One in five workers think they are poorly served by offices

One in five workers think they are poorly served by offices

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

A major new study of workplace experience has found that offices are failing to meet the needs of employeesA major new study of workplace experience has found that offices are failing to meet the needs of employees with disabilities and health conditions, younger workers enjoy a better experience than older colleagues, almost a quarter of workplace investments make things worse, and noise remains a persistent problem, while AI threatens to reshape how employees work and learn from one another. The findings come from Leesman’s new Big Questions report, which draws on a database of more than 1.6 million employee responses across 10,775 workplaces in 124 countries to examine whether offices are meeting the needs of the people who use them. (more…)

Entries now open for the Design Guild Mark Awards 2027

Entries now open for the Design Guild Mark Awards 2027

by • News, Workplace design

The Design Guild Mark is calling on British designers and UK-based design practices to put their best work forward. Entries for the 2027 edition are now open in three categories: Furniture, Lighting and Interior Design Elements. Established in 2008 by The Furniture Makers’ Company, this not-for-profit recognition programme raises the profile of British industrial design and celebrates excellence in the design sector. The final deadline on 29th January 2027. Entries are invited to submit their applications using the web page directly here: https://designguildmark.org.uk/ (more…)

UK business leaders embrace AI but workers remain sceptical about its future, Microsoft survey claims

UK business leaders embrace AI but workers remain sceptical about its future, Microsoft survey claims

by • AI, News

British business leaders are increasingly confident about the potential of artificial intelligence to transform the economy, but employees remain far more cautious about its impact on jobs and future career opportunities, according to new polling from Microsoft. A survey of 5,000 UK employees and 1,000 senior business decision-makers found that 84 percent of business leaders believe Britain can become a world-leading AI economy within the next five years, compared with just 41 percent of employees.

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Flexible work is not a location policy. It is a test of organisational trust

Flexible work is not a location policy. It is a test of organisational trust

by • News

The argument about flexible work is often staged as a fight over place: office or home, three days or five, freedom or control.The argument about flexible work is often staged as a fight over place: office or home, three days or five, freedom or control. That framing is convenient because location is visible. Trust is harder to measure. Yet the more revealing question is not where people work. It is whether an organisation has enough clarity, managerial capability and confidence in its own systems to tolerate different ways of working without falling back on visibility as a proxy for contribution. (more…)

FISP celebrates 20 years of supporting sustainability in the furniture industry

FISP celebrates 20 years of supporting sustainability in the furniture industry

by • Environment, News, Workplace design

The Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP) marked its 20th Anniversary on 7 October with a special event at Furniture Makers’ Hall, bringing together scheme members, industry representatives and key stakeholders to celebrate two decades of progress in advancing responsible business practices across the furniture sector. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on FISP’s development since its launch and recognise the contribution made by its members in helping drive environmental and sustainability improvements throughout the industry. Guests were welcomed by Joanna Knight, Chair of the FISP Steering Committee and editor of Sustainability Works, who highlighted the scheme’s achievements over the past 20 years and thanked members for their continued commitment and support. (more…)

A sense of control over workplace technology may be linked to wellbeing and productivity

A sense of control over workplace technology may be linked to wellbeing and productivity

by • News, Technology

A sense of control over workplace technology may have a significant impact on people’s wellbeing, productivity and attitudes towards technological change, according to new global research from Logitech. The technology company’s inaugural Ctrl Tomorrow Study suggests a growing divide between people who feel confident and in control of the technology they use and those who feel overwhelmed or frustrated by it. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of respondents agreed that people who feel more in control of their technology get more out of life, while around three in five said problems with technology can affect their mood after work and their sense of control over their personal lives. (more…)

BCO Awards winners focus on regeneration, sustainability and workplace experience

