About Neil Franklin

Neil Franklin is Insight's news editor

Posts by Neil Franklin:

Women working from home or on reduced hours at greater risk of damaging their career

Women working from home or on reduced hours at greater risk of damaging their career

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Women working from home or on reduced hours are at greater risk of losing their professional and managerial careers, but men are not affectedWomen working from home or on reduced hours are at greater risk of losing their professional and managerial careers, but men are not affected, new research suggests. Women professionals not working a standard week in the office were more likely to end up in less prestigious careers than those in full-time work, the study found. Sizhan Cui, of the University of Oxford, analysed survey data on 11,981 British women and 9,829 men gathered from 2010-2024 to link changes in careers to the use of flexible working arrangements such as working from home, part-time work, job sharing and flexitime. (more…)

RIBA CEO to deliver opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026

RIBA CEO to deliver opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026

by • Environment, News, Workplace design

The Sustainable Design Collective (SDC) has announced that Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), will deliver the opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026The Sustainable Design Collective (SDC) has announced that Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), will deliver the opening address at the Sustainable Design Forum 2026. Dr Vaughan-Dick, appointed CEO in January 2023, brings extensive experience in leadership, regeneration and organisational transformation. She is the first woman to hold the role, and among the first from a more diverse leadership background, reflecting a broader shift towards greater inclusivity within the profession. (more…)

Creativity, thinking and expertise in the workplace should be safeguarded from AI

Creativity, thinking and expertise in the workplace should be safeguarded from AI

by • AI, News

Workplace professionals and general managers should proceed with caution if they want to use AI to improve efficiency and human capital in the workplace, and should take steps to ensure creativity and critical thinking are preserved, new research from the University of Bath School of Management suggests. The research team identified two types of knowledge which appeared partially compatible with AI – encoded knowledge, which encompasses rules, procedures, policies, and datasets; and embedded knowledge – essentially digitalised processes and routines. (more…)

Traditional open plan offices linked to higher risk of workplace bullying, study claims

Traditional open plan offices linked to higher risk of workplace bullying, study claims

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Employees working in traditional open plan offices are significantly more likely to experience workplace bullying than those in private or smaller shared spaces, according to new research published in the journal Occupational Health Science.Employees working in traditional open plan offices are significantly more likely to experience workplace bullying than those in private or smaller shared spaces, according to new research published in the journal Occupational Health Science. The study, based on a nationally representative sample of 3,307 workers in Sweden, examined whether office design influences the likelihood of negative interpersonal behaviour at work. Researchers found that employees in open plan environments faced a higher risk of bullying even after accounting for factors such as personality, demographics and working patterns. (more…)

British workers happier and more productive than US and German contemporaries. Hey. We just report this stuff

British workers happier and more productive than US and German contemporaries. Hey. We just report this stuff

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A major international study claims that team enjoyment is the strongest perceived driver of productivity, challenging long-standing assumptions about how organisations improve performance and that British workers claim to be happy and productive A major international study claims that team enjoyment is the strongest perceived driver of productivity, challenging long-standing assumptions about how organisations improve performance. The Global Workplace Happiness Report, published by The Happiness Index in partnership with employee benefits provider Pluxee, draws on responses from 80,000 employees across 115 countries. It suggests that social and emotional factors play a more significant role in productivity than operational systems such as workload management or process design. The poll also found that British workers are more likely to say they are happy and productive than their US and German contemporaries.  (more…)

Greater use of AI linked to more collaborative work patterns, survey claims

Greater use of AI linked to more collaborative work patterns, survey claims

by • AI, News, Workplace design

Employees who make frequent use of AI tools are spending less time working alone and more time collaborating and learning with colleaguesEmployees who make frequent use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools are spending less time working alone and more time collaborating and learning with colleagues, according to a new global workplace survey from the Gensler Research Institute. The Global Workplace Survey 2026, based on responses from more than 16,000 office workers across 16 countries, suggests that as routine tasks become automated, work is shifting towards more human-centred activities, including mentoring, problem solving and teamwork. (more…)

