Half of gig workers earn below the minimum wage

Half of gig workers earn below the minimum wage

More than half of gig workers in the UK are paid below the minimum wage, a new study claimsAs the cost of living continues to spiral, a new report shows more than half of gig economy workers in the UK are paid below the minimum wage. The study, led by the University of Bristol, found 52 percent of gig workers doing jobs ranging from data entry to food delivery were earning below the minimum wage. On average respondents were earning £8.97 per hour – around 15 percent below the current UK minimum wage, which rose to £10.42 this month. More than three-quarters (76 percent) of survey respondents also experienced work-related insecurity and anxiety. More →

Hybrid working is a potential deal breaker for two thirds of tech workers

Hybrid working is a potential deal breaker for two thirds of tech workers

The report claims that a flexible working policy is considered a high priority by 78 percent of tech employees and a hybrid working policy by 67 percent of tech employeesA new report claims that 7 in 10 UK tech workers now consider hybrid working a key factor when considering a future employer. That is according to The Scaleup Culture Report [registration] from Techspace, based on a YouGov survey of 1,000 tech workers. The report claims that a flexible working policy is considered a high priority by 78 percent of tech employees and a hybrid working policy by 67 percent of tech employees. Other important factors include flexible working policies and opportunities for career development. These statistics have exposed a new factor that will determine startups’ competitiveness in the job market. More →

Bisley Home Space to launch at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023

Bisley Home Space to launch at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023

British furniture maker Bisley is to open thBritish furniture maker Bisley is to open th
e doors of its new Home Space showroom during Clerkenwell Design Week (23-25 May 2023) exploring the theme of People, Wellbeing and Spacee doors of its new Home Space showroom during Clerkenwell Design Week (23-25 May 2023) exploring the theme of People, Wellbeing and Space – at Home and at Work. Making its debut at Clerkenwell Design Week will be the Bisley Home Space, a brand new area of the showroom dedicated to Bisley’s growing range of products for the home. A key festival highlight will be an installation created by interior design writer and stylist Cate St Hill. Bisley x Cate St Hill explores Fern, Bisley’s acclaimed collection of stylish steel lockers, and new pieces for spring 2023 including the versatile Reef wall-mounted shelf, with a special area of the showroom curated by Cate in her distinctive calm, neutral style. More →

Employees care more about work culture than flexible working

Employees care more about work culture than flexible working

Brits are more than twice as likely to leave their job due to negative work culture or a toxic working environment than because of limitations with flexible workingNew findings from Cpl’s Talent Evolution Group suggest employees care less about flexible working than generally thought. The survey, to 1,500 UK employees, reveals Brits are more than twice as likely to leave their job due to negative work culture or a toxic working environment than because of limitations with flexible working.  Whilst organisations may be prioritising flexibility for working parents, over 80 percent of 25–44-year-olds would not actually consider limitations to flexible working a reason to leave their position.  More →

Firms missing the chances to implement hybrid working and adopt new technologies

Firms missing the chances to implement hybrid working and adopt new technologies

companies are missing opportunities to unlock new levels of employee productivity with new technology, hybrid working, and talent development.The new Slack State of Work Report [registration] claims that companies are missing opportunities to unlock new levels of employee productivity with new technology, hybrid working, and talent development. The report, based on a global survey of more than 18,000 desk workers – including 2,000 in the UK, found only 23 percent of companies are investing in technology to improve productivity and efficiency (21 percent in the UK), and just 27 percent of companies are using AI tools to help do so. More →

Half of parents struggling for work life balance

Half of parents struggling for work life balance

A new poll from AA Driving School suggests that around half (51 percent) of British parents find their job prevents them from finding a healthy work life balance, due to childcare and cost of living pressures.A new poll from AA Driving School suggests that around half (51 percent) of British parents find their job prevents them from finding a healthy work life balance, due to childcare and cost of living pressures. Increases to the cost of childcare have driven UK parents to work either additional hours in their current job (18 percent) or even take another job (12 percent) to financially support their family. More →

