September 26, 2018

British Property Federation announces plans to modernise commercial property sector

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Technology

The British Property Federation (BPF) has launched a Technology and Innovation programme for the UK commercial property sector – to support the sector in its digital transformation – following the Government’s challenge to all sectors of the economy to improve productivity and deliver growth. The programme is launched with the publication of a new report produced by Future Cities Catapult, commissioned by the BPF, to understand the barriers to and opportunities for improving the productivity of the real estate sector through the application of technology.

September 26, 2018

CIPD and Mind launch guidance for managers to support mental health at work

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

The CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, and Mind, the mental health charity, have today jointly published a revised mental health guide for managers to improve support for those experiencing stress and mental health issues at work. The updated guidance follows recent CIPD research which found that less than one in three organisations (32 percent) train line managers to support staff with poor mental health.

September 26, 2018

Sociable Gen Z prefer to work in a communal workplace rather than home

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Workplace, Workplace design

Generation Z, the latest generation of workers to enter the workplace (aged 18-24) are social creatures a new report suggests, preferring to work in an office environment, with only 8 percent thinking they work best from home compared to 20 percent nationally. However, putting aside the assumption this is because they’re sharing a cramped flat or living with parents, even within the office environment, the vast majority (81 percent) think social and communal areas are important workplace facilities compared with only 64 percent of all employees and 58 percent of Baby Boomers. More →

September 25, 2018

Mid-life report published to help older workers manage their careers

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, Legal news, News, Workplace

Last year John Cridland published his Review of the State Pension age, and one of his recommendations was for a ‘Mid-Life MOT’ for people’s late 50s and early 60s. Now a joint report, ‘Developing the mid-life MOT’, published today by the Centre for Ageing Better, outlines the response by industry to the review’s call for a better way of supporting people in their 40s, 50s and 60s to think about their careers and future lives. The report presents case studies of different approaches to the ‘mid-life MOT’ being tried out by Aviva, Legal and General, The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) and Mercer and offers insights to other employers thinking about introducing similar support for their own workers. The report suggests it is important that a mid-life MOT is the start of an engagement process, with participants signposted and encouraged to take up further support. Mid-life MOTs need a clear purpose that is understood by all stakeholders and participants.

September 25, 2018

Fifth of workers fake physical illness to cover up mental health issues

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A fifth (42 percent) of UK employees call in sick claiming a physical illness, when in reality it’s a mental health issue and just 15 percent would tell their boss the truth about having a mental health issue a new report claims. According to the research from BHSF, over half (56 percent) of employees admitted to suffering from stress, a third from anxiety (36 percent) and a quarter from depression (25 percent). Despite 88 percent of employees suffering from poor mental health admitting that work is either the main cause or a contributing factor, just 15 percent would tell their boss if they were struggling with an issue of this nature. More →

September 25, 2018

Nearly a third of UK workers favour fines for companies who breach ethics

by Sara Bean • Legal news, News, Workplace

Almost two thirds (64 percent) of SME employees believe that companies should make a positive contribution to society, while half of all UK workers (50 percent) would be discouraged from working for an organisation with no interest in community or ethical goals. According to The Future Workforce from Unum and independent researcher The Future Laboratory this emphasis on a company’s ethical credentials comes in the wake of a movement towards greater awareness of global issues, which has led to demands for more transparency in how organisations do business and less tolerance of unethical corporate behaviour. As a result, an ethical employer can be an important factor when it comes to deciding whether to join or stay with an organisation –In addition, The Future Workforce report found that just under a third (30 percent) of UK workers believe that companies who are not participating in any civic or ethical contributions should be fined.

September 25, 2018

Around half of workers expect to have multiple careers throughout their working life

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Just under half of UK workers (46 percent) expect to have multiple careers throughout their working life, as opposed to one structured and lifelong career, according to a new report from employee benefits firm Unum and researcher The Future Laboratory. The Future Workforce (registration required) sets out to examine the motivations and priorities of UK workers, to understand how the nation’s workforce will change over the next decade. Insights were drawn from a survey of more than 3,000 UK workers, as well as from interviews with a range of industry experts and business leaders.

September 24, 2018

Executives understand the importance of big data but have little idea what to do with it

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology

When board members in big firms make critical decisions about their organisations, it is almost always behind closed doors. So exactly how and if senior leaders draw on big data factors in their decision-making is largely unexplained. Researchers from Brunel University studied top-level decisions by board managers at 19 organisations in manufacturing, finance, consultancy, IT and air travel. The study, published in the Journal of Business Research looked at how board managers think and act and the mental models and skills they use to weigh up big data. Directors, it suggests, recognise big data’s potential to improve their decision-making. But many admit feeling ill-equipped to do this, whether through their own technical skills or the new type of non-linear thinking needed. More →

September 24, 2018

Busy people tend to make healthier choices and enjoy more self-esteem

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

Busyness is often thought of as a modern day affliction, but it can also help you delay gratification and make decisions that benefit you in the longer-term, according to new research from the global business school INSEAD. In a new paper, Chattopadhyay and his co-authors, Monica Wadhwa, Associate Professor of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Fox School of Business at Temple University and Jeehye Christine Kim, Assistant Professor of Marketing at HKUST, show that the mere perception of being one of the busy people, or what they call a busy mindset, is a “badge of honour” that can be leveraged to promote better self-control. Their paper, titled “When Busy Is Less Indulging: Impact of a Busy Mindset on Self-Control Behaviours”, has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

September 24, 2018

Quarter of employees say they have experienced a data security breach

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

New research by 247meeting claims to have uncovered worrying lapses in data security in the workplace, with senior management often being the biggest culprits. According to the report: a quarter of senior managers have experienced a stranger on a conference call; 26 percent of employees with access to customer data haven’t been trained on GDPR; over a third of employees don’t know where their security policy is saved; and almost half of employees admit to using technology tools to communicate at work without them being password protected

September 21, 2018

Generations divide on the role of Artificial Intelligence in the workplace

by Sara Bean • AI, News, Technology, Workplace

We try to avoid generalisations when describing the multi-generational workforce, but there’s no denying that younger workers who’ve grown up with digital communications appear less comfortable communicating face to face or on the phone. This is why it comes as no surprise to find that new research by ABBYY claims millennials would prefer to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to avoid speaking to colleagues and customers. While one in 10 millennials would hand over speaking to customers to robot colleagues, older generations are less keen, with only 4 percent of over-55s feeling the same. More →

September 20, 2018

Working parents would like more flexible working, but most don’t have the option

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

According to new research commissioned by McDonald’s UK, working parents want to move to a more flexible working culture, but around three quarters simply don’t have it as an option. The study was conducted over the summer by YouGov with 1,100 parents across the country. The research found that over three quarters of respondents think flexible working would allow them to juggle work with home commitments, yet 73 percent say they do not have that option in their current role.