October 4, 2023

BCO Awards dominated by South East offices yet again but Glasgow office takes top spot

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Workplace design

Barclays’ Glasgow campus (pictured) was celebrated as the Best of the Best at the British Council for Offices (BCO) National Awards last night, also taking home the prize for Corporate Workplace. Seven further winners of BCO Awards were recognised as leading examples of excellence in workplace design in the UK. There were no winners in any category in the Midlands or North of England, Northern Ireland or Wales, although two offices in Manchester and Widnes were commended and the President’s Award went to HMRC for its ongoing national estate management programme. (more…)

October 4, 2023

Over a quarter of women think menopause has had a negative impact on their career

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Over a quarter of women (27 percent) aged 40-60 in the UK, who are currently in employment and have experienced menopause symptoms – an estimated 1.2 million – say that menopause has had a negative impact on their career progression, according to new research from the CIPD. In addition, 36 percent of women with a disability or long-term health condition say their symptoms have had a negative impact on their career progression, compared with 24 percent who don’t have one. (more…)

October 4, 2023

Younger workers ready to embrace their new robot overlords

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

Despite warnings that AI could lead to widespread redundancies, younger workers across Europe believe that the recent advances in the technology will ‘supercharge’ the industry in which they work. According to the second Young Generation in Tech survey, commissioned by HiBob and Venture Capital fund Eight Roads, almost four in five of the 2,000 20-30-year-olds surveyed in tech across Europe believe AI will have a positive impact on their work. (more…)

October 3, 2023

Investment and new powers essential to unleash the vast potential of UK cities

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News

Unleashing the potential of the UK’s cities is critical to boost growth, repair their social fabric and meet our net zero targets according to a new report, produced in partnership between the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and Core Cities UK. The report calls on the government to move away from the current trend of short-termism, witnessed in recent weeks in debates on HS2, net zero and the future of local government. (more…)

October 3, 2023

Beady-eyed employee monitoring is also subject to data protection law

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is calling on organisations to consider both their legal obligations and their workers’ rights before they implement any employee monitoring in the workplace. With the rise of remote working and developments in the technology available, many employers are looking to carry out checks on workers. The ICO has today published guidance to help employers fully comply with data protection law if they wish to monitor their workers. (more…)

October 1, 2023

Three days in the office seems to be the ‘sweet spot’ for hybrid working

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A new survey concludes that three days a week in the office appears to be optimal for many people to optimise key aspects of workplace culture and performance. The report claims to provide empirical analysis into the impact that remote and hybrid working are having on employee experience, culture and productivity. The report commissioned by Ipsos Karian and Box is based on a survey of 1,400 full-time UK office workers. (more…)

September 28, 2023

Most people get anxious at the prospect of work meetings

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

A new report based on a survey of 2,000 hybrid and remote employees claims that 8 in 10 people often feel anxious or worried about attending day-to-day work meetings. The white paper titled ‘Zoomed In, Zoned Out’ has been released by Craft Docs [registration], and reports on hybrid and remote workers’ attitudes towards business meetings and other daily workplace processes in 2023. (more…)

September 27, 2023

Act now on retrofitting if you want to boost commercial property values, new report argues

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

For European real estate owners and investors already on a journey to net-zero-carbon through retrofitting, upfront spending has the potential for long-term rent and capital-value accumulation, according to a new report from Colliers. Europe’s Renovation Wave [registration] explores the regulatory and societal pressures the authors claim is now driving an era of accelerated asset renovation, and the proactive actions investors, owners and occupiers can take to make sure their assets are not ‘left behind and stranded’ in the race to decarbonise the built environment by 2050. Retrofitting is also the subject of a special supplement published in the new issue of IN Magazine. (more…)

September 27, 2023

What doesn’t kill leaders makes them stronger, say academics

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

People that experience frequent disruptive events are much more likely to become aware of their own identity as leaders, according to new research by Durham University published in the Journal of Business and Psychology. Whilst many believe that impactful, disruptive, and novel events could be detrimental to building a leader’s confidence, the study proves the term “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, as experiencing strong events made people more aware of their leader capabilities. (more…)

September 27, 2023

Half of landlords now planning a flexible working offer

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Property

Over half of UK landlords are planning to independently develop an offering for the growing flexible working market across their portfolios, according to the annual report on the flexible workspace sector by The Instant Group. The 2023 UK State of the Flex Market report [registration] polled more than 200 flex operators and landlords for insights into the sector. Findings also suggest that two-thirds (61 percent) of flex operators intend to increase their footprint in the next two years, while market imbalances in regional hubs, enduring occupancy rates, and surging demand for sustainable buildings all featured prominently in the report. (more…)

September 26, 2023

‘Levelling up’ development is new home for 1,400 civil servants

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Public Sector

The UK government has purchased land for the permanent site of the new Darlington Economic Campus as a key part of its so-called levelling up programme. The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) was established in August 2021 and currently houses 674 government staff. McLaren Property has now sold its option on a 7,926 square metres site on Brunswick Street in Darlington to the Government Property Agency for a permanent base for the Treasury’s second headquarters and Department for Business and Trade. (more…)

September 26, 2023

Poor workplace design means a quarter of people may consider quitting job

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace design

A new poll claims that over a quarter (27 percent) of workers would consider leaving their job due to poor workplace design, as an increasing number of companies phase out remote working. Commissioned by design and architecture studio MoreySmith, the survey of 2,000 UK adults by Yonder asked the public about the importance of the office environment for their wellbeing at work. Half of those that responded said that the amenities of a workplace would impact their decision on whether to work for a company, rising to 57 percent of 25-34 year olds. (more…)