November 4, 2016

Lack of flexible working a major reason for junior staff’s discontent ⁰

by Sara Bean • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

As we highlighted last month, it seems that flexible working is becoming the 21st century equivalent of the ‘executive washroom,’ with only the more senior members of staff being afforded that perk. Now a new survey suggests that a lack of opportunity for agile working is one of the reasons why junior members of staff are the least happy people in the workforce. There appear to be a variety of factors contributing to this, including: low pay; individuals feeling overworked yet, significantly, unfulfilled and undervalued and of course the denial of flexible working measures. For Office Genie’s latest research into workplace happiness, UK workers were asked how they felt before and after the working day and junior staff members selected ‘quite negative’ and ‘very negative’ more than any other seniority level. Part of the reason may lie in the fact that 46 percent of junior staff report feeling overworked, however nearly a third admit to not feeling fulfilled (32 percent) or challenged (29 percent).

November 3, 2016

Quarter of staff off work with stress hide truth from employers ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A startling number of people in the UK who are suffering from stress hide from their employers, according to new research from Aviva to mark National Stress Awareness Day. A quarter of people (25 percent) surveyed admitted taking a day off work with stress but then blamed it on a physical illness. Based on the current number of people working in the UK, it indicates that almost eight million people are suffering in silence. The data also suggests that a third of people (33 percent) have taken a day off work with stress at some stage in their career. 25-34 year olds were the most likely to have taken time off (46 percent) with those aged over 55 seemingly the least likely to need time away from work (25 percent). More than half of men (53 percent) who had taken a day off work with stress at some stage in their career said they had done so in the last year, compared to just a third of women (34 percent).

November 3, 2016

Employers worldwide are failing to keep senior female managers engaged ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Some of the world’s biggest and best-known companies have lower engagement than they should among senior-level women, claims a new report, which found significant engagement gaps in key areas, including mentorship, appreciation and cooperation with colleagues. Roughly three quarters of those surveyed for the rewards of an Engaged Female Workforce were found to have generated lower levels of employee engagement among female senior managers. The research from BCG looked at factors that contribute to engagement levels for more than 345,000 male and female employees across the world and found that in companies in the bottom three quartiles of overall engagement scores, the scores of women increase by just 4 percent from non-manager to senior manager level while men’s increase by a full 12 percent. The study also found that companies in the top 25% of overall engagement scores had virtually no engagement gap between senior female managers (4.5) and senior male managers (4.4 ) when scores are rated from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied).

November 2, 2016

Employers increased focus on wellbeing lacks adequate training and support ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Nearly half (46 percent) of employers say that their organisation has increased its focus on wellbeing over the last 12 months; and when asked the reasons for this, 63 percent of respondents to the 2016 CIPD/Simplyhealth Absence Management Survey said they want their organisation to be a great place to work, 47 percent said their organisation believes employee well-being is linked to business performance, and 43 percent said their organisation believes it’s the right thing to do. Additionally, nearly two-fifths (37 percent) of organisations that invest in wellbeing say they have increased their well-being spend over the last twelve months and almost two-thirds (64 percent) have improved communications to staff about the wellbeing benefits on offer and how to access them. However, the survey found that while more employers are recognising the value of line managers in managing absence at work, they are not giving them the tools and support necessary to do it effectively.

November 2, 2016

Calming office space and flexible hours best ways to combat workplace stress ⁰

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

More flexible hours, a more caring attitude from management, a welcoming office design and space away from the desk to take a break are much more effective ways to reduce workplace stress than expensive office overhauls or the provision of mindfulness classes, a new survey claims. A study into the measures that help reduce stress conducted by Cascade HR, explored what workers feel bosses can do to reduce their stress levels, and found that introducing flexible working hours (47 percent), early finishes on Fridays (39 percent) and a caring, friendly management style (38 percent) would have the biggest impact. The research also revealed the physical aspects of the workplace which employees believe employers could change or introduce to improve their occupational mental health. In fact, the workplace being clean and tidy was the factor that workers felt could go the furthest to reducing their stress (35 percent), while almost 1 in 3 felt having music playing would help to keep their stress at bay; as would simply having a space away from desks in which to chill out (29 percent) or to eat (27 percent) during breaks.

November 2, 2016

A quarter of UK workers have complained of stress at work but received no support ⁰

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Figures released in the fourth annual Employee Insight Report from Capita claim that one in four UK workers (26 percent) say they have complained to their employers about feeling stressed but have received no support. With the new statistics released on National Stress Awareness Day, the report suggests that stress is prevalent among the vast majority of UK workers, with three quarters (75 percent) saying they have felt stressed at some point over the past 12 months – more than a quarter (28 percent) say they feel stressed on and off throughout the year, while 5 percent say they feel stressed ‘all the time’. The report also shows most people (56 percent) would not feel comfortable talking about taking time off for issues such as depression or stress with their fellow workers, suggesting stigmas remain around mental health concerns.

