February 7, 2019

Employees think Internet of Things will be most important workplace technology trend

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Technology

A team from Savills’ flexible office platform Workthere has predicted the top five tech trends we’re likely to see arriving into offices across the UK in 2019. Supporting the research, Workthere also completed a survey of 2,000 office workers to find out their views on the future of workplace technology as defined by the original study. The poll suggests that employees think that the Internet of Things will have the biggest impact on their day to day working lives followed by voice activated technologies and wireless charging.

February 7, 2019

Employee use of apps at work puts their organisation at risk of cyber-attack

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Technology, Workplace

Workers continued use of unapproved apps in the office, including Instagram, Facebook Messenger and Snapchat, to communicate with colleagues as well as friends and family is putting their organisations at risk of cyber-attack, new research suggests. Four in ten employees (41 percent) admit to using Instagram for more than two hours each day, despite the app being banned in almost half of UK organisations. The majority of employees are well aware that certain apps are not approved for workplace use, but this hasn’t stopped them breaking the rules.

February 7, 2019

Employees want to achieve a healthy work-life balance this year

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new Acas study of the key issues for working lives in 2019 claims that the biggest issues for employers will be finding skilled workers (53 percent), productivity (36 percent) and technological change (36 percent). On a more personal level, the most important issues in employees’ working life will be balancing work and home life (53 percent), staying healthy and feeling well (51 percent) and job security (44 percent). The poll found that despite people wanting a more flexible working life, nearly half of workers (49 percent) believe that the use of gig workers will stay about the same in the year ahead.

February 6, 2019

Majority of businesses fail to see a return on their technology investments

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

According to a new report from Accenture, the majority of businesses don’t see a return on their technology investments and just 14 percent of businesses manage to realise the full potential of their tech investments. Roughly $3.2 trillion was spent on new technology in the last five years. Businesses that were most successful with their investments were the ones investing in bold moves, rather than incremental shifts.

February 6, 2019

Green Building Council sets out to define net zero carbon building

by Mark Eltringham • Environment, News

The UK Green Building Council has published a consultation paper inviting feedback on a proposed definition for net zero carbon buildings. The consultation sets out the initial proposals from the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Task Group which is developing a framework definition in line with the ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement.

February 5, 2019

A morning adrenaline rush improves workplace productivity

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new academic study has found the benefits of taking part in adrenaline boosting activities before work. Researchers from the University of Essex School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Science, tested workers from the International Quarter London (IQL), the gateway to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and discovered that taking a 40 second ride down the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit improved levels of happiness, productivity, creativity, energy and focus in workers. The impacts of exercise on wellbeing have been well-documented; however, this is the first time that research has shown that similar affects can be achieved from a quick adrenaline boosting activity.

February 5, 2019

Working parents continue to grapple with inflexible, long hours work culture

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

The UK’s working parents are penalised for working part-time and suffer from poorly-designed jobs that force them to work extra hours, according to a new study published by Working Families and Bright Horizons. The 2019 Modern Families Index claims that parents working part time – most of whom are women – have just a 21 percent chance of being promoted within the next three years, compared to 45 percent for their full-time counterparts. More →

February 5, 2019

Over three quarters of UK workers reluctant to ask for time off for a health-related issue

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

More than three quarters (79 percent) of UK workers admit to forcing themselves to go in to work despite feeling ill, two thirds (66 percent) still go to work when suffering from a cold or flu and over a fifth (22 percent) when suffering from stress, or an emotional crisis. Perhaps this is due to two fifths (40 percent) feeling their boss did not believe they were genuinely ill when they have previously taken a sick day. For those who are brave enough to bite the bullet and call in unwell, more than two thirds (67 percent) said they feel guilty for taking time off work due to illness, or health related issues. This could explain why so many are reluctant to speak to their employer about their health and wellbeing. Nearly a third (30 percent) admitted they are too scared to talk to their boss about needing time off for a health-related issue, whilst almost three quarters (72 percent) say there are times their current employer does not do enough to look after their physical and mental wellbeing. More →

February 4, 2019

Largest ever speculative office development in Bristol gets green light

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Property

AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets (AXA IM – Real Assets), along with development manager Bell Hammer, is to commence construction of the initial phase of its 300,000 sq ft mixed-use Assembly Bristol regeneration project, having appointed Galliford Try as the main contractor. The construction contract and initial work has commenced for Building A which comprises 200,000 sq ft across 11 storeys with practical completion due in 2020. The building is claimed to a offer new archetype for Bristol office space; comprising multiple uses, and a range of flexible office spaces designed for both local and global businesses in the services, creative, consultancy, financial, media and technology sectors.

February 4, 2019

Financial services firms slow in offering flexible working to all employees

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

New research from TeleWare claims that 94 percent of employees in financial services firms believe it is important for them to be able to choose the hours they work and where from. Yet, only just over a third (36 percent) of employees in the sector work for firms that offer flexible working. Of those firms that do offer it, more than a fifth (22 percent) of employees said it isn’t available to all employees – only those of a certain level of seniority.

February 4, 2019

Businesses need to build far more employee trust in their use of workforce data

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology, Workplace

Business leaders need to improve the way they implement and communicate responsible workforce data strategies if they are to build the employee trust that will help generate sustained revenue growth, according to a new report from Accenture. The report, Decoding Organizational DNA, is based on qualitative and quantitative research, including global surveys of 1,400 C-level executives and 10,000 workers across 13 industries.

February 1, 2019

Employee experience of the workplace does not match employer rhetoric, claims report

by Mark Eltringham • News, Workplace

A new report (registration needed), based on a survey of UK employers and employees, claims to reveal a significant and increasing gap between employees’ experience of being employed and what employers believe this experience to be. Barnett Waddingham’s four research papers claims that while the majority of employers (61 percent) believe the levels of wellbeing in their organisation to be high, only 19 percent of the employees surveyed report high wellbeing. According to the authors, this suggests employers do not sufficiently know or understand the needs of their people.