About Neil Franklin

Neil Franklin is Insight's news editor

Posts by Neil Franklin:

Hobbies have the power to improve creativity and personal lives

Hobbies have the power to improve creativity and personal lives

by • News, Wellbeing

Hobbies could do more than improve your personal life, they could make you more creative and better at work, according to new research published today. Hobbies could do more than improve your personal life, they could make you more creative and better at work, according to new research published today.  The study by researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Erasmus University Rotterdam explored how ‘leisure crafting’ – intentionally shaping your free time through goal setting, learning and connection – does not just boost well-being outside the office but can spill over into creativity, engagement, and meaning at work, especially for older employees. Published in the journal Human Relations, the findings show that giving people simple, doable advice about how to grow through their hobbies can make a real difference in their daily lives. (more…)

People want their jobs to provide them with security and steady pay

People want their jobs to provide them with security and steady pay

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Workers are placing greater emphasis on job security, fair pay and employer support for adaptability, according to new global research from the Adecco GroupWorkers are placing greater emphasis on job security, fair pay and employer support for flexibility, according to new global research from the Adecco Group, which suggests the so called Great Resignation has given way to a more cautious approach to how ambitious people would like to seem. The Workforce Trends 2025 report [registration] is based on responses from 37,500 workers and 2,000 senior executives across 31 countries. It finds that while employees continue to value growth, flexibility and meaningful work, these priorities are increasingly secondary to stable income and employment certainty as economic and social uncertainty persists. (more…)

Sleepless nights are taking a toll on UK workers

Sleepless nights are taking a toll on UK workers

by • News, Wellbeing

Widespread sleepless nights are undermining workplace performance across the UK according to findings of a survey released by the Mental Health FoundationWidespread sleepless nights are undermining workplace performance across the UK according to findings of a survey released by the Mental Health Foundation. The poll of 2000 UK adults aged 18+ found that the average person only gets three nights of good quality sleep per week.  This lack of meaningful rest has resulted in one in three UK workers (33 percent) admitting that poor sleep makes it harder to concentrate at work while more than one in five (22 percent) shared that tiredness has led them to make more mistakes than usual. One in eight respondents (13 percent) reported having fallen asleep at work. (more…)

Embedding AI into daily tasks can heighten stress and confuse people about their role

Embedding AI into daily tasks can heighten stress and confuse people about their role

by • AI, News

While AI is taking on work across the economy, it may also create new demands on the human workforce that employers must stay ahead of and respond to.While artificial intelligence is taking on work across the economy, it may also create new demands on the human workforce that employers must stay ahead of and respond to. Researchers from Microsoft and Imperial College London highlight in the Society of Occupational Medicine’s (SOM) journal Occupational Medicine  that AI tools will bring a multitude of benefits to the workplace. The technology is likely to make accessing workplace health support much easier for employees and managers, for example by automating and simplifying booking processes and appointments. (more…)

Business leaders bemoan slow progress on ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’

Business leaders bemoan slow progress on ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’

by • Cities, News, Property

The government has positioned the so-called OxCam growth corridor as a central plank of its economic strategy, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves describing it as having the potential to become (inevitably) Europe’s Silicon Valley.Britain’s ambition to turn the Oxford–Cambridge corridor into a globally competitive technology and life sciences hub is facing renewed scrutiny as business leaders warn that delays to infrastructure risk undermining investor confidence, even as ministers restate their commitment to accelerated delivery. The government has positioned the so-called OxCam growth corridor as a central plank of its economic strategy, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves describing it as having the potential to become (inevitably) Europe’s Silicon Valley. The plan centres on better connecting Oxford and Cambridge, stimulating housing delivery and encouraging high-value research, technology and manufacturing to scale across the region. (more…)

Half of firms are still sending unwanted office furniture to landfill

Half of firms are still sending unwanted office furniture to landfill

by • Environment, Furniture, News, Workplace design

Half of UK organisations are still sending unwanted office furniture to landfill despite widespread (and apparently misplaced) confidence in their sustainability credentialsHalf of UK organisations are still sending unwanted office furniture to landfill despite widespread (and apparently misplaced) confidence in their sustainability credentials, according to a new report from Business Moves Group. The findings highlight a significant gap between intent and practice in the way companies manage furniture during office moves, refurbishments and wider workplace change The white paper, Furniture futures: sustainable strategies for better workplaces [registration], is based on a survey of 250 facilities and office management professionals across the UK. (more…)