November 1, 2016

Office occupier take up in Edinburgh grows, despite Brexit pessimism ⁰

by Sara Bean • Cities, Facilities management, News

Contrary to the rather less positive outlook predicted for the whole of Scotland, office occupier take up in Edinburgh is on course to defy gloomy Brexit predictions, following a steady third quarter of 2016, according to new statistics published by JLL. In total, 134,462 sq ft of office space, spanning 44 deals, was transacted in Edinburgh between July and September, only marginally down on the previous quarter. Reflecting the rapid growth of Edinburgh’s booming TMT sector, tech companies have accounted for 30 percent of all Edinburgh office take up so far this year, followed by Professional Services at 21 percent. Total take-up for the year to date (Jan – Sept) reached 570,000 sq ft, just 5 per cent behind the transacted space recorded at the same point in 2015, a year which saw the capital’s highest take up since 2001. Responding to the rise of Edinburgh’s tech sector landlords are carrying out refurbishments aimed at appealing to this upcoming market, including Edinburgh’s largest single office building at One Lochrin Square and Greenside, a refurbishment proposed by the Chris Stewart Group.

November 1, 2016

UK Green Building Council’s HQ claims to set new environmental standards in office refurbishment ⁰

by Sara Bean • Case studies, Environment, Facilities management, News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

By achieving the lowest embodied carbon footprint ever recorded for an office refurbishment in the UK, the new headquarters in Central London for the UK Green Building Council is designed to inspire and encourage employers, landlords and occupiers alike to set the bar high when upgrading their office spaces, according to the organisation. It claims that the project is an exemplar for sustainable office refurbishment and features a range of wellbeing measures. UK-GBC says it hopes that this landmark project will also demonstrate that even a 160m² floorspace can deliver commercial, social and environmental value if each decision is challenged and scrutinised. Wellbeing measures have been incorporated into the design in order to improve staff satisfaction, productivity and overall health and wellness. These measures include: a living wall with over 1,500 plants; an innovative ventilation system, which has delivered a 750 percent increase in background fresh air; an automated low-energy LED lighting system; and products and finishes that minimisepollutants from the air.

October 31, 2016

Wellbeing threat for UK workers who don’t see daylight in winter ⁰

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

The customary debate over putting the clocks back has come and gone, as has the average workers chances of seeing any daylight until the early spring, for according to new research, the average office worker will now only be seeing daylight for less than an hour (52 minutes) a week. Nine in 10 rarely glimpse daylight during the winter months as they arrive at and leave work in the dark, according to a poll of 2,000 workers by Get More Vitamin Drinks. The average person will only leave the building for a total of 52 minutes during the week, although two-thirds admit there are at least two weeks in every month where they don’t spend any time outside at all. Unsurprisingly, just under half of office workers believe their work suffers as a direct result of the lack of sunlight – with productivity dropping rapidly from around 2pm. The study shows two thirds of office workers will start finding it difficult to concentrate by the early hours of the afternoon in winter as a direct result of being stuck inside.

October 31, 2016

Office space sees dip in demand post-Brexit says RICS ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Property

Demand for office space following the Brexit outcome remains flat according to RICS latest UK Commercial Market Survey 2016; and while the overall UK Commercial property market is showing some signs of a return to a more positive mood post-EU referendum, this has been driven mainly by the industrial sector. London and Scotland are lagging behind the rest of the UK, with Scotland seeing the sharpest drop in headline demand with 24 percent more chartered surveyors seeing a fall during Q3. In the capital, demand fell for the second consecutive quarter with offices seeing the most significant dip (22 percent more respondents reported seeing a fall in demand for London office space). Anecdotal evidence suggests that political uncertainty is still having an effect on both these markets. And the survey also found that respondents from German cities have seen enquiries from UK-based firms and expect there to be an increase in relocation away from Britain over the next two years.

October 28, 2016

Toxic culture at work a leading grievance for unhappy staff ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Nearly a third of UK workers (30 percent) would not describe themselves as happy at work and would move jobs for better benefits and a more pleasant workplace culture, a new survey claims. The report by Perkbox finds that the power of ‘Thank You’ in business is an overlooked and often underestimated resource, yet its influence to elevate moods, increase engagement and uplift productivity is profound. Over two thirds (69 percent) of UK workers polled rate company perks and benefits as important to their overall satisfaction and more than a quarter (26 percent) rate lack of reward and recognition for good work as their number one grievance at work. Yet over half (53 percent) of UK companies do not formally recognise outstanding employees on a regular basis, while 44 percent believe that rewards and recognition are either very or extremely relevant to their business. UK workers also reported that a toxic negative culture at work was their biggest grievance (cited by 21 percent of respondents) while 17 percent highlighted micro management and 15 percent said long hours. