Breaking eggs and a two thousand year quest to make the most of each day

Breaking eggs and a two thousand year quest to make the most of each day

by • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace

make the most of each dayThe fracturing of time and place underlies every one of the great workplace issues of our time. Everything that springs from this – the where, when, how, what and why of work – is defined by the shattering of any fixed idea we may once have had of a time and a place to work. Because the challenge to these traditional ideas is now so inextricably linked in our minds with new technology, we might often  forget that people have been asking questions about how we can get the most out of each day for thousands of years. Tempus fugit after all, and as a consequence we’ve always known that how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. More →

Working from home won’t last forever… will it?

Working from home won’t last forever… will it?

by • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

The so-called return to office and pushback on  working from home seems to be the must-talk topic on workplace strategy right nowHave we all gone a little OTT on RTO? The so-called return to office and pushback on  working from home seems to be the must-talk topic on workplace strategy right now; a heated debate ignited by Zoom’s recent call to reduce remote working days for its employees.  Many have been surprised at how polarising this decision has become. Who would have thought that a global business asking employees to work from the office two days a week could cause such controversy? Even if that business does specialise in video calls for remote work? More →

Scottish government to trial public sector four day week

Scottish government to trial public sector four day week

by • Flexible working, News

After twelve months, if the trial proves successful, the four day week scheme could be extended to include a wider range of central government bodies, councils and quangosThe Scottish government is to trial a four day working week for many civil servants. The experiment is set to last for a year and a number of departments and public sector bodies have been invited to take part. After twelve months, if the trial proves successful, the four day week scheme could be extended to include a wider range of central government bodies, councils and quangos. More →

Remote working putting pressure on around half of personal relationships

Remote working putting pressure on around half of personal relationships

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

For many remote working couples, the reality of being together all the time has proven to be a challenge, a new poll claimsThe impact of remote working from a home at the same time as a partner is the subject of a new survey from coworking provider HomeWork Workspace. The firm argues that ‘while the initial days of remote work may have felt like a honeymoon phase for many couples, the reality of being together all the time has proven to be a challenge for a significant number’. To back up this claim, the poll suggests that around one in 10 (11 percent) respondents say that their relationship with their partner has improved thanks to homeworking, and 28 percent say that they have always enjoyed  – and still do enjoy – working from home together. But the picture isn’t as rosy for others. More →

Firms look to consolidate office space in response to persistence of hybrid working

Firms look to consolidate office space in response to persistence of hybrid working

by • Flexible working, News, Property

Many firms are taking the opportunity to consolidate office space presented to them by the persistence of hybrid workingWorkers able to work remotely are still only coming into an office for an average of 1.75 days a week, a study of 119 workplaces in 22 countries by workplace consultancy AWA claims. The responses, collated in April-May 2023 and representing organisations employing close to 155,000 people, saw a slight increase on AWA’s study a year ago, indicating that office attendance has reached a more or less steady state and that hybrid working is still a favoured solution. More →

People and firms often have very different views on the value of meaningful work

People and firms often have very different views on the value of meaningful work

by • Flexible working, News, Technology, Wellbeing

new study from IBM claims that while employees rank meaningful work as something they care about deeply, executives say it’s the least important factor to their teamsA new study from IBM claims that while employees rank meaningful work as something they care about deeply, executives say it’s the least important factor to their teams. The study, Augmented work for an automated, AI-driven world surveyed 3,000 global C-Suite executives across 20 industries and 28 countries. It also suggests that executives in the UK estimate that 41 percent of their workforce will need to reskill as a result of implementing AI and automation over the next three years. More →

Majority of firms lack the data to make ‘return to office’ decisions

Majority of firms lack the data to make ‘return to office’ decisions

by • Flexible working, News, Technology

80 percent of the same executives confess that they would have approached the so-called return-to-office differently, if they had access to accurate data.A new survey from Envoy, which polled over 1,100 company executives and workplace managers across five leading industries, explores how these two groups of leaders use data to make smarter, more informed decisions about their workplaces.  It suggests that the world’s leading companies are struggling to confidently report what’s happening in their workplaces. The problem is the lack of accurate, easy-to-use data. 52 percent of executives admit not being able to make a critical workplace decision because they lacked the necessary data to assess operational and real estate needs. Furthermore, 80 percent of the same executives confess that they would have approached the so-called return-to-office differently, if they had access to accurate data. More →

Half of working parents are using annual leave to cover summer childcare commitments

Half of working parents are using annual leave to cover summer childcare commitments

by • Flexible working, News

A new poll from IWG claims to highlight the challenges faced by working parents in managing childcare commitments during the summer holidaysA new poll from IWG claims to highlight the challenges faced by working parents in managing childcare commitments during the summer holidays. The survey of more than 1,000 working parents, suggests that almost two thirds (62 percent) find arranging childcare for the school summer holidays to be a significant source of stress. Consequently, over half (55 percent) use their annual leave to meet childcare responsibilities, whilst over 1 in 10 (12 percent) use their entire annual leave entitlement in the process. More →

Lack of employee engagement continues to dog organisations around the world

Lack of employee engagement continues to dog organisations around the world

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A declining share of employees said they were motivated to go above and beyond at work, or were inspired to do their best work, according to the latest employee engagement benchmark data from QualtricsA declining share of employees said they were motivated to go above and beyond at work, or were inspired to do their best work, according to the latest employee engagement benchmark data from Qualtrics. The new proprietary data – aggregated from thousands of employee engagement surveys administered in 2022 – shows symptoms of burnout and a significant drop in confidence in leaders from 2020, when the pandemic ‘upended workplaces’ around the world. The report argues that employees are willing to tell their employers that they were struggling, and if something doesn’t change, they may look for a new job. Labour productivity also reflected this drop in motivation, the report claims. More →

Zoom opens new London ‘Engagement Hub’

Zoom opens new London ‘Engagement Hub’

by • Company news, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace design

Zoom has opened a new London ‘Engagement Hub’ which the firm claims will  spearhead the shift from traditional office spaces to ‘experiential working hubs’. With the demand for hybrid working  and remote capabilities giving rise to unconventional ways of operating, Zoom says it has designed its new office to support the changing nature of the employee experience, marking a new era of modern work. More →

Want to know what is really happening in the world of work? Don’t miss Workplace Trends

Want to know what is really happening in the world of work? Don’t miss Workplace Trends

by • Company news, Events, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace design

The Workplace Trends Conference is a convergence of brilliant minds and an invaluable platform to explore the future of workIn the ever-evolving discussion around the landscape of work, one established industry event stands as a beacon of knowledge and innovation for workplace professionals: the Workplace Trends Conference. The 2023 conference on 18 October, in London and online, promises a day of enlightenment, inspiration, and connection that’s not to be missed. Workplace Insight is pleased to be a media partner for Workplace Trends Conferences. Our readers may claim a 20 percent discount on their ticket price by using promo code INSIGHT20 when registering at https://workplacetrends.co/events/wt23/ More →

Connection and collaboration motivate people to work from an office

Connection and collaboration motivate people to work from an office

by • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace design

The key driver for employees wanting to go into the office is the need for socialisation and collaborationThe key driver for employees wanting to go into the office is the need for socialisation and collaboration, according to the latest quarterly Workplace Index from Eptura. The report claims that this is an acknowledgement of the desire to be part of a community and the potential isolation of working at home. More →

«< 12 13 14 15 16 >»