Call for employers to do more to safeguard the health of their employees

Call for employers to do more to safeguard the health of their employees

employeesIn April 2020, 47 percent of UK employees worked from home and for many, they still haven’t returned to the office. The events of 2020 have been unprecedented, as rules and advice from the government have changed at rapid rates in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. But one thing that remained relatively consistent is the encouragement for those who can, to work from home. More →

Remote work continues to impact physical and mental health of workers

Remote work continues to impact physical and mental health of workers

remote workNew research from Fellowes Brands claims to reveal the ‘alarming’ impact enforced remote work is having on the mental wellbeing and physical health of the nation. Over a third (35 percent) of UK workers admit feeling stressed or anxious, lonely and isolated (32 percent) and tired or lacking in energy (38 percent), while working from home during lockdown. The study is based on a survey of 1,000 UK office workers who had worked from home for at least four months. More →

The future of work is hybrid with a firm focus on employees

The future of work is hybrid with a firm focus on employees

employeesCompanies are searching for ways to reinvent the office and give employees reasons to return to their workplace and a new report by JLL says the focus must be on the workforce. The report, Reimagine: the new future of work to shape a better world predicts that the future of work will involve companies prioritising the health, wellness and mental well-being of employees. More →

Low paid workers have borne the brunt of the pandemic

Low paid workers have borne the brunt of the pandemic

low paid workersNew analysis by the Institute for Employment Studies has found that low paid workers are more than twice as likely to have lost their jobs during the pandemic and are at far greater risk of being temporarily laid off or having their hours cut. The research, funded by Standard Life Foundation, concludes that in this current lockdown it is likely that around two thirds of low paid workers – or four million people – are either temporarily laid off or working fewer hours than normal. This would be double the rate of work disruption for staff who are not classified as low paid. More →

Two in five Brits are at risk of cyber-attacks whilst working from home

Two in five Brits are at risk of cyber-attacks whilst working from home

working from homeA new report by Fasthosts claims that cyber criminals have identified remote workers as easy targets with two in five employees having not received any caution regarding COVID-19 scams whilst working from home or had any video-call security training. More →

Furlough scheme should be extended ahead of the Budget, says CIPD

Furlough scheme should be extended ahead of the Budget, says CIPD

furloughWith six weeks still to go until the Chancellor’s Budget, the CIPD is urging the Government to act early to extend the furlough scheme to protect jobs, support incomes and enhance skills development. Its calls are outlined in a report called The Future of Furlough – Recommendations for now and for any future wage subsidy. In order to support smaller firms who don’t pay an apprenticeship levy, the CIPD is also recommending the creation of a furlough scheme training fund of up to £100 million, which would be funded from levy-paying firms’ expired levy funds that would otherwise go to HM Treasury. The CIPD estimates that this could pay for training or outplacement skills development support for nearly 160,000 workers in small firms. More →

First platinum certified smart building awarded to EDGE Olympic Amsterdam

First platinum certified smart building awarded to EDGE Olympic Amsterdam

Smart Building Certification, the organisation behind the smart accreditation, awarded its first platinum building. The founders of Smart Building Certification handed the first official platinum certification over to Coen van Oostrom, Founder and CEO of EDGE. More →

Business leaders are overestimating their organisational agility capabilities

Business leaders are overestimating their organisational agility capabilities

agilityAlmost three-quarters (72 percent) of business leaders and 90 percent of CEOs across Europe see organisational agility as critical in driving business performance and growth, yet many are overestimating their capabilities, according to new research from ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW). More →

Work-life balance is the key to workplace happiness

Work-life balance is the key to workplace happiness

workplaceResearch by Ezra, digital coaching provider, claims that work-life balance is the driving factor behind happiness in the UK workplace. The survey claims that a notable 78 percent of those in employment are happy in their current job. More →

UK SME leaders bullish about 2021 business landscape despite the challenges ahead

UK SME leaders bullish about 2021 business landscape despite the challenges ahead

SMEAs SME leaders plan for the year ahead, Vistage’s latest CEO Confidence Index claims that more than half (54 percent) of small and mid-size enterprise (SME) members in the UK and Ireland are optimistic that the economic conditions will improve in the next 12 months. More →

A workplace divided: Employees split over COVID-19 vaccine

A workplace divided: Employees split over COVID-19 vaccine

vaccinePerceptyx, the employee survey and people analytics platform, has released new data focused on the role of the COVID vaccine in return to work scenarios. As the world nears 10 months of quarantine and other restrictions, organisations grapple with deciding if and when it will be safe for employees to return to the workplace. As vaccines are rolled out, organisations must tread a fine line with employees as there is a significant divide in perceptions around the vaccine. More →

Improving air quality is key to making people feel safer

Improving air quality is key to making people feel safer

air qualityImproving air quality in the fight against COVID-19 could give businesses the edge over their competitors and attract more customers, according to a top UK university scientist. Writing in a new report for facilities services provider phs Group, Cambridge University Professor Paul Linden highlights the growing evidence for the airborne transmission of coronavirus and that tackling indoor air quality must be at the forefront of creating COVID-safe environments. More →