March 18, 2020

One million young workers set to leave London before turning 33

The number of young workers leaving London is on the rise, with net migration away from the capital growing, claims new research from Totaljobs and Professor of Economics at Lancaster University, Geraint Johnes. The new research, taken from analysis of ONS data as well as the views of 2,000 Londoners, suggests that since 2014, more than one million professionals have left London, with just 900,000 coming in. This is a net loss of 88 workers every day, with the biggest shortfall down to workers aged 25-34, the majority (54 percent) of them having given up hope of ever owning property in the capital. There has been a 49 percent increase in outbound migration of those in their 30s over the last five years. (more…)

March 17, 2020

Government launches “revolutionary” green transport consultation

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Technology

The government has launched a new intiative to test the introduction of green transport systems and also injected £90 million into funding three experimental ‘future transport zones’ across the UK aimed at establishing whether smart and green technology can be adopted. The new transport zones in the West of England, Portsmouth and Southampton and the East Midlands will be used to test innovations in the movement of people and goods. One project will trial the use of drones for carrying medical supplies from clinics in the Isle of Wight to hospitals in the mainland. This should cut down the time spent moving supplies by ferry or road while speeding up diagnosis. (more…)

March 17, 2020

Clerkenwell Design Week now postponed until July

by Neil Franklin • News

In the light of the global impact caused by COVID-19 and following careful consideration, it was announced today that Clerkenwell Design Week will be postponed from 19 – 21 May until 14 – 16 July 2020.

“As the UK’s leading independent design festival, this has not been a decision taken lightly, but the health, safety and wellbeing of CDW’s visitors, exhibitors, clients and staff remains the number one priority”, said Lee Newton, CEO of show owners Media 10. “We will continue to consult with all relevant parties on a regular basis as we work towards delivering the best possible CDW this summer. The safety and wellbeing of all those involved is our priority and we are grateful for the support we have received from our exhibitors and partners in making this difficult decision. We believe that these new dates provide us with an opportunity to deliver what will be a very successful CDW in the height of British Summer.’ Lee Newton, CEO, Media 10

“CDW has been working tirelessly to ensure that the investment made by all parties into this event is protected. Agreement has been reached, following productive discussions with Islington Council, to ensure that the new date will deliver the much-loved festival without compromise, bringing an undeniable buzz and splash of pink to the streets of Clerkenwell this summer. All of the suppliers, venues and various stakeholders have collaborated to agree these new dates and to ensure that the event can take place.

“In times of adversity the design community has come together to ensure that this leading design festival takes place in 2020.”

March 16, 2020

Employee confidence plunges amid economic and workplace uncertainty

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture

Employee confidence in U.K. business conditions has fallen to its lowest level on record on the back of Brexit and rising fears around the coronavirus, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner’s latest Global Talent Monitor report claims that the U.K. business confidence fell to an index score of 44.5 in 4Q19, a decrease of over 11 index points from 4Q18. The figure puts the U.K. more than 6 index points below the current global average. (more…)

March 16, 2020

Workplace transformation decisions shifting from HR to senior management

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture

Infosys Knowledge Institute (IKI), the thought leadership and research arm of Infosys, have published a global research report titled, ‘Drive Change from Within.’ The research claims that CEOs are now prioritising on driving a workplace transformation roadmap and contributing to its development in the organisation. (more…)

March 16, 2020

Higher female state pension age causes an increase in older women at work

by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives

The number of women aged between 60 and 64 in work has increased by 51 percent since the 1995 Pensions Act came into effect which increased the female state pension age from 60 to 65 since 2010, claims research from Rest Less, a jobs, volunteering and guidance site for the over 50s.

Between October and December 2009, there were 644,674 women aged between 60 and 64 in work. In the same period in 2019, there were 976,376 women aged between 60 and 64 in work – an increase of 331,702 or 51 per cent. This contrasts with an increase of only 127,882 (or 13 percent) in the number of men working aged between 60 and 64 over the same period. (more…)

March 13, 2020

The UK is not well enough prepared for working from home

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Figures released today suggest that the UK is one of the least prepared countries to introduce a mass home-working strategy. Leesman has surveyed more than 700,000 employees worldwide. Of the 139,778 UK workers in its index, 55 percent have little or no experience working from home, compared with 52 percent of respondents globally. (more…)

March 13, 2020

Digital transformation becomes number one skills issue

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology

Organisations across Europe are facing a skills challenge caused by digital transformation, with many struggling to keep pace with learning and development (L&D) needs, claims research from Skillsoft. Carried out in the UK, France and Germany, the research suggests that reskilling in the face of changing and increasingly digital working environments is the biggest single issue for L&D professionals across all three countries (42 percent of respondents on average). (more…)

March 13, 2020

Commercial property energy use fell by over 3 percent last year

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Property

Operational energy consumption in the UK commercial property sector fell by 3.3 percent during 2018/19 compared to the previous year, according to the latest figures from the “in-use” benchmark published by the UK’s Better Building Partnership (BBP). The Real Estate Environmental Benchmark (REEB) compared operational energy performance between 2017/18 and 2018/19, based on 1,038 UK properties covering 11.7m sqm belonging to 31 of the partnership’s 34 member companies. (more…)

March 12, 2020

Workers and employers differ on progress towards workplace equality

by Jayne Smith • News

A gap exists between the way leaders and employees view progress toward equality in their organisations, according to new research from Accenture. Closing the gap will yield benefits for companies and their employees. The report, “Getting to Equal 2020: The Hidden Value of Culture Makers,” which includes research across 28 countries, claims that organisations are at an inflection point. Today’s UK workforce cares increasingly about workplace culture and believes it is critical to helping them thrive in the workplace (reported by 80 percent of women and 66 percent of men), and a majority of leaders (62 percent) believe an inclusive workplace culture is vital to the success of their business. (more…)

March 11, 2020

Office politics major source of work related stress

by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives

Perkbox commissioned a new study of 1,815 employed people to present a examination into the changing landscape of work-related stress in 2020. The study compared results to 2018 data in order to identify how sources of work-related stress and the solutions offered by employers are changing. The study claims that 79 percent of adults in employment commonly experience work-related stress. (more…)

March 11, 2020

Does an employee representative on the board mean reduced CEO pay?

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture

Having an employee representative on the director’s board has absolutely no impact on reducing the pay level of the company’s CEO, according to research from Vlerick Business School. This research claims that contrary to the belief that employee representation on the board reduces high profit margins and greater controls the remuneration of CEOs, giving more ownership and finances to a company’s employees. (more…)