BCO Awards winners focus on regeneration, sustainability and workplace experience

by • News, Property, Workplace design

The UK’s leading office developments have been recognised for their contribution to urban regeneration, sustainability and workplace experience at the 2026 BCO AwardsThe UK’s leading office developments have been recognised for their contribution to urban regeneration, sustainability and workplace experience at the 2026 British Council for Offices National Awards. Swansea development 71/72 Kingsway took the top prize at this year’s awards, winning both the Best of the Best and Commercial Workplace categories. Judges described the scheme as a catalyst for the regeneration of Swansea city centre and an example of how people-centred architecture can stimulate investment and attract high-value employment. The annual BCO Awards were presented to an audience of around 1,000 property and workplace professionals at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House hotel in London on 6 October. (more…)

International experience gives business leaders an edge, University of Bath study finds

International experience gives business leaders an edge, University of Bath study finds

by • Business, News

Business leaders with international experience play a significant role in shaping the success of their organisations and are often associated with stronger organisational performanceBusiness leaders with international experience play a significant role in shaping the success of their organisations and are often associated with stronger organisational performance, including higher growth, profitability and stock market performance, according to a new study published in the Journal of Management. The study, by Dr Fei Qin of the University of Bath School of Management and her co-researchers Professor Klaus Meyer of the Ivey Business School and Professor Sabina Tasheva Nielsen of University of Sydney, examined how the international experience of chief executives, founders, senior management teams and boards influences business strategy and performance. (more…)

University of Bath launches new Centre for Earth System Governance

University of Bath launches new Centre for Earth System Governance

by • Environment, News

The University of Bath has launched a new research centre focused on tackling some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges, after welcoming hundreds of international researchers and practitioners to the city for the 2026 Conference on Earth System Governance. The new Bath Centre for Earth System Governance (BCESG) was announced during the conference, which brought together 456 delegates from 51 countries and featured 96 sessions exploring how governments, institutions, businesses, civil society, and communities can respond to climate change, biodiversity loss and other interconnected environmental challenges. The event reaffirmed the Earth System Governance Project‘s position as the world’s largest international research community of its kind and provided a fitting backdrop for the launch of the new centre. (more…)

Four in five people say a lack of flexible working could be a deal breaker when going for a job

Four in five people say a lack of flexible working could be a deal breaker when going for a job

by • Flexible working, News

Nearly eight in ten employees say flexible working is important when considering a job, according to new research from workplace advisory body Acas.The vast majority of employees say flexible working is important when considering a job, according to new research from workplace advisory body Acas. The YouGov survey found that 78 percent of employees considered flexible working important, compared with 20 percent who said it was not. The findings come ahead of changes to flexible working rules under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Under the new provisions, employers considering turning down a flexible working request will be required to consult the employee before reaching a decision, and will only be able to reject the request where it is reasonable to do so. (more…)

AI skills divide risks leaving majority of workers behind, PwC finds

AI skills divide risks leaving majority of workers behind, PwC finds

by • AI, News

A widening divide between workers who are benefiting from artificial intelligence and those being left behind is emerging as AI use acceleratesA widening divide between workers who are benefiting from artificial intelligence and those being left behind is emerging as AI use accelerates, according to a global study by PwC. The consultancy’s 2026 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey found that 64 percent of workers had used AI at work during the previous 12 months, up 10 percentage points from last year. Daily use of generative AI increased from 14 percent to 22 percent, while 59 percent expect their use of AI tools to increase over the coming year. (more…)

Children are much more comfortable about the idea of working with robots

Children are much more comfortable about the idea of working with robots

by • AI, News

A new poll from measurement tech firm Hexagon suggests that younger people have very different ideas to older generations about the idea of working with robots.A new poll from measurement tech firm Hexagon suggests that younger people have very different ideas to older generations about the idea of working with robots. According to the report, across nine countries, children are growing up with fundamentally different expectations of robotics than today’s adults, shaped by growing up with AI and new experiences of intelligent technology. Four in five children (80 percent) say they are excited about robots, compared with 59 percent of adults. However, that generation gap varies dramatically around the world. (more…)

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