October 29, 2019

Here is how you should handle racial discrimination in the workplace

by Karen Holden • Comment, Legal news, Workplace

While progress has been made with tackling racial discrimination in recent decades, it is clear that it still lives on in the workplace in less overt and more nuanced forms. A survey commissioned by the Trade Union Congress found that over 70 percent of ethnic minority workers say they have experienced racial harassment at work and around 60 percent state that they have been subject to unfair treatment by their employer. Karen Holden, Founder of A City Law Firm, is keen to outline the laws surrounding racial discrimination in the workplace and exactly what the employers responsibilities are. More →

October 29, 2019

Workplace values matter more than career progression to young dads

by Han Son Lee • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

With recent research showing that over half of young dads (58 percent) are more actively involved in day to day parenting than ever before, it is increasingly important that employers put health and wellbeing and other workplace values at the heart of their offer to employees. In particular, they should be able to offer flexible working options in order to retain their best staff. Our research looking at the Millennial Dad at Work also highlighted starkly that some business sectors are more accommodating than others when it comes to flexible working. Perhaps surprisingly, the construction industry came out of the research very well with 48 percent requesting a change in working hours since becoming a father of which 78 percent of those were successful. The retail sector and the pharmaceutical industry also did well. More →

October 28, 2019

The key to wellbeing at work is focusing on the individual

by Jonathan Hindle • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

It gets more apparent as each day passes that the layout of an office can have a profound impact on wellbeing at work. While this knowledge is more widespread than it once was, it’s still common to see companies addressing the issue with simple box-ticking exercises rather than taking into consideration the actual wants and needs of employees.

October 28, 2019

A synaesthetic approach to office design

by Ian Poupart • Comment, Workplace design

Synaesthesia is a condition in which one type of sensory stimulus triggers an involuntary stimulus of another sense. Being able to hear colour or taste numbers might seem like a unique party piece, but some research indicates it’s an ability we’re all born with. More →

October 25, 2019

Fine tuning office design and its most wonderful invention to our needs

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace design

The best workplaces are always focused on people. Which is why many of the great pioneers of workplace thinking are from the social sciences, including disciplines such as psychology, ethnography and anthropology. These are the people who have shared the insights that help us to understand the characteristics of great office design. In particular, this relies on an awareness of the ways in which people interact in particular spaces. More →

October 25, 2019

How office design trends in different countries feed off each other

by Steve Elliott • Comment, Workplace design

The term Global Village has passed into general use to describe many of the phenomena we associate with the modern globalised world. But it actually dates back to 1962 when coined by Marshall McLuhan to describe an emerging, electronically contracted world in which cultures converge alongside political, business and legislative frameworks. These forces have been instrumental in bringing nations and organisations closer together and yet each nation continues to be shaped by little differences and residual cultures and conditions. More →

October 24, 2019

Asking about mental health is not the answer, listening is

by Anna King • Comment, Wellbeing

So, how are you? As the daughter of a depressive father and the sister of a brother who suffers with similar mental health challenges, I have seen first hand how powerfully destructive a negative state of mind can be to the individuals who suffer as well as those around them.

October 16, 2019

Getting to grips with workplace safety

by Alex Wilkins • Comment, Wellbeing

Business owners can not shy away from ensuring the physical safety of their employees in the workplace. Despite this, many are still failing to have the correct measures in place to best achieve the necessary safety levels that will allow them to operate effectively and without disruptions. More →

October 16, 2019

Remote working can increase stress and reduce wellbeing

by Stephanie Russell • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

Remote working is becoming more popular than ever. A study released by the Swiss office provider IWG found that 70 percent of professionals work remotely at least one day a week, while 53 percent work remotely for at least half of the week. Some multinationals have their entire staff working remotely, with no fixed office presence at all, which can result in having employees situated all over the world. More →

October 14, 2019

The importance of patience in the workplace

by Antonio Argandoña • Comment, Wellbeing, Working lives

Empirical studies on patience have demonstrated the positive effects it can have on creativity, product quality, collaboration and productivity as well as the long-term sustainability of companies. Being patient means listening, observing, waiting for information to come, consulting other people and seeking relationships that provide new resources to make good decisions. Patience is good for ourselves and others. More →

October 11, 2019

How the Dutch pioneered agile working, wellbeing and smart buildings

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace design

Many of the challenges we face in selecting the right office design models became apparent during the 1960s as the world adjusted to the first signs of the technological revolution. At the same time, people across Europe were pressing for changes in the way organisations and the economy worked. More →

October 10, 2019

The unexpected benefits of not saying sorry

by Sean O'Meara • Comment

On October 5th 2018, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons said sorry about something on social media 151 times between them. There were no product recalls. It was just a normal day on corporate social media. I picked that date because it just happened to be the same day that Topshop apologised for removing a feminist book display and it made for a handy comparison. The book display apology got the headlines, but in the shadows of Topshop’s high-profile faux pas, four of Britain’s largest retailers were busy asking forgiveness too. More →