September 21, 2020

Time to get on board with the psychological effects of working from home

by Jörg Bakschas • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

It almost goes without saying that this year has seen a rapid shift towards remote working, with many companies now moving to a flexible working model. From a business perspective, many employees are proving that they can still get their work done working from home. But what is the psychological impact of this? And are companies doing enough to research and prevent any negative psychological effects of remote working? (more…)

September 18, 2020

When it comes to describing the new world of work, the Scandis have a name for it

by Fredrik Bergsten • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace design

We have very clearly arrived at a point of inflection in the world of work right now, with more time than ever spent pondering some of its bigger questions. Like what will individuals expect from their place of work? What will employers be willing to offer them? How will the culture – the very fabric – of our offices change as a result of the pandemic? In the midst of all the head scratching and soul searching over what this brave new world of work might look like, there is an increasingly vocal minority arguing that a new, better path has already been paved. Where? In Scandinavia, of course. (more…)

September 18, 2020

Career change becomes a priority for more than half of people

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

More than half of UK workers – 53 percent – plan to make a change to their career in the next 12 months as a direct result of the Coronavirus pandemic according to a new study from Aviva. The How We Live report claims the most popular career aspiration emerging from the crisis is the desire for flexibility. One in 10 (10 percent) UK workers say that in the next 12 months, they aim to find a role that will allow them to work from home. (more…)

September 17, 2020

No jab, no job? Can employers demand that workers take COVID-19 tests?

by Emily Hocken and Lloyd Davey • Features, Flexible working

As workers’ begin to populate office floors once more, employers must navigate a number of potential risks to ensure they are ‘COVID-19 secure’. As a result, the subject of ‘employee testing’ has made headlines, with the decision over whether employers can, or should, test their employees becoming an area of contention. (more…)

September 17, 2020

Working from home may be more productive, but at the cost of wellbeing

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

New research by the CIPD claims the shift to home working over the pandemic has been a positive experience for most employers, who report people’s improved work-life balance (cited by 61 percent of employers), enhanced employee collaboration (43 percent) and improved focus (38 percent). Overall, 28 percent of employers report that the increase in home workers has boosted productivity, while 37 percent say it has not impacted productivity levels, with 28 percent of employers reporting a decrease. (more…)

September 16, 2020

Get used to the idea of work as an experience rather than a place

by Tim Oldman • Comment, Flexible working, Property, Workplace design

Suck it up. The role of property in supporting organisational performance has changed forever. The obsession with bricks and mortar has to shift to the employee-as-consumer experience. If we understand that user experience, then organisations can make the right decisions. The problem is, experience is now scattered across millions of homes worldwide. (more…)

September 15, 2020

Parents dedicate two extra working days a month to new Covid school routine

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

New research by Vita Health Group claims British parents are set to spend the equivalent of more than two working days extra a month on the school routine due to the additional childcare management needed due to the pandemic and employers will have to consider this in their workplace policies to ensure working parents don’t burn out. (more…)

September 8, 2020

Frontline and front of mind; communicating with employees away from HQ

by Julien Lesaicherre • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

It has been a rough year for business. Many organisations have had to evolve their operating models overnight, go to great lengths to keep their people safe and build entirely new ways of working to ensure they can stay afloat. A lot have had to fast forward five years into the future in a few months – and that’s no mean feat. (more…)

September 7, 2020

Homeworkers supporting local economies through Covid-19

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

While city centres are taking time to recover, there’s better news elsewhere, suggests Vodafone research into small business employees. Local economies are benefitting from the rise in homeworking, with 25 percent of homeworkers spending at least once a day at their local coffee shop or café. The research, which surveyed 1,003 small business employees, also claims that working from home has not hindered Brits’ productivity, with 40 percent of workers putting in an average of 642 additional hours, equal to 26 extra days, since lockdown began back in March. (more…)

September 3, 2020

No, flexible working won`t mean the death of the office and the city

by Jane Parry • Features, Flexible working

When coronavirus lockdowns were introduced, the shift to flexible working and remote work was sudden and sweeping. Now the British government is hoping the return to the office will be just as swift – to help the economy “get back to normal”. But pushing everyone back to the office full time fails to recognise the many benefits that working from home has brought. It also fails to capitalise on this moment of change. (more…)

September 2, 2020

Are employees more productive since lockdown?

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

With many companies announcing that they will not force employees back to the office until next year, 34 percent of UK workers have admitted to feeling more productive since working from home. That’s according to new ‘Work Different’ research from Qualtrics.

The research, which surveyed 2,000 UK workers, also claims that a third (31 percent) of workers have felt creative since working outside of the office, while over a quarter (27 percent) believe it’s been easier to collaborate with their colleagues since the coronavirus lockdown began. (more…)

September 1, 2020

Large majority of people want to continue some form of flexible working

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

Nine out of ten employees who have worked at home during lockdown would like to continue doing so in some capacity, research suggests. The report, by academics at Cardiff University and the University of Southampton, presents the first analysis of employee survey data focusing on homeworking, which was gathered for the Understanding Society Covid-19 Study. (more…)