Employers gain nearly two weeks extra work a year from hybrid workers

Employers gain nearly two weeks extra work a year from hybrid workers

Analysis by  workplace consultancy Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) claims that on average hybrid workers deliver nearly two extra weeks of work a year for their employerAnalysis by  workplace consultancy Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) claims that on average hybrid workers deliver nearly two extra weeks of work a year for their employer as well as working harder and better in a hybrid environment.  The results of the analysis — which shows the benefits of hybrid working for organisations — are a combination of academic research and studies by AWA itself. They are included in AWA’s latest report, ‘Why Employers Benefit From Hybrid Working’, which also found that employees often work better when in a distraction-free environment, with more than half their time dedicated to working alone or focussed work. More →

Only a fifth of workers think hybrid working tools have substantially improved productivity

Only a fifth of workers think hybrid working tools have substantially improved productivity

Only around a fifth (18 percent) of workers in two key sectors believe hybrid working technology has substantially improved their productivity.A new poll from IT consultancy Doherty Associates, claims that while over three-quarters (77 percent) of workers in two key market sectors say their company has introduced new technology to support hybrid working, only around a fifth (18 percent) of respondents believe it has substantially improved their productivity. More →

Reconnecting older workers with the office: have we retired what matters most?

Reconnecting older workers with the office: have we retired what matters most?

If we look at what older workers are actually saying about work and workplaces, there is an appetite for change, says Julie LecoqOlder workers now make up a larger percentage of the workforce than they did two decades ago. Data from Legal and General and the Centre for Economic Research (Cebr) suggests that the number of over 50s in employment has increased by 36 percent in the last 20 years, with 47 percent of this age group predicted to be in employment by 2030. A combination of the increase in retirement age and rising costs of living have made it a necessity for individuals to stay in work longer. From a corporate perspective, the growing skills shortages in a range of sectors has also meant that employers are consistently seeking to attract and retain those in the latter stage of their professional career. More →

Hybrid working is the new normal and is here to stay, report claimzzzz

Hybrid working is the new normal and is here to stay, report claimzzzz

Mace has published a new report into workplace trends which claims that hybrid working with a collaborative central space is (brace yourselves) the new normal for a preferred post-pandemic working styleMace has published a new report into workplace trends which claims that hybrid working with a collaborative central space is (brace yourselves) the new normal for a preferred post-pandemic working style. The Mace Operate Workplace Survey looked at the enduring role of a central office for businesses and considered what an office space needs to offer in an era of hybrid working. The majority of respondents (87 percent) said that interaction with people and workplace culture are the main benefits of going to the office with employees and employers seeing eye-to-eye on the need for collaboration for motivation, resilience and effective hybrid working. More →

Hybrid working can reduce carbon emissions massively, claims report

Hybrid working can reduce carbon emissions massively, claims report

Hybrid working can facilitate major carbon savings and has the potential for significant impact on the climate crisis, according to a new study by IWG and Arup.Hybrid working can facilitate major carbon savings and has the potential for significant impact on the climate crisis, according to a new study by IWG and Arup. The study measured the environmental impact of hybrid working on six cities across the US and UK with a deep dive on two major carbon contributors – London and LA. Others examined were New York City, Atlanta, Manchester and Glasgow. All six cities showed the potential for huge carbon savings through the widespread adoption of hybrid working, which has rapidly expanded amongst white collar workers, who are now using the available technology to work where is most convenient and they are most productive. More →

Employees 12 percent more likely to leave if employers don’t establish hybrid working norms

Employees 12 percent more likely to leave if employers don’t establish hybrid working norms

Organisations that lack explicit norms around hybrid working can increase the likelihood of an employee leaving by 12 percentOrganisations that lack explicit norms around hybrid working can increase the likelihood of an employee leaving by 12 percent, according to a new report from Gartner [paywall]. The report claims that the most successful hybrid models encompass three main categories of explicit norms that increase visibility, enable flexibility, and foster connections. More →