March 13, 2017

Workplace strategy, automation and flexible working rising up the corporate agenda ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Property

Corporate real estate occupiers must do more to embrace flexible working and identify the sources of competitive advantage offered by their workplaces, according to the newly published Corporate Real Estate (CRE) 2017 trends report from JLL. The study highlights the key issues affecting corporate property needs and requirements this year, and offers occupiers some advice on how to deal with them, including how real estate strategy affects organisational perfomance. As well as flexible working and real estate strategy, the report also considers the consequences of automation, which it suggests will have a significant impact on the way workplaces are designed, occupied and managed within just a few years,

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March 13, 2017

Female FTSE 100 leaders require more prestigious academic background than men ⁰

by Sara Bean • Legal news, News, Workplace

Only 10 percent of Executive Directors on FTSE 100 boards are female compared with 35 percent of Non-Executive Directors and it seems that those who reach this level require a stronger academic pedigree than their male counterparts. According to preliminary findings from The Leadership 10k1 report from Green Park, women leaders in the UK’s biggest firms are three times more likely than male counterparts to have degrees from either Russell Group or Ivy League universities. The research finds that 76 percent of the total employees in top 20 positions across the FTSE 100 who graduated from a Russell Group university are female while 70 percent of leaders who graduated from an Ivy League university are female. Overall, this suggests that women are three times more likely to need a qualification from a prestigious university to gain a board position in the UK than men.

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March 10, 2017

Days lost to illness in the UK down to lowest level in a quarter of a century ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Workplace

The number of days taken as sick leave in the UK has fallen to the lowest rate since records began, according to the latest release of data from the Office for National Statistics. In 2016, about 137 million working days were lost to illness, equivalent to 4.3 days per worker. The latest figures represent the lowest number of days lost since reporting began in 1993. Days lost have been falling since 2003 and particularly since the economic downturn of 2007-8, notes the ONS. This might suggest people are struggling in to work when ill out of fear, but that may be only part of the story as the growth in flexible working will also have had a significant impact. As always, the data throws up some interesting comparisons between demographic groups and sectors although the context is not always as clear or as straightforward as is commonly supposed.

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March 10, 2017

Over three quarters of UK employees use their smartphones in the workplace ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Technology, Workplace

A majority (84 percent) of British employees use their smartphones at work, with 78 percent regularly responding to text messages during working hours and on average spending as many as 120 hours per year using their smartphones during the working day claims new research. The data, compiled by LaptopsDirect.co.uk, also found that 59 percent regularly take personal phone calls whilst working; 52 percent admit to answering instant messages via platforms such as Whatsapp and Facebook, and 9 percent have sent a Snapchat from their workplace. Employers are not completely against the use of smartphones, though under half (44 percent) permit the reasonable use of smartphones, according to the research; but 14 percent of respondents admit to having been told off for using smartphones at work, and 4 percent have been disciplined for use of their own tech during work time. Of most concern for employers is the fact that more than a third (38 percent) of respondents regularly check their social media accounts while at work.

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March 10, 2017

British workers reveal their pet peeves when commuting ⁰

by Neil Franklin • News

British workers have a range of pet peeves about their daily trip to work are unwilling to travel for more than 1 hour 14 minutes, even for their dream job, according to a survey of 1,002 UK adults, carried out by AllCarLeasing.co.uk, The study found that men are willing to travel up to 1 hour and 29 minutes to work in contrast to women who would prefer to travel for just 59. Londoners are willing to endure the longest commute at an hour and a half, while Manchester residents would be willing to commute just 23 minutes each day. When quizzed on the things that made commuting frustrating or annoying, respondents admitted that getting stuck in traffic infuriated them the most (63 percent). Other passengers not letting others off public transport before getting on (58 percent) and people playing loud music (55 percent) took the top three spots. Not standing to the right on escalators enraged 51 percent of commuters – this is purely a London thing – and taking up spare seats with feet or bags was found to be a big annoyance for 49 percent.

March 9, 2017

What the budget meant for the workplace; experts have their say ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Property, Technology

As has been the case with recent UK Government Budget announcements, Chancellor Philip Hammond’s first Budget addressed a number of issues related to the workplace, technology and infrastructure. It was the first Budget delivered in the post Brexit era and this clearly informed many of the announcements made. While most of the headlines over the past 24 hours have related to the changes to the tax status of the self-employed as a way of raising around £2 billion, the announcements also covered a broad range of topics related to the workplace, HR, technology and property sectors and have drawn an immediate response from key figures in the sector. These include nearly half a billion pounds relief on the vexed question of business rates reforms, a new focus on technical qualifications and a greater investment in 5G and other forms of digital infrastructure. We’ll be having our own say about the implications of the Budget in the near future, but in the meantime, here’s a rundown of the key announcements and the reaction of industry experts.