A new study suggests that GenAI really is addling your brain

A new study suggests that GenAI really is addling your brain

by • AI, News, Wellbeing

A new study from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has raised questions about the potential impact of artificial intelligence tools on critical thinking and learning, particularly when GenAI is used as substitutes for cognitive effort rather than as supports for it.A new study from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has raised questions about the potential impact of artificial intelligence tools on critical thinking and learning, particularly when GenAI is used as a substitute for cognitive effort rather than as an assistant. The researchers examined how the use of large language models affects brain activity, memory and skill development over time. Although the findings have yet to undergo peer review and are based on a relatively small sample, the authors say they chose to release the results early because of the speed with which AI tools are being adopted in education and knowledge work. (more…)

Global survey points to ongoing yearning for flexible work

Global survey points to ongoing yearning for flexible work

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

flexible work continuing to show a strong association with how positively people experience their jobEmployee engagement levels remained broadly stable in 2025, according to a new global report from workplace analytics firm WorkL, with flexible work continuing to show a strong association with how positively people experience their job. The Global Workplace Report 2025 is based on survey data from more than 500,000 employees across over 100 countries. It records an average global engagement score of 75 percent, suggesting little overall movement compared with recent years, despite ongoing economic and labour market pressures.

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UK employers are missing out on AI productivity gains because of gaps in talent strategy

UK employers are missing out on AI productivity gains because of gaps in talent strategy

by • AI, News

A new survey from EY suggests that many UK organisations are failing to realise the full productivity benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) because their talent strategies are not keeping paceA new survey from EY suggests that many UK organisations are failing to realise the full productivity benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) because their talent strategies are not keeping pace with technology adoption. The EY 2025 Work Reimagined Survey, based on responses from 800 UK employees and 180 employers, found that while the use of generative AI at work is now widespread, it is rarely being used in ways that fundamentally change how people work. More than four in five employees said they use GenAI tools, but this is largely limited to routine activities such as searching for information or summarising content. (more…)

Why writing by hand still matters for learning and thinking

Why writing by hand still matters for learning and thinking

by • News, Technology

The steady shift from pens and pencils to keyboards has led many schools to play down writing by hand and other fine motor activities. But a major new review of research suggests that may be a mistakeThe steady shift from pens and pencils to keyboards has led many schools to play down writing by hand and other fine motor activities. But a major new review of research suggests that may be a mistake. The study, published in Educational Research Review, brings together evidence from 118 previous studies involving almost 80,000 children and adolescents. Taken together, it shows a clear and consistent link between children’s fine motor skills and how well they perform at school, across reading, writing, mathematics and broader cognitive measures. In other words, writing may be thinking in both a physical and cognitive sense. (more…)

BCO calls for paradigm shift as regional cities fall behind on sustainable offices

BCO calls for paradigm shift as regional cities fall behind on sustainable offices

by • Environment, News, Property

A widening gap in the availability of highly sustainable offices across the UK is putting the economic prospects of smaller regional cities at risk and could undermine national net-zero goalsA widening gap in the availability of highly sustainable offices across the UK is putting the economic prospects of smaller regional cities at risk and could undermine national net-zero goals, according to new research from the British Council for Offices. The report, Viability and Sustainability in the Regions, warns that a large share of office space outside major centres may become economically obsolete if current trends continue. It suggests this could lead to what it describes as “sustainability gentrification”, with organisations unable to find space that meets their ESG commitments in cities such as Exeter, Newcastle and Sheffield. (more…)

UK directors say people must remain central to work as AI adoption accelerates

UK directors say people must remain central to work as AI adoption accelerates

by • AI, News

New findings from monday.com suggest UK business leaders expect artificial intelligence (AI) to expand rather than shrink their workforces in the year ahead.New findings from monday.com suggest UK business leaders expect artificial intelligence to expand rather than shrink their workforces in the year ahead. The company’s latest World of Work report [registration], based on feedback from directors in the UK and US, shows that most UK leaders do not foresee headcount reductions in 2026, with almost a third expecting to hire more as AI becomes further embedded in daily operations. (more…)

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