November 24, 2021
November 23, 2021
Wondering what to do about that office of yours? Hold the line.
by Louis Wustemann • Features, Flexible working, Property, Workplace design
At the end of April, New York magazine’s cover feature was headed ‘Remember the Office?’ The article reminisced about a world of cubicles and water-coolers, coffee points and staff parties. Its tone was elegiac, implying that it wasn’t just the enforced distance of 13 months of COVID-19 restrictions that lent enchantment to communal workspace, but the possibility that offices had gone for good.? More →
November 23, 2021
An emerging crisis of trust at work fuelled by remote work
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives
Qatalog has published a survey of 2,000 knowledge workers which uncovers a crisis of trust within the modern workplace, fuelled by a chronic lack of visibility within companies. The study claims that remote work is feeding a chronic visibility problem within the modern workplace. When working remotely, two-thirds (66 percent) of respondents reported that they lack visibility of what colleagues are working on and how it fits into the bigger picture. More →
November 23, 2021
Employees ready for hybrid work—employers, not so much
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives
Global Workplace Analytics and Owl Labs, have released the annual State of Remote Work 2021 report. More than 2,000 full-time employees across the United States were surveyed to gain insights into who is still working from home, who has returned to the office. Also pandemic-related job and residential moves and the motivations behind them, dependent care issues, the pros and cons of hybrid communications, employee desire for flexibility, intent to leave a current job, employee productivity, stress and its causes, pet adoption during the pandemic, how office spaces are changing, and much more. More →
November 19, 2021
Only half of employers are confident they’ll treat employees evenly and fairly
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives
New research has highlighted concerns over the treatment of staff in the world of hybrid work. The Mind the Gap report from WorkNest, which is based on a survey of over 490 employers and 1,000 employees, claims that only around half (52 percent) of employers are confident that office-based and home-based employees will be treated evenly and fairly in the next 12 months. More →
November 18, 2021
Creating a supportive environment for vital deskless workers
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives
The Josh Bersin Company a research and advisory company focused on HR and workforce trends and issues, has released its latest report based on insights from its ongoing Big Reset executive working groups. The report, The Big Reset Playbook: Deskless Workers, focuses on the recommended practices needed to create optimal work experiences for “deskless” employees in retail, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, transportation, and other sectors. More →
November 17, 2021
Five million UK employees considering ditching home-working due to rising energy bills
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives
Despite having to get up earlier, commute, and the heightened risk of Covid-19 transmission in the office, almost five million UK employees are considering ditching working from home this winter, due to concerns around rising energy costs. More →
November 12, 2021
Hybrid working could save the NHS more than £4 billion per year
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Working lives
Hybrid working could save the NHS more than £4 billion per year by giving workers more time to look after themselves and their families, according to a new study by Virgin Media O2 Business and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). More →
November 11, 2021
Hybrid working is both a challenge and opportunity for comms firms
by Andrew Walker • Comment, Flexible working, Technology
Huge swathes of workers have been returning to the office in recent weeks – many for the first time in almost two years. A significant number of companies, however, will never return to the pre-pandemic ‘normal’ of a five-day office week and will instead integrate hybrid working permanently. According to the CIPD, 40 percent of employers expect more than half their workforce to regularly work from home after the pandemic has ended. More →
November 11, 2021
Parents are less productive when they feel childcare eats into work-time
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives
Parents who feel shame about childcare responsibilities eating into their work-time are less productive when they are working than those who do not feel ashamed, according to new research by Durham University Business School. More →
November 19, 2021
Workplace data proves that the devil is in the detail for the new era of work
by Steve Morren • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace design