Time for businesses to step up and deliver flexibility and wellbeing for workers

Time for businesses to step up and deliver flexibility and wellbeing for workers

wellbeing and flexibility matterAt this time of year, with events such as Happiness at Work Week and Mental Health Awareness Day, mental health and wellbeing have been brought into sharp focus. Businesses are starting to look forward with a small degree of optimism. This optimism is not necessarily derived from the current state of their business or even their sector, but rather from being able to make proactive plans rather than in reactive mode which has been the default setting for the past 18 months.  This is a challenge, but one which can be met with a degree of excitement and anticipation as the business has a chance to make an impact both within its business surroundings, but also for the people who work within the business. More →

Brits shun traditional working hours, favouring flexibility and family life

Brits shun traditional working hours, favouring flexibility and family life

workingNew research released by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, claims that Brits are feeling much more relaxed about the new world of work and redefining what is now ‘acceptable’ when it comes to working norms – including sending work emails from the school run, using short form and emojis in emails to the boss, or working in pyjamas from the bedroom. More →

Workers feel more trusted and motivated thanks to hybrid working

Workers feel more trusted and motivated thanks to hybrid working

workersNew research from Kadence (formerly Chargifi) claims that after a year of flexible working, almost two-thirds of US and UK office workers (62 percent) now feel more trusted to do their job effectively. Of those workers, half also feel more motivated to do a better quality job (51 percent) and go the extra mile (48 percent) thanks to their new working arrangements. More →

Almost half of working mothers feel they are held back from promotion

Almost half of working mothers feel they are held back from promotion

workingNew polling, carried out to mark the start of National Work Life Week (Oct 11–15), highlights a wide gulf in how working mothers, parents and carers are managing to balance their work and home lives as we come out of the pandemic. Outdated cultures and practices still hold sway in many workplaces around the UK. More →

London ranks 78th in the top destinations to work remotely

London ranks 78th in the top destinations to work remotely

destinationsRemote, has released a first-of-its-kind Best Destinations for Remote Work report that showcases the top 100 global destinations for remote workers, along with unique insights into location-specific incentives. The report is paired with an interactive tool and database with information on hundreds of cities across the world for users to create personalised rankings on where to work remotely based on their individual preferences. More →

Hybrid workers retain concerns of discrimination, career and always on culture

Hybrid workers retain concerns of discrimination, career and always on culture

hybridPoly has released a new report outlining the evolution of the workplace and changing employee attitudes to the 9-5. The Poly Evolution of the Workplace report provides analysis on the findings of a survey of 7,261 hybrid workers from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Poland and the United Arab Emirates. It examines how attitudes and behaviours have evolved – looking at everything from working patterns and culture, to frustration and noise, right down to what we wear. More →

Disconnect between executives and employees on returning to the office

Disconnect between executives and employees on returning to the office

disconnectFuture Forum, a consortium launched by Slack to help companies reimagine work in the new digital-first workplace, has released the latest findings from the Future Forum Pulse, a global study that claims a huge divide between executives and non-executives on returning to the office: “the Great Executive-Employee Disconnect.” More →

Majority of UK GPs report uptick in patients seeking help for work related stress

Majority of UK GPs report uptick in patients seeking help for work related stress

work related stressResearch from Perkbox, claims that 92 percent of UK GPs report an increase in people seeking medical advice for work related stress and anxiety since the pandemic began. What’s more, 68 percent of GPs surveyed agree they have seen a hike in patients seeking support for this over the past three months compared to the start of the pandemic, and 80 percent are preparing for levels to increase further, suggesting the worst is yet to come if action isn’t taken. More →

Developing a future of work strategy depends on asking the right questions

Developing a future of work strategy depends on asking the right questions

future of work strategyThe rapid changes to our working lives caused by the global pandemic have prompted a great deal of debate about the future of work, the workplace and corporate real estate generally. At the highest levels of management within many organisations, leaders are now reflecting on their experiences and asking searching questions about their ways of working. More →

Hybrid working opens door to greater risk of data breaches

Hybrid working opens door to greater risk of data breaches

hybrid working data breachesMore than eight in 10 (83 percent) UK businesses say hybrid working increases the risk of a data breach, yet over a fifth (22 percent) remain unprepared if it happens, ­­with speed of response the top concern. According to new research published within TransUnion’s Data Breach Support for Businesses ebook (registration), business leaders expect 43 percent of their workforce to be hybrid working in the coming year, splitting their time between the office and remote working. Yet this change to working practices means a far greater potential for devices and data to end up in the wrong hands. More →

Remote working led to drop in high quality output, Microsoft study concludes

Remote working led to drop in high quality output, Microsoft study concludes

remote workingA new study of 61,000 Microsoft employees claims that the sudden shift to remote working had a profound effect on their work behaviours and output. Overall, remote workers spent less time in meetings, had fewer real time conversations and worked in more siloed ways. Crucially it found that there was a reduction in the strengths of ties between people and fewer networking opportunities. While not suggesting that office based work and remote work are necessarily better than the other, the study concludes that the drop in loose connections and chances of networking with other teams could have a negative impact on higher quality work outputs and working culture. More →

Companies have unique chance to restore balance between wellbeing and performance

Companies have unique chance to restore balance between wellbeing and performance

wellbeingEighteen months since nationwide shutdowns, the global surge in COVID-19 cases is exacerbating the onset of virtual fatigue for many employees according to JLL. The new “How Regenerative Workplaces Can Restore Employee Wellbeing” report explores opportunities for companies to redefine what employee wellbeing looks like and achieve organisational resilience through the physical workplace. More →