About Neil Franklin

Neil Franklin is Insight's news editor

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Study claims that working from home can significantly boost productivity

Study claims that working from home can significantly boost productivity

A new study of a large Turkish call centre provides fresh evidence that working from home can improve productivity and workforce diversityA new study of a large Turkish call centre provides fresh evidence that working from home can improve productivity and workforce diversity — though in-person onboarding remains crucial to long-term success. The research, conducted by economists from King’s College London, Stanford, the Paris School of Economics and the EBRD, examines Tempo BPO, a Turkish business process outsourcing company that moved fully remote in 2020. The authors include well-known remote work researchers Nick Bloom and Steven Davis, alongside Cevat Giray Aksoy, Victoria Marino, and Cem Ozguzel. (more…)

The pace of office downsizing appears to be slowing to a stop

The pace of office downsizing appears to be slowing to a stop

The majority of organisations have already reduced their real estate footprint – but the pace of office downsizing is slowingA new report from Leesman claims that the sharp reductions in office space seen in last five years may now be levelling off. According to the Focus Forward study, which draws on data from 132 senior corporate real estate (CRE) leaders worldwide, the majority of organisations have already reduced their real estate footprint – but the pace of office downsizing is slowing. The report states that 68 percent of organisations surveyed had downsized over the previous 18 months. However, only 49 percent said they intended to reduce space in the next 18 months. Of those, just 11 percent anticipated what the report refers to as “considerable” reductions. (more…)

Microsoft research lays bare the rise of the ‘infinite workday’

Microsoft research lays bare the rise of the ‘infinite workday’

Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index Special Report, Breaking down the infinite workday, warns that the traditional boundaries of the working day have dissolved under a flood of emails, messages and meetings.Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index Special Report, Breaking down the infinite workday, warns that the traditional boundaries of the working day have dissolved under a flood of emails, messages and meetings. Drawing on anonymised telemetry from Microsoft 365, the study argues that the contemporary knowledge worker now faces a “seemingly infinite workday” that begins before dawn and stretches deep into the evening. The day often starts before breakfast: 40 percent of users who are already online at 6 a.m. are triaging overflowing inboxes, and the average employee receives 117 emails a day—most scanned in under a minute. Mass emails sent to more than twenty recipients have risen by seven percent over the past year, while one-to-one threads are in decline. (more…)

One in ten UK workers take on side jobs while working from home

One in ten UK workers take on side jobs while working from home

New research suggests that around one in ten full time employees working from home in the UK have taken on a side job,New research suggests that around one in ten full time employees working from home in the UK have taken on a side job, with a significant number managing their additional work during normal working hours for their main employer. The study, commissioned by the Global Payroll Alliance (GPA), surveyed over 2,400 UK workers who work from home at least some of the time. It found that 71 percent of full-time employees still work remotely to some degree, and around 20 percent now do so full-time. (more…)

Half of company directors think their board is of no value to the business

Half of company directors think their board is of no value to the business

Almost half (46 percent) of company directors in the US and UK think their boards do not add enough value to their organisation. according to the Board Value Index from Board Intelligence.Almost half (46 percent) of company directors in the US and UK think their boards do not add enough value to their organisation, according to the Board Value Index from Board Intelligence. The Board Value Index is based on responses from more than 200 executive and non-executive directors from companies with over $50 million in turnover across the UK and US. Almost a third (31 percent) of directors surveyed said that their board adds no value at all, with half of that group believing their board is actively holding their organisation back. (more…)

Turns out that hybrid working is indeed the new normal. For a minority of people

Turns out that hybrid working is indeed the new normal. For a minority of people

A new analysis from the Office for National Statistics confirms that hybrid working is now the dominant form of flexible work for many people in Great Britain.A new analysis from the Office for National Statistics confirms that hybrid working is now the dominant form of flexible work for many people in Great Britain. The figures, which cover the period from January to March 2025, show that 28 percent of working adults now combine home and on-site work on a regular basis – the highest proportion recorded since the ONS began monitoring hybrid working patterns. This compares with just 9 percent who work exclusively from home and around 55 percent who are permanently based at a single workplace. The remaining proportion are made up of those with no fixed place of work or whose work locations vary, such as mobile or site-based roles.
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WORKS Magazine Issue 14 is here for you

WORKS Magazine Issue 14 is here for you

The new issue of WORKS magazine looks at a sector that is reaching equilibrium after five years of uncertaintyThe new issue of WORKS magazine looks at a sector that is reaching equilibrium after five years of uncertainty. We visit exciting new projects in London, Manchester and Zurich; profile a man whose way of talking about the workplace we all echo, even those of us who have never read his work; take a look at the new generation of acoustic meeting rooms and pods; catch up with old friends to discuss the market; host a round table to ask if designers still get excited about office furniture; and there are all the features, comment and news you could ever need.

Government urged to take bold action on shared parental leave

Government urged to take bold action on shared parental leave

Father and son walk on beach showing need for shared parental leaveA new report from the UK Government’s Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has highlighted a range of issues with the UK’s current parental leave system and urged the government to address them as part of its proposed review. The report, Equality at Work: Paternity and Shared Parental Leave, argues that the existing system requires substantial reform to better reflect the needs of modern families and working parents. It identifies shortcomings such as low statutory pay, limited leave entitlements for fathers and partners, and the complexity of the Shared Parental Leave (SPL) scheme. (more…)

Jobs are getting better, but a quarter of people still think they are bad for their wellbeing

Jobs are getting better, but a quarter of people still think they are bad for their wellbeing

Although job quality appears to be on the rise, a quarter of UK workers - an estimated 8.5 million people - say their jobs have a negative impact on their wellbeingAlthough job quality appears to be on the rise, a quarter of UK workers – an estimated 8.5 million people – say their jobs have a negative impact on their mental health (25 percent) or physical health (24 percent), according to the CIPD Good Work Index 2025. The latest poll claims the negative impact of work on wellbeing has remained high for many people for the eight years the survey has been running, despite improvements for some employees on certain areas of job quality. The CIPD Good Work Index, which provides what the troubled trade association claims is the UK’s most in-depth annual survey of job quality, suggests that the strongest factors associated with unhealthy work are excessive workloads, stress, poor relationships with colleagues and the quality of line management. (more…)

UK government outlines £86 billion science and technology plan to support regional growth

UK government outlines £86 billion science and technology plan to support regional growth

The UK government has announced a package of funding and initiatives aimed at strengthening the country's position in science and technologyThe UK government has announced a package of funding and initiatives aimed at strengthening the country’s position in science and technology, which it believes will offer a particular focus on helping regions capitalise on local research and innovation. The investment, totalling £86 billion, forms part of the government’s broader Science and Technology Framework. It includes targeted support for universities, researchers and businesses outside of the traditional innovation hotspots in the South East of England. (more…)

Resistance to change is holding the UK back, report suggests

Resistance to change is holding the UK back, report suggests

There is a growing culture of resistance to change across the UK workforce, particularly among women, older employees, and public sector professionals.It used to be said that the UK was a nation of lions led by donkeys. Now it would appear that the country has become as stubborn as mules at every level. The new survey from Right Management claims there is a growing culture of resistance to change across the UK workforce, particularly among women, older employees, and public sector professionals. (more…)

Researchers call for paternity leave reform in face of low uptake

Researchers call for paternity leave reform in face of low uptake

Academics from the University of Bath plan to set out what they say are improvements to the system of Shared Parental Leave in the UK, ahead of what is claimed to be the world’s first ‘Dad Strike’ on 11 June in London and Edinburgh. The protest, timed just ahead of Father’s Day, is a call to action for urgent reform of the UK’s paternity leave system. Research by lobby group The Dad Shift and Shaun Davies MP claims that just 3 percent of the UK’s £3.3 billion parental leave investment supports fathers. (more…)