Furniture Makers to hold next sustainability event focussed on material choices

Furniture Makers to hold next sustainability event focussed on material choices

by • Environment, Furniture, News

he Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is hosting its next sustainability event focussed on examining some of the established and widely used materials in the furniture and furnishings sectorThe Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is hosting its next sustainability event focussed on examining some of the established and widely used materials in the furniture and furnishings sector. The seminar, which is sponsored by the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP), Ocee & Four Design, Panaz and Satra Technology, will be held on Tuesday 4 March at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London. Organised by The Furniture Makers’ Company’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, the event will include presentations on foam, fabrics, textiles, leather and wood. In addition, new materials will be discussed and the necessary investigations in relation to recycled content, future recyclability and other implications. More →

Demand for commercial property investment jumped in last quarter

Demand for commercial property investment jumped in last quarter

by • News, Property

There has been a significant surge in demand for commercial property investment, reflecting a marked recovery in the sectorThere has been a significant surge in demand for commercial property investment, reflecting a marked recovery in the sector, according to a new report from Rightmove. The platform attributes this rise to recent interest rate reductions by the Bank of England, which have made investment opportunities more affordable and appealing. Rightmove’s Quarterly Commercial Insights Tracker, which monitors supply and demand trends among the UK’s largest commercial property audience, revealed that overall demand for commercial property investment increased by 28 percent year-on-year in the final quarter of 2024. The office market also witnessed a notable increase, with demand for office space investment climbing by 57 percent year-on-year. More →

Most people are happy for AI to inform decisions about work, CIPD claims

Most people are happy for AI to inform decisions about work, CIPD claims

by • AI, News, Workplace

To coincide with National Productivity Week, a CIPD poll suggests that almost two thirds of people (63 percent) would trust artificial intelligence (AI) to inform - but not make - important decisions at workTo coincide with National Productivity Week, a CIPD poll suggests that almost two thirds of people (63 percent) would trust artificial intelligence (AI) to inform – but not make – important decisions at work. According to the poll of over 2,000 people, over a third (35 percent) wouldn’t trust AI to make important decisions at work, preferring to use human intelligence. Just 1 percent of respondents would trust AI to make important work decisions. More →

Half of people would quit their job if they thought their boss were spying on them. (And they are)

Half of people would quit their job if they thought their boss were spying on them. (And they are)

by • News, Technology, Workplace

More than half of British employees would quit their job if they were subjected to surveillance whilst working, but more than half of UK bosses say they cannot trust their employees without monitoring them, according to a new poll from ExpressVPN. The new study explores the views and experiences relating to the ‘workplace surveillance’ of 1,000 employees and 1,000 employers in the UK. While physical surveillance through the use of cameras and badge/pass scanners in the workplace is more widely known, the increase in remote working in recent years has driven the rise of online surveillance, according to the report. More →

Flexible working is not an option for many of Britain’s two-tier workforce

Flexible working is not an option for many of Britain’s two-tier workforce

by • Flexible working, News

A new report from the social enterprise Timewise claims to reveal a growing divide in the UK workforce, highlighting the increasing gap between frontline workers, such as nurses, cleaners, and bus drivers, and office-based employees when it comes to access to flexible working and other factorsA new report from the social enterprise Timewise claims to reveal a growing divide in the UK workforce, highlighting the increasing gap between frontline workers, such as nurses, cleaners, and bus drivers, and office-based employees when it comes to flexible working hours and patterns. This divide, the report suggests, could be reduced if the government takes further steps to implement its upcoming Employment Rights Bill. More →

Older workers enduring a ‘silent workplace mental health crisis’

Older workers enduring a ‘silent workplace mental health crisis’

by • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new poll from workplace mental health provider Unmind claims to highlight significant generational, gender, and role-based divides in attitudes towards workplace mental health and emerging technologies like AIA new poll from workplace mental health provider Unmind claims to highlight significant generational, gender, and role-based divides in attitudes towards workplace mental health and emerging technologies like AI. The study of 2,500 employees across the UK reveals that older workers feel particularly excluded from conversations around mental health, with stigma proving the biggest barrier to accessing support among this demographic. More →

People say they are more distracted by online meetings than those carried out in person

