A brief history of the working week

A brief history of the working week

by • Features, Flexible working

 

The conversation about how we change the working week has centred on determining rigid times and places of work. But there is another wayThere’s a lot to be said for not being slaves to the clock and the screen. Ironically, the way we measure time has its roots in a famous instance of daydreaming. The story goes that in 1583 a young student at the University of Pisa called Galileo Galilei was daydreaming in the pews while his fellow students were dutifully reciting their prayers. He noticed that one of the altar lamps was swaying back and forth and even as its energy dissipated, the arc of each swing slowed so that each took the same amount of time as the last, measured against his own pulse. More →

Londoners spending more time in the office, but not as much as people in other global cities

Londoners spending more time in the office, but not as much as people in other global cities

by • Flexible working, News, Property

Central London is showing steady progress in the return to a traditional working day, with workers spending more time in the office compared to last yearCentral London is showing steady progress in the return to a traditional working day, with workers spending more time in the office compared to last year, according to a new survey. The data, collected by Centre for Cities in collaboration with Savanta and Focaldata, claims that the average full-time worker in Central London spent 2.7 days per week in the office in June 2024. This marks an increase from the 2.2 days recorded in April 2023. More →

Government minister sparks debate about working from home and increased truancy

Government minister sparks debate about working from home and increased truancy

by • Flexible working, News

 

Has the increase in parents working from home led many to become more relaxed about their children missing school?A comment piece published in The Sunday Times by UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has sparked a debate about whether there is a link between the rise in working from home and an increase in truancy levels among pupils. The number of pupils who are routinely and persistently absent from school is around 150 per cent higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic. More →

Information overload and FOMO are major risk factors for remote work

Information overload and FOMO are major risk factors for remote work

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

While remote work has its advantages for most people, a new academic study found that there are at least two under-discussed risks While the shift to remote work has reportedly brought about numerous benefits for many people, such as increased flexibility and autonomy, a new study published in SAGE Open by researchers from the University of Nottingham claims to reveal significant downsides that are often overlooked. More →

People want the flexibility of hybrid work, but don’t want to go fully remote

People want the flexibility of hybrid work, but don’t want to go fully remote

by • Flexible working, News

hybrid work has become the preferred working model worldwide, with a significant impact on productivity, employee satisfaction, and workplace connectivityA new survey conducted by Zoom in collaboration with Reworked INSIGHTS claims that hybrid work has become the preferred working model worldwide, with a significant impact on productivity, employee satisfaction, and workplace connectivity. The survey, titled “Navigating the Future of Work: Global Perspectives on Hybrid Models and Technology [registration] sets out to explore the evolving nature of work, focusing on global trends in workplace flexibility, employee preferences, and the growing role of generative AI. More →

Working from home prevalent across Northern Europe, but has no effect on productivity

Working from home prevalent across Northern Europe, but has no effect on productivity

by • Flexible working, News, Property

 

Working from home has become a permanent feature of the European workforce, with notable variations across different regions and citiesA new research briefing from Oxford Economics claims to highlight the sustained prevalence of working from home in Europe, particularly in northern cities, and examines its impact on office real estate markets. According to the briefing, which analyses data through 2023, working from home has become a permanent feature of the European workforce, with notable variations across different regions and cities. More →

Right to disconnect law comes into force in Australia

Right to disconnect law comes into force in Australia

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

 

Australia has introduced a "right to disconnect" rule, offering what is claimed to be ‘significant relief’ to employees who feel pressured to respond to work-related calls or messages outside of their official working hoursAustralia has introduced a so-called right to disconnect rule, offering what is claimed to be ‘significant relief’ to employees who feel pressured to respond to work-related calls or messages outside of their official working hours. The new legislation allows employees to ignore communications after hours without fearing repercussions from their employers. More →

Most people support shift to a four day week

Most people support shift to a four day week

by • Flexible working, News

A new poll claims that a significant majority of voters who supported the new Labour government are in favour of transitioning the UK to a four day weekA new poll claims that a significant majority of voters who supported the new Labour government are in favour of transitioning the UK to a shorter working week. According to data collected by Survation and commissioned by The Autonomy Institute, 72 percent of Labour voters back the idea of a four-day work week. The survey, which included responses from 2,048 adults, specifically asked whether participants would support a government initiative to move towards a shorter working week, with no loss of pay, by the year 2030. More →

Hybrid workers are more likely than colleagues to report poor mental health

Hybrid workers are more likely than colleagues to report poor mental health

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Hybrid workers are the group most likely to say that work has a negative toll on their mental health, according to a new surveyHybrid workers are the group most likely to say that work has a negative toll on their mental health, according to a new survey from Pluxee UK. Two-fifths (42 percent) of hybrid workers reported that work negatively affects their mental wellbeing, compared to 32 percent of fully remote and 30 percent of fully office-based employees. The report claims thatits  findings highlight that while hybrid working offers flexibility, it requires thoughtful support to ensure employee wellbeing and work-life balance. More →

Is this last orders for the post-work drink?

Is this last orders for the post-work drink?

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

 

The traditional post-work drink may be falling from favour as a shift in attitudes means people increasingly prefer daytime social gatherings, a new poll claimsThe traditional post-work drink may be falling from favour as a shift in attitudes and working culture means people increasingly prefer daytime social gatherings, a new poll claims. Employers are being encouraged to move away from pub outings as a means of socialising, instead fostering “inclusive and healthy workplace cultures” that cater to employees who don’t drink alcohol or work remotely. As four different generations now share the workplace, new expectations around employee health and wellbeing are emerging, according to the survey commissioned by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD). More →

How do you encourage people to spend more time in the office? Here are seven things to consider

How do you encourage people to spend more time in the office? Here are seven things to consider

by • Features, Flexible working, Property, Workplace design

 

In a world in which people have more choice about how and where to work, how do you encourage people to spend more time in the office without issuing controversial mandates?

In a world in which people have more choice about how and where to work, how do you encourage people to spend more time in the office without issuing controversial mandates? Some of the UK’s most high-profile workplace, design, property and facilities management experts met recently at the London showroom of MillerKnoll to discuss the answers to this, one of the most vexed questions of recent years. How do you create workplaces that meet the needs of people who have more choices than ever of how, when and where to work? And its corollary: if you want people to spend more time in the office with each other, how do you entice them to do so without making it an obligation? More →

Women find it more difficult to separate remote work from their family lives

Women find it more difficult to separate remote work from their family lives

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

 

Remote work has often been lauded as a potential solution to gender inequality, given its flexibility, however these findings showcase that personal circumstances still have an effect on women’s careers.Women have much more difficulty separating their working lives and their family lives when they work from home, than men do, according to new research from Durham University Business School. Remote work has often been lauded as a potential solution to gender inequality, given its flexibility, however these findings showcase that personal circumstances still have an effect on women’s careers. More →

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