April 28, 2022

People would consider a return to the office if employer would cover commuting costs

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Over two-thirds of UK office workers would consider returning to the office full-time if employers covered commute costs, an Emburse/YouGov poll suggests. The survey of 1,000 British employees, of which 724 worked in an office, were asked questions around their new working preferences in order to understand what the ‘future of work’ looks like. Around 68 percent said that they would be likely to consider going into the office full time if transport costs to the office were fully covered. More →

April 26, 2022

Two thirds would take a pay cut in exchange for a four day week

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

A poll of 2,000 people published in the new edition of the State of Hybrid Work study from Owl Labs claims that flexibility is now key to retaining top talent in 2022 and beyond. 65 percent of British employees would rather be paid less in exchange for a four day week and over a third (37 percent) would choose to decline a job if flexible hours are not offered. The report claims that offering greater flexibility will prove key to preventing employees from driving the ‘Great Resignation’ – with nearly one in three (31 percent) employees changing jobs in the past two years and a quarter (25 percent) of employees actively seeking a new opportunity in 2022. More →

April 21, 2022

Inflexible return to office strategies starting to damage workplace experience

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Future Forum, a consortium launched by Slack with Boston Consulting Group, MillerKnoll and MLT to “help companies reimagine work in the new digital-first workplace”, has released the latest findings from its global Pulse study, which shows that employee experience scores are plummeting for knowledge workers who have been asked to return to the office full-time and for those who do not have the flexibility to set their own work schedules. More than a third of knowledge workers (34 percent) are now working from the office five days a week, the greatest share since Future Forum began surveying in June 2020. With this shift, employee sentiment has dropped to near-record lows, including 28 percent worse scores on work-related stress and anxiety and 17 percent worse scores on work-life balance (compared to last quarter). More →

April 20, 2022

Women working from home more likely than men to say their careers are harmed

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Women working from home regularly are less positive about their career prospects than men are, new research suggests. They are also less optimistic about getting recognition for good work and being included in important consultations when compared to men who often work from home, the study found. The research, presented at the British Sociological Association’s online annual conference today [Wednesday, 20 April 2022], comes at a time when employers and staff are deciding how much they will work from home as pandemic restrictions are removed.

April 14, 2022

Half of large office occupiers plan to rethink their property requirements

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Larger office occupiers are getting to grips with the fallout following the pandemic and are now reassessing their office property needs, according to a new YouGov survey commissioned by law firm Irwin Mitchell. The survey of over 500 office property decision makers shows that nearly half (46 percent) of large businesses and (39 percent) of medium sized companies plan to rethink their office space- whether by upsizing, downsizing, or relocating. The survey shows that one in five large businesses plan to increase their existing office space, with the same proportion looking to reduce space and 5 percent to relocate. In addition, 11 percent are looking to reconfigure their existing space. While 37 percent plan to stay the same. More →

April 6, 2022

Attendance bonuses actually increase employee absence, claims new research

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Offering employees a monetary bonus for good attendance actually has the opposite desired effect, increasing employee absence, finds new research from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. Monetary incentives are widely used to align employee actions with employer objectives. Timo Vogelsang, Assistant Professor from Frankfurt School, and colleagues from the University of Cologne investigated the impact of attendance bonuses on employee absenteeism. More →

April 6, 2022

Firms are failing to meet the needs of hybrid workers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A survey of UK employers and employees gives insight into the lack of provision for remote and hybrid workers to carry out their roles. While just over half (56 percent) of employers admit they regularly check in with all employees to enquire about their health and wellbeing and 55 percent provide laptops, 73 percent of employees are ready to choose their next employer based on physical, health and wellbeing support and flexible technology provision. More →

April 5, 2022

Wellbeing and mental health drop down business agenda, despite COVID fallout

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Wellbeing and mental health are beginning to slip down the business agenda, a new report from the CIPD and Simplyhealth claims, despite the fact that organisations are still dealing with the fallout from COVID-19 and it remains an on-going concern for workers. The Health and Wellbeing at Work 2022 report suggests that the number of HR professionals who think that wellbeing is on the agenda of senior leaders has fallen from 75 percent to 70 percent in the past year. There has also been a drop in the proportion of HR professionals who think senior leaders encourage a focus on mental wellbeing through their actions and behaviours, falling from 48 percent in 2021 to 42 percent in 2022. More →

April 5, 2022

Flexible working could open up workplace to 1.3 million people

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Greater workplace flexibility could help open up new employment opportunities for 1.3 million people in the UK with disabilities, caring responsibilities, and those based in rural locations, according to a new study from LinkedIn. For those who may struggle to commute or work regular hours, the opportunity to work from home or enjoy flexible working options has the potential to improve workforce inclusion while adding a potential £40 billion to GDP. More →

March 31, 2022

UK tech talent shifts from London to other cities

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Workplace

The number of professionals with technology skills is expanding at a faster pace in the North of England than in London and the South of England, as demand for technology talent increases around the country, according to the latest U.K. Tech Talent Tracker from Accenture. The tracker, which analyses LinkedIn’s Professional Network data, finds that the pool of technology talent in cities in the North of England has grown on average by 15 percent in the last year, outpacing southern cities that grew on average at 9 percent. Technology talent in cities across Scotland and Wales has grown on average by 5 percent and 9 percent respectively. More →

March 31, 2022

Firms must do more to earn the commute of hybrid workers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

Steelcase has released a new global research report which reveals that outdated offices are no longer conducive to employees’ shifting needs for greater control, comfort, and privacy. The study found that if a workplace was made more in tune with shifting expectations, staff were more engaged, productive, connected to their organisation’s culture and less likely to leave. The Steelcase report, The New Era of Hybrid Work, surveyed nearly 5,000 workers in 11 countries. The findings reveal that whilst 87 percent of respondents now spend at least some of their time working from the office as the threat of the pandemic recedes, six in ten (58 percent) prefer working from home. One of the most appealing attributes of a home for two-thirds (65 percent) of UK employees is that they have a dedicated space for work. Whereas in the office, the majority (59 percent) have desks in open areas, with minimal privacy. More →

March 25, 2022

New technology will increase size of workforce, poll claims

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

A new survey from Protiviti and the Oxford Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation at Kellogg College claims that 74 percent of global business executives believe that emerging and new technology will increase the size of the workforce in the next decade. It also suggests that 86 percent expect the types of jobs their employees will perform to be different from today — a figure that remains nearly unchanged regardless of where the leader’s company is headquartered globally. More →