People say they are more distracted by online meetings than those carried out in person

by • News, Workplace

A new poll conducted by the London conference and events venue, The QEII Centre, claims that the economic value of distraction during meetings has risen to an estimated £20.7 billion per year, partly as a result of the shift to online meetingsA new poll conducted by the London conference and events venue, The QEII Centre, claims that the economic value of distraction during meetings has risen to an estimated £20.7 billion per year, partly as a result of the shift to online meetings. Based on a survey of over 1,000 UK desk-based workers, the research set out in the new report builds on findings from The QEII Centre’s inaugural 2023 Distracted Economy report. It claims that the cost of distraction in online and face-to-face meetings and events has increased from £19.9 billion in 2023 to £20.7 billion. In The QEII Centre’s latest Distracted Economy report, 80 percent of desk-based workers admit to losing concentration during meetings. Just over half (55 percent) say they are more likely to be distracted in online meetings compared to 16 percent for in-person meetings and 27 percent who find both equally distracting. More →

Businesses are cautiously optimistic despite economic and technological uncertainty

Businesses are cautiously optimistic despite economic and technological uncertainty

by • Business, News

Nearly three-in-five businesses optimistic about global economic outlook as they plan headcount increases and continued AI rolloutAlmost 60 percent of CEOs around the world expect global economic growth to increase over the next 12 months, according to PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey, launched during today’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. The report, which surveyed 4,701 CEOs across 109 countries and territories, also finds that 42 percent of businesses expect to increase headcount by 5 percent or more in the next 12 months – more than double the proportion who expect headcount decreases (17 percent), and up from 39 percent last year. The percentage is highest (48 percent) among smaller companies (less than US$100 million) and those in the technology (61 percent), real estate (61 percent), private equity (52 percent) and pharma and life sciences (51 percent) sectors. More →

Small businesses remain upbeat about flexible working

Small businesses remain upbeat about flexible working

by • Flexible working, News

More than 80 percent of SME decision makers expect to see positive outcomes to their workforce from policy changes to flexible working rulesMore than 80 percent of SME decision makers expect to see positive outcomes to their workforce from policy changes to flexible working rules, a new poll  from NatWest Mentor suggests. In April 2024, under the previous Conservative government, new flexible working legislation was introduced across England, Scotland and Wales creating significant changes to how employees make flexible working requests and how employers must respond. More →

Five predictions for how the public sector will tackle challenges and lead digital transformation in 2025

Five predictions for how the public sector will tackle challenges and lead digital transformation in 2025

by • News, Technology

widespread skills shortages and legacy IT systems within the public sector remain an obstacle to digital transformationThe UK government is committed to modernising and becoming tech-first, but widespread skills shortages and legacy IT systems within the public sector remain an obstacle to digital transformation. While we are seeing steps to digitise, and the £2bn set aside to improve IT across the NHS is a good case in point, capital investment is only one part of the puzzle. As we look to the new year, we can expect the public sector to continue to face challenges in keeping pace with technology innovation, particularly in adopting AI and cloud solutions, combating talent gaps, and modernising workflows. More →

People think their privacy is at risk with the use of GenAI in the workplace

People think their privacy is at risk with the use of GenAI in the workplace

by • AI, News, Workplace

The poll from careersinaudit.com found that data privacy is the biggest ethical concern people have when it comes to utilising GenAI tools in the workplaceData privacy is the biggest concern around implementing GenAI in the workplace, a new survey claims. The poll from careersinaudit.com suggests that data privacy is the biggest ethical concern people have when it comes to utilising GenAI tools in the workplace, with 53 percent of respondents citing it as the biggest risk. The survey asked audit and governance professionals about how AI is being implemented in their respective organisations, their attitudes towards the tech and what their biggest concerns are with using the tools. More →

The Sustainable Design Forum returns

The Sustainable Design Forum returns

by • Environment, News, Workplace design

The Sustainable Design Forum - a one-day interactive event designed specifically for workplace designers and specifiers – is returningThe Sustainable Design Forum – a one-day interactive event designed specifically for workplace designers and specifiers – is returning to the Crypt on the Green in Clerkenwell, London for its third year on Thursday 25th April 2025. With a focus on ‘People and Planet’, this year’s event has been expanded to include additional workplace topics. More →

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