October 21, 2020

Future of work has arrived sooner than expected, WEF report claims

by Neil Franklin • AI, Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

The Future of Jobs 2020 report from the World Economic Forum claims that COVID-19 has caused the labour market to change faster than expected. The research suggests that what was recently considered the future of work has now arrived. By 2025, automation and a new division of labour between humans and machines will disrupt 85 million jobs globally in medium and large businesses across 15 industries and 26 economies. More →

October 20, 2020

Remote work and the risks of employee surveillance

by Joe Aiston and Alexander Barnett • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

There has been a gradual shift towards increased flexible and remote work patterns in the last few years. The COVID-19 pandemic has created the perfect storm to force organisations to further consider their working practices, with all but essential physical roles usually involving an element of homeworking – nearly half of people in employment in the UK did some work at home in April 2020, according to the ONS. Many businesses are expecting to operate a largely remote workforce for the foreseeable future. The fear of declining productivity and concerns for people wellbeing has encouraged many employers to increase their employee monitoring arrangements. More →

October 20, 2020

One in five working parents treated unfairly since COVID onset

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

Work-life balance charity Working Families has released a new report “Flexistability: Building Back Better for the UK’s Working Families”. The report claims that one in five, or 2.6 million working parents in the UK feel they have been treated less fairly at work because of their childcare responsibilities since the onset of COVID-19. More →

October 19, 2020

From the archive: Preparing ourselves for the coming era of the boundless office ⁰

by Kelvin Bromley • Briefing, Flexible working, Premium Content, Workplace design

Originally published in Feb 2016. Ever since people first started working in modern offices just over a century ago, we’ve grown accustomed to the idea of a constantly evolving workplace. Trends in office design have tracked those in management thinking, social attitudes, technology, demographics, architecture, the economy and legislation. Yet for most of that elongated century, there were some underlying principles that remained pretty constant. More →

October 16, 2020

Is remote working a ticking timebomb?

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working culture

At a time when working from home looks set to continue for many in both the short and long term, ‘hidden fractures’ are forming in the workforce which risk causing irreparable damage to cultures and productivity. That’s according to new research from Totem which is urging employers to take action now to better manage remote working and prevent employee engagement and retention levels falling to an all-time low. More →

October 16, 2020

Employees want greater ownership in the new world of work

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working culture, Working lives

Working from home may have been an adjustment at the start of the pandemic lockdown, but according to Cisco’s Workforce of the Future survey, UK employees want to keep hold of many positives that emerged in our new way of working. Increased autonomy (66 percent) and working well as a dispersed team (65 percent) are two main benefits; plus 60 percent want to keep hold of faster decision-making. More →

October 16, 2020

Younger people most affected by disconnect of remote work

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

Over a third of younger office workers forced to work from home feel remote, unfocused and less committed to their employers, posing a real threat to businesses in the medium and long term, new research from Oktra claims. Of 1,500 people surveyed, who used to work in an office full time but have been working at home for the last six months, the experience has changed the way that 71 percent of them feel about their employer; 85 percent have struggled with the experience of remote work. More →

October 15, 2020

The wellbeing needs of men and women can be very different

by Alaana Woods • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

There are currently 15.6 million women in work in the UK, and each of these women is likely to have differing wellbeing needs which must be supported to help retain talent and enable them to meet their full potential in the workplace. In short, business leaders need to do more to recognise and address women’s health. This will have both short-term and long-term positive effects on their business and employees. A McKinsey study found that gender diverse businesses are 25 percent more likely to financially outperform their counter parts. A separate report published in the Harvard Business Review found that such an approach can also increase innovation revenues by 19 percent. More →

October 13, 2020

Matrix of pain threatens new era of hybrid working life

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, Working lives

Organisations could be caught up in a matrix of pain if they do not carefully manage the new realities of hybrid working, claims Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA). The management consultancy has identified at least five different classes of workers and failure to create strategies to manage them could lead to a potential loss of momentum and productivity for employers. More →

October 13, 2020

Temporary work set to increase due to uncertainty during pandemic

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

New research by digital staffing platform Coople, claims temporary work is set to surge as more than a quarter of firms (27 percent) in the UK reconsider the role agency workers have in their business. Currently, just one in six firms (15 percent) rely on a flexible workforce, with 1.5m temporary employees in the UK. More →

October 12, 2020

Flexible working is here to stay as organisations recognise effect on productivity

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

To mark the start of National Work Life Week, work-life balance charity Working Families has launched the results of a survey of employers who have invested in creating family-friendly workplaces with flexible working. Reflecting the views of 26 Working Families employer members, the survey gives a snapshot of employer best practice during the pandemic, showing how organisations have risen to the challenge of supporting their staff. More →

October 9, 2020

Working from home seems to relieve the burden of imposter syndrome

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Working lives

In a new study of around 2,000 workers conducted in partnership with the University of Nottingham, Totaljobs claims to have seen a 57 percent decrease in feelings of imposter syndrome compared to a similar survey last year, with just 3 in 10 workers in 2020 finding themselves experiencing feelings of what the study describes as Imposter Phenomenon. The 2019 study claims that 7 in 10 workers in the UK had suffered from complex ‘imposter’ feelings that can sabotage careers and harm our mental health. More →