August 9, 2019

Helsinki tops global rankings for work-life balance

by Mark Eltringham • Cities, News, Wellbeing

Helsinki is the world’s best city for work-life balance according to a new study from technology business Kisi which compares data on a range of factors such as “livability”, work intensity, institutional support, equality and legislation to rank cities. Helsinki, Munich, and Oslo are the three best ranked cities while the cities deemed as having the worst work-life balance were Tokyo, Singapore, and Washington DC. Using data relating to work intensity, social wellbeing, and livability to analyse the interplay between work and life, the index claims to assess how successful residents are at achieving a healthy work-life balance in 40 cities around the world. More →

August 8, 2019

Changing nature of work revealed in official data

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Working culture

Many aspects of the changing nature of work in the UK are highlighted in a new official report into the number of hours worked in the country. The UK’s ongoing productivity challenges, highlighted by another ONS report last month, are well known, but the new data suggests that a number of common suppositions about the way we work should be challenged, especially those related to demographics, the types of work people do and who does it. More →

August 8, 2019

Bosses at financial services firms falling behind on tech know-how

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

With widespread disruption from new and emerging technologies facing companies, the financial services sector is still lacking in both diversity and CEOs with a background in technology, according to recent analysis from recruitment firm,Robert Half UK. According to the results of the annual Robert Half FTSE 100 CEO Tracker, not one of the CEOs leading the FTSE 100’s financial services companies has a background in technology. By contrast, the proportion of CEOs with a background in technology across all sectors has increased by 27 percent over the past year, as the impact of digitisation is felt across multiple industries and sectors. More →

August 8, 2019

London occupiers mixing conventional and flexible offices

by Neil Franklin • Coworking, News, Property

Although London retains its status as the European capital of flexible offices and coworking, a new report from Colliers International claims that the capital is also enjoying above average demand for conventional office space, coupled with reduced footprints overall, as corporate occupiers seek to expand their businesses but without taking on property at the same rate. More →

August 8, 2019

Incoming BCO President commits to focus on wellbeing

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Wellbeing

Paul Patenall, Projects Director at U+I, has been elected as President of the British Council for Offices (BCO) and will focus on the positive impact the industry can have on wellbeing. Patenall set out his vision as Chair of this year’s BCO Conference, held in Copenhagen. The event explored the Danish concept of Arbejdsglæde, which is based on a balanced and considerate approach to work. The concept informs the city’s workplaces, which are renowned for their bold designs, intelligent use of natural light and space and for encouraging occupants to stay active throughout the day. More →

August 7, 2019

One in ten firms sued for business rates arrears

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Around one in ten businesses in England were sued by their local authorities over the past year for failing to pay rising business rates, new data suggests. According to real estate consultancy Altus Group, around 750 businesses were sued each working day. The real estate group said the figures highlight the cost pressures on UK businesses, as the occupies of around 190,000 commercial properties came to court over the non-payment of rates during the last financial year. The report claims that the occupiers and owners of offices, shops, pubs and restaurants have called for cuts to business rates. According to Altus Group, the standard rate of tax, which applies to all medium and large premises in England with a rateable value of more than £51,000, rose by 2.4 percent on 1 April 2019. More →

August 7, 2019

Flexible working has increased dramatically in last two decades

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

The proportion of people with some form of flexible working has increased dramatically in the last two decades. That is according to an analysis of working trends by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). According to the 1999 Labour Force Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the percentage of people working flexible hours in the UK was 9.5 percent at that time. Recent statistics from CIPD, however, show that this number has drastically increased, with 54 percent of workers currently having the option of some form of flexibility in their time and place of work. More →

August 7, 2019

London is top flexible offices market in Europe

by Neil Franklin • Coworking, News, Property

Research conducted by CBRE claims that London’s stock of flexible offices amounted to over 1.1 million square metres, representing over 5 percent of the city’s total office stock. This places London firmly top of the table of flexible office markets, when compared to major cities across Europe. More →

August 6, 2019

School holidays signal stress for home-workers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

For many working parents the summer school holidays can be a cause of stress instead of a time for rest and relaxation.With children no longer occupied at school, many parents choose to work from home to juggle both work and childcare, but productivity can suffer with family, pets and noisy household appliances found to be the main distractions for home workers. The 2019 Global Workspace Survey, conducted by IWG on 2000 UK respondents, claims that interruptions from children or other family members is the number one obstacle being faced by professionals who take advantage of home working. More →

August 6, 2019

Stress most prevalent among health and social workers

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Health and social care are the most stressful industries to work in, according to an analysis by The Office Group (TOG), which claims that health and social workers tend to work longer hours and report more cases of work-related stress, depression and anxiety than staff in other sectors. TOG calculated an overall stress score for 12 industries across the UK, using public data on the number of self-reported cases; average full-time hours; number of days lost to self-reported cases; and the likelihood of future automation. A recent report from the CIPD also highlighted how stress is now a fact of life for most workers. More →

August 2, 2019

Work is no more insecure than it was twenty years ago, claims report

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Working culture, Working lives

Employment insecurity affects many people but, overall, work in the UK is as secure as it was 20 years ago, with limited evidence of growing casualisation, new research from the CIPD claims. The report Megatrends: Is work really becoming more insecure? finds that at 20 percent, the share of non-permanent employment in the UK – which includes the self-employed and temporary workers (including temporary zero hours contract workers) – has not increased since 1998.

August 2, 2019

Maternity leave progressing around the world

by Jayne Smith • News

With studies claiming almost as many women with children (74.1 percent) participated in the labour force as women without, in 2014, women who are juggling careers and motherhood benefit from flexibility at work the most. Recent research claims women account for 40 percent or more of the total labour force in several countries, making flexible working hours, extended maternity leave, breastfeeding rooms, free education and free healthcare just a few of the ways that some countries build the best working environments for mothers. More →