis in 2008 and contrasts sharply with the 3.6 percent increase in costs in 2019. More →

Furloughed employees feel less valued

Furloughed employees feel less valued

Furloughed employeesA new survey published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) claims that while 78 percent of those who experienced a change in workplace felt that they had experienced positive impacts, furloughed employees have had a significantly different experience. More →

Kitchen table `entrepreneurs` surge since lockdown

Kitchen table `entrepreneurs` surge since lockdown

EntrepreneursOne in five Britons (19 percent) have become ‘kitchen table entrepreneurs’ during lockdown, either starting a business since March or putting plans in place to do so, claims new research by Direct Line – Business. Of those who haven’t yet started their venture, one in five (19 percent) hope to have it up and running by the beginning of 2021. More →

Workers long for clarity in their relationship with employers

Workers long for clarity in their relationship with employers

ExpectationsEmployees are longing for purposeful and visible changes to increase safety measures in the office, according to a new survey of 2,000 people from NELSON Worldwide. This is top of  people’s minds in order to assure that re-entry in the workplace is safe, according to the firm. Whether this is carried out by means of wayfinding, increased sanitation protocols, or direct implementation of distancing in workstations, staff are eager to see the action carried out. The survey concludes that 83 percent of employees have rated physical safety measures to be extremely or very important. More →

Information is harder to access while working remotely

Information is harder to access while working remotely

InformationNew research from Sinequa claims that finding information when working remotely remains a challenge for UK enterprise workers. Alongside these challenges, Sinequa’s research claims that knowledge workers in large enterprises now search for information 8 times a day, spending over 5 minutes each time carrying out the search – an average of 44 minutes a day spent searching for information, per employee. More →

Under-35s face a confidence crisis at work

Under-35s face a confidence crisis at work

Confidence crisisUnder-35s are in the midst of a professional confidence crisis, with work seen as a place where they feel isolated and afraid to speak out, claims research carried out by culture change business Utopia. The study which interviewed over 2,000 respondents across the UK, claims that workers under the age of 35 feel immense pressure to hold a standard of professionalism that shuns emotion and favours traditionally masculine behaviour, all the while juggling responsibilities at home. More →

Employees grow increasingly concerned about prospect of burnout

Employees grow increasingly concerned about prospect of burnout

In a survey of employees and business leaders across 11 nations, The Workforce Institute at UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) claims only a fraction of employees (20 percent) felt their organisation met their needs during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is a silver lining: a third of employees globally (33 percent) say they trust their employer more now than before the pandemic began because of how organisations reacted. More →

Remote working set to triple in the post-COVID world

Remote working set to triple in the post-COVID world

Remote workingA new survey from XpertHR, claims that the average percentage of employees remote working at least part of the time is projected to nearly triple from 12 percent before the COVID-19 pandemic to 30 percent after the pandemic. The survey Employer Response to COVID-19 was completed by 835 US employers. More →

Employees concern over the fairness of who returns to the office

Employees concern over the fairness of who returns to the office

FairnessFairness around office rota decisions and implementation is a top employee concern, claims new research by HSM. As employers now consider the impact of a second wave of Covid-19, the Government is now encouraging people to work from home and grapple with decisions around how and when to bring people back to the office. More →

BCO invites NextGen members to design the post-pandemic workplace

BCO invites NextGen members to design the post-pandemic workplace

The BCO has launched a competition for its ‘NextGen’ members, who will be asked to design an office fit for 2025. Entrants will be asked to consider key global issues, from the pandemic, tackling the impending climate crisis, to ongoing issues around equality and inclusivity. More →