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March 9, 2017

Google reveals latest designs for new California headquarters ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Case studies, Facilities management, News, Technology, Workplace design

Google has revealed the latest designs for its new Mountain View office campus, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and Heatherwick Studio, the partnership that is also collaborating on Google’s new London offices. This is the third iteration of the designs which will now be presented at a public hearing pending approval by Mountain View City Council. The designs of the purpose built office complex and campus maintain the tent like structures from previous ideas as well as a heavily landscaped environment. The public spaces, pavilions, cafes, research labs, event spaces will be at ground level with offices on a mezzanine level. The new design for the roof incorporates curved metal shapes in grey which will discourage birds from flying into the structure.

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March 9, 2017

Use of mobile technology is key for European businesses in attracting best talent pool ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Technology, Workplace

If European employers want to attract the best job candidates, they need to utilise the latest mobile technologies to attract the right talent pool, a new report commissioned by the Futurestep division of Korn Ferry, has claimed. In a digital and mobile-first world, where candidates browse potential jobs and apply via mobile devices, just 20 percent of respondents in EMEA use mobile technology tools for recruitment – the lowest usage rates in the global study. In addition, just 45 percent say they use video interviewing, while only 46 percent use online assessment tools. According to Talent Forecast, the second part of a major global survey into recruitment and engagement which polled more than 1,100 hiring professionals this represents a missed opportunity as these can help make the talent acquisition process streamlined and more efficient.

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March 9, 2017

London, New York and Hong Kong are most expensive cities to rent office space ⁰

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

London has been named the third most expensive city in the world for office space, behind New York and Hong Kong, according to an analysis by Kit Out My Office on office rental prices. The analysis mirrors many similar studies that identify these cities as the most expensive on the planet in which to do business. The report looked at the cost of leasing office space of 10,000 square foot and associated business costs, such as property tax, service charges, and Internet access. However, all is not doom-and-gloom for businesses looking to relocate or start-up in London. Initiatives and grants are available for businesses, such as Enterprise Investment Schemes and R&D tax credits. The report claims that alongside being named the third most expensive city for office space, the decision by the UK to leave the EU has caused an air of uncertainty and posed many questions that are still unanswered. For example, how will EU workers be treated and will there be levies for companies that trade with Europe.

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March 8, 2017

Fall in number of senior business roles held by women in the UK ⁰

by Sara Bean • Legal news, News, Workplace

A new report to mark International Women’s Day claims that the proportion of senior business roles held by women in the UK has fallen from 21 percent in 2016 to 19 percent in 2017. The report, based on Grant Thornton’s annual survey of 5,500 businesses in 36 economies, also found that the percentage of businesses in the UK with no women in senior management has also risen from 36 percent in 2016 to 41 percent in 2017. This is still an improvement on other EU countries with a lower proportion of senior roles held by women: Germany (18 percent), UK (19 percent), Greece (20 percent) and Netherlands (20 percent)Globally, the proportion of senior business roles held by women has hit a high of 25 percent. However, the findings suggest that progress is slow, with an increase of only 1 percent compared to 2016. Globally, the proportion of senior business roles held by women increased 1 percent from 2016, but that’s only up 6 percent since start of research 13 years ago, in 2004 (18 percent), showing how little progress has been made over the past decade. The research claims that the countries with the highest proportion of senior roles held by women are Russia (47 percent), Indonesia (46 percent) and Estonia (40 percent). The UK had the fifth lowest proportion of women in senior business roles, with Japan recording the lowest (7 percent) and Argentina second lowest (15 percent). (more…)

March 8, 2017

Staff aged 35 and under have lower levels of health and wellbeing than older workers ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Employees aged 35 and under lose the highest average amount of productive time due to absenteeism and presenteeism, are the least physically active in the workforce, have a high proportion of smokers and eat the least fruit and vegetables each day. This is according to data from Britain’s Healthiest Workplace (BHW) which claims that these same employees, many of whom entered the workforce following the recent global financial crisis, already suffer from social mobility challenges and tough economic conditions, which is having a considerable impact on their health and wellbeing. Data from BHW shows that high stress levels can have major impacts on employee productivity at work, which in turn has cost implications for the employer. Almost 35 percent of 26-30 year old employees are physically inactive, completing less than 150 minutes of exercise a week, and on top of this nearly 14 percent of this age group smoke. Comparatively, the same data shows that older employees have healthier habits, with 22.5 percent of 56-60 year olds being physically inactive and only a small proportion (6.1 percent) smoking.

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March 7, 2017

Large scale NHS staff survey shows improvements in workplace experience ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Facilities management, News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

A survey of more than 423,000 NHS staff has shown their experience of the workplace is improving, despite the huge financial pressures and public demand on healthcare in the UK. Responding anonymously to the annual NHS Staff Survey, staff reported small but measurable improvements in 26 of the 32 key workplace categories, including having confidence to raise concerns about clinical practice, feeling supported by managers and recommending their workplace for employment or receiving care. The report is published by the national NHS Staff Survey Co-ordination Centre on behalf of NHS England and was carried out in October and November 2016.

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