December 17, 2019

Gig workers like the work-life balance but would prefer permanent roles

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

More than one in ten (12 percent) so-called gig workers in the UK are working multiple roles and consider temporary work as their main role, taking advantage of improved work-life balance, greater variety of work and the ability to see more of their families, according to a new report. The research, carried out by Reed Specialist Recruitment, for its Temporary isn’t Temporary campaign, surveyed 5,000 workers and looked at their experience of, and attitude to, temporary and multiple career roles.

December 17, 2019

Self-driving cars will be most transformative future tech, bosses say. Techies disagree

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

Self-driving cars are set to have a significant impact on society and change our future the most over the next 20 years, according to research from CWJobs. Working in collaboration with “futurologist” Melissa Sterry, the report (registration) surveyed over 2,000 UK business decision makers and IT workers to determine the technological inventions with the greatest impact on society since 2000 and what’s to come in the next 20 years. More →

December 13, 2019

RICS report calls on organisations to adopt more responsible policies

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Property

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched a new ‘Responsible Business Report with recommendations for real estate firms to develop and implement responsible business practices, to improve their business culture, reduce their environmental impact and attract and retain the brightest talent. Best practice case studies from leading companies such as CBRE, Sodexo, John Lewis and Vinci Facilities are included in the report. More →

December 12, 2019

Are these the best places to work in the UK?

by Neil Franklin • News

Glassdoor has announced the winners of its 12th annual Employees’ Choice Awards – its sixth in the UK – honouring the Best Places to Work in 2020 across the UK and eight other countries. Unlike other workplace awards, the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards are based on the input of employees who voluntarily provide anonymous feedback, by completing a company review about their job, work environment and employer over the past year. Common themes among the Top 50 UK Best Places to Work in 2020 include work-life balance, a great culture, smart people and respect for and from leadership and senior management. More →

December 12, 2019

Occupier priorities are shifting, according to new facilities management trends report

by Neil Franklin • Facilities management, News

CBRE Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) has published the 2019 edition of their Top Trends in Facilities Management report. The latest version of this annual report claims to highlight how changes in occupier needs are impacting FM strategies. The latest trends are broken down into four broad categories: client relationships; contracts; an increasing focus on people and technology. More →

December 12, 2019

Climate change emergency demands more and better action

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News

Four years after the Paris Climate Agreement, tangible action from governments is falling well short of what is needed to restrict global warming to 1.5° Celsius. Meanwhile, the actions of the majority of businesses that do support emissions reductions also currently fall far short of where they need to be to address climate change. A new impetus for 2020 to raise company ambitions to net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, is required. These are the findings of a new report, The Net Zero Challenge published by the World Economic Forum. More →

December 11, 2019

Growing number of major firms commit to net zero carbon buildings

by Neil Franklin • Architecture, Environment, News

Today, seven major global private sector companies including Goldman Sachs and Lendlease have announced pledges to slash emissions from their buildings to net zero, by signing up to the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (the Commitment). The organisations have pledged to take urgent action to ensure their own portfolios of buildings operate at net zero carbon by 2030 or sooner. More →

December 11, 2019

No financial incentive to tackle climate change for 90 percent of CEOs, study claims

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News

Fewer than 10 percent of UK CEOs have financial incentives in place to be environmentally friendly in their business practices and thus tackle the climate change emergency, according to new research from Vlerick Business School. In fact, the researchers found that only 6 per cent of UK CEOs have in their bonus a KPI focusing on the environment, and less than one per cent have long-term incentives focused on this area. More →

December 11, 2019

Most business leaders think that major firms will continue to globalise

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

In what might be interpreted as a sign of increasing globalisation, a new study from Intertrust amongst the firm’s corporate clients suggests that almost three quarters (72 percent) of business leaders expect to see more companies setting up overseas operations between now and 2024 compared to just 5 percent who believe it will fall. The conclusion is based on a survey of 100 companies ranging from start-ups to mature multinationals about their expansion plans. Over half (56 percent) of respondents said they plan to expand into up to three markets in the next two years with a further 14 percent aiming to break into four to six new countries. More →

December 11, 2019

Over half of firms believe their staff are ready to work with AI

by Neil Franklin • AI, News, Workplace

More than half (57 percent) of UK companies are confident their staff are prepared for an artificial intelligence (AI) enabled workspace according to a new report from Genesys. This is broadly in line with the attitudes of workers themselves, according to another report from the company which claims that 46 percent of people say they are ready to work with the technology. The latest survey claims that over half of employers (55 percent) think their employees are anxious that their jobs will be eliminated by AI. However, employers believe this fear is unfounded with only 11 percent saying AI will actually put jobs at risk. In fact, 51 percent of UK based companies don’t anticipate any major staffing changes as a result of AI, despite recent headlines that portraying it as a threat to jobs. More →

December 10, 2019

Channel 4 confirms move to landmark Leeds building

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

One of the UK’s leading broadcasters has confirmed its deal with the Rushbond Group for its new national headquarters to be at The Majestic in Leeds city centre. The third, fourth and fifth floors of the building will become home to Channel 4, with teams from across the organisation coming together to operate out of the iconic building. The deal with Channel 4 leaves four floors remaining, from 8,000 sq ft to a total of 39,000 sq ft of workspace to be let to additional dynamic organisations. More →

December 10, 2019

Third of workers at small businesses are not happy with their jobs

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Over a third of employees (39 percent) at small-to-medium sized (SMB) businesses in the UK are unhappy with their jobs and 36 percent believe their employer does too little to retain them, according to new research from People First, the HR solutions provider. Exploring the attitudes of 250 bosses and 250 employees across the UK, the research found a major difference in outlook as more than eight-in-ten (86 percent) SMB bosses believe they have happy workforces. When asked to rate out of ten the scale of engagement among employees at their companies, 77 percent of these bosses said it was between eight and ten, with ten being the most content and engaged. More →