June 18, 2019

Coworking is reshaping office market in London

The flexible office and coworking markets have grown rapidly over the last five years, with more than 4 million sq ft leased to flexible office providers in Central London, according to a new report from digital office broker Hubble in partnership with JLL. Despite WeWork dominating the headlines and pioneering the uptake of coworking, the London market remains highly fragmented, with more than 150 providers offering some form of flex or coworking space in more than 650 separate locations. Flexible offices are projected to grow to a 11 percent share of overall office stock in London by 2023. At the end of 2018, flexible offices had a 6.3 percent share of the Central London market (14.7 million sq. ft.) and this number is set to keep growing. (more…)

June 18, 2019

Freelancers project economy now larger than creative sector

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Freelancers working on projects now contribute more to the economy than the creative industries, new research from the CRSE (Centre for Research on Self-Employment) claims. The ‘project economy’, made up of freelancers brought in for individual projects such as new products, innovation and infrastructure, contributes approximately £104bn to the UK economy every year, according to the CRSE’s Freelance Project and Gig Economies report. That is more than the £100bn of the creative industries and close to the £110bn contributed by the construction sector. The ‘project economy’ accounts for 73 per cent of the UK’s skilled freelancers – nearly five times the 15 per cent working in the so-called gig economy. (more…)

June 18, 2019

Fewer than one in five comfortable with mental health conversations

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Although around 1 in 7 people experience work-related mental health problems, a new survey claims that fewer than one in five people are confident about discussing mental health issues with colleagues. The survey of 1,000 people from insurance firm Protectivity claims that just 18 percent would be confident talking to their colleagues about their mental health. In addition, more than 1 in 10 people in the UK say they would feel embarrassed or ashamed of talking to their colleagues. The report concludes that not only is work needed to improve confidence but also the stigma of talking about mental health issues. (more…)

June 17, 2019

Workers go cold on hot desking

by Mark Eltringham • News, Workplace design

The practice of sharing workstations with fellow workers is making people increasingly unhappy, according to a survey of more than 1,000 office workers by real estate firm Savills, who for some reason still insist on referring to it as hot desking in spite of the fact that the idea covers a range of practices that are not hot desking. According to the firm’s study, a mere 12 percent of people believe sharing workstations with their colleagues make them more productive. Half claimed it made them less productive, compared to around a third in a related study two years ago. (more…)

June 17, 2019

Worker confidence in the UK jobs market falls

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

The Monster Jobs Confidence Index, published for the first time by jobs board Monster.co.uk and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), claims that workers and job seekers confidence in the UK labour market has dropped by 10 percent, from 77 percent to 67 percent. The report defines confidence as how an individual feels about their ability to find a suitable job in the short-term, realise their career potential and build a better future for themselves.

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June 14, 2019

Discrimination against workers highest in UK

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A new Europe wide study claims that reports of discrimination are highest in the UK where more than a third (38 percent) of respondents say they have been discriminated against, compared to a European average of 30 percent. It seems young people are also particularly affected, with 49 percent of UK workers aged 25-34 reported they had faced some form of discrimination. The ADP Workforce View in Europe 2019 (registration) surveyed over 10,000 employees in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain, delving into how employees feel about issues in the workplace. (more…)

June 14, 2019

Top ten cities in UK for economic growth led by Edinburgh

by Freddie Steele • Cities, News

According to the 2019 Vitality Index by Lambert Smith Hampton, Edinburgh is the city with the best prospects for UK economic growth, with Cambridge and Manchester coming in second and third place, despite the UK’s uncertain economic and political environment. Compiled every year, The Vitality Index claims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the health of UK towns and cities, considering education, entrepreneurialism, affluence, productivity, growth and environmental factors.

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June 13, 2019

AI is the biggest business disruptor on world stage

by George Eltringham • News, Technology

AI and its transformational effect on the global business landscape was the dominant theme on day one of the UK Asia Tech Powerhouse Conference. Transforming urban mobility thanks to rapidly growing cities, and how Asian cities are leading the march towards a digital future also featured in the first of the two-day event, with influencers from across trade, investment and technology, including Singaporean entrepreneur Annabelle Kwok and Mark Purdy, Accenture’s Group Chief Economist and Managing Director at Accenture Research. (more…)

June 13, 2019

People are too quick to click on emails

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

Modern working culture makes it impossible for employees to always make the right decision about what to do with emails, claims a new report from cybersecurity company Tessian and the University of Central Lancashire. The report Why Do People Make Mistakes? presents findings from a new survey of 1,000 UK employees, who were asked about their working environment and practices. Additionally, the report includes insights from cyber-psychologists Dr Helen Jones, University of Central Lancashire and Professor John Towse, Lancaster University, which further explains how certain factors in the workplace can cause people to make poor decisions. (more…)

June 13, 2019

Digital transformation plans ignoring role of HR

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

HR must enhance its reputation amongst senior management teams and business leaders if it is to take a leading role in driving the success of digital transformation projects, claims a new report from MHR. The poll of 250 business leaders at organisations with more than 1000 employees claims that just 5 percent of respondents felt the HR department should be the people to lead or manage a digital transformation project. The full results of the survey are explored in MHR’s report ‘Businesses are not ready to transform (but they don’t know that)… which was launched at the Festival of Work in London this week. (more…)

June 12, 2019

Working lives dominated by stress and overwork

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Over-work, stress and poor work-life balance are undermining attempts to improve the quality of working lives in the UK, new research from the CIPD claims. Over 5,000 people were surveyed for the UK Working Lives Survey, an annual assessment of job quality across seven different categories including pay and benefits, contracts and employment terms, and voice and representation. (more…)

June 12, 2019

Women and older workers drive record employment

by Marie Hillen • News, Workplace

The number of people in employment in the UK increased by 32,000 to a record high of 32.75 million in the three months to April 2019, according to the latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). This was driven by women whose numbers increased by 60,000 on the quarter to a record high of 15.46 million.