Government sets £7.4 billion procurement target with small businesses

Government sets £7.4 billion procurement target with small businesses

by • Business, News

For the first time, individual government departments have been given specific targets for the proportion of spending that should go directly to small businessesSmall businesses across the UK are expected to receive more than £7.4 billion a year in direct government spending by 2028 under new procurement targets published by ministers. For the first time, individual government departments have been given specific targets for the proportion of spending that should go directly to small and medium sized enterprises. Departments will also be required to publish annual progress updates, with those falling short expected to outline how they will improve performance. (more…)

Government confirms Manchester digital campus as part of civil service relocation strategy

Government confirms Manchester digital campus as part of civil service relocation strategy

by • News, Property

The government has confirmed plans for a major new digital campus in Manchester, marking a significant step in efforts to relocate civil service roles and strengthen regional technology capabilityThe government has confirmed plans for a major new digital campus in Manchester, marking a significant step in efforts to relocate civil service roles and strengthen regional technology capability. The Manchester Digital Campus received Treasury approval for its outline business case on 19 March, allowing the project to move forward as a central element of the government’s digital and data strategy. (more…)

Parliamentary group warns misuse of NDAs undermines workplace trust

Parliamentary group warns misuse of NDAs undermines workplace trust

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

While NDAs can serve a legitimate purpose, their use to mask harassment or discrimination risks undermining accountability and eroding trust within organisations.A cross-party group of parliamentarians, business leaders and experts has warned that non-disclosure agreements are “good for no-one” when used to conceal harmful behaviour in the workplace rather than address it. The warning followed a roundtable held in Parliament on 18 March, hosted by the Policy Liaison Group on Workplace Wellbeing. Participants agreed that while NDAs can serve a legitimate purpose, their use to mask harassment or discrimination risks undermining accountability and eroding trust within organisations. (more…)

Finland is yet again the world’s happiest country. UK and Canada slide

Finland is yet again the world’s happiest country. UK and Canada slide

by • News, Wellbeing

Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for a record ninth consecutive year, according to the World Happiness Report 2026, as new findings highlight a more complex and uneven global picture of wellbeing, particularly among younger peopleFinland has been named the world’s happiest country for a record ninth consecutive year, according to the World Happiness Report 2026, as new findings highlight a more complex and uneven global picture of wellbeing, particularly among younger people. The Nordic nation retained its position at the top of the rankings with an average life evaluation score of 7.764 out of 10. Its continued dominance comes amid widening contrasts between regions, with several European countries maintaining relatively high and stable levels of wellbeing while English-speaking nations continue to slip down the table. (more…)

Half of SMEs using AI with limited impact on headcount (so far)

Half of SMEs using AI with limited impact on headcount (so far)

by • AI, News

More than half of UK firms are now using AI according to new research from the British Chambers of Commerce, marking a sharp increase in adoption but with little immediate effect on workforce sizeMore than half of UK firms are now using artificial intelligence, according to new research from the British Chambers of Commerce, marking a sharp increase in adoption but with little immediate effect on workforce size. The survey, carried out in partnership with Atos, suggests that 54 percent of businesses are actively using AI. This represents a notable rise from previous BCC findings, which showed adoption at 35 percent in 2025, 25 percent in 2024 and 23 percent in 2023. (more…)

Most firms are already using AI, but not many are seeing a return

Most firms are already using AI, but not many are seeing a return

by • AI, News

While over three quarters of UK businesses are now using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the vast majority are yet to see any return on their AI investments, according to a new pollWhile over three quarters of UK businesses are now using artificial intelligence tools, the vast majority are yet to see any return on their investments, according to a new poll from Studio Graphene.  The digital product studio commissioned Censuswide to survey 500 managers, directors and C-suite executives within UK businesses. It found that 78 percent of the businesses polled are using AI in some capacity – rising to 85 percent for mid-sized organisations (100-249 employees), the highest of any group. (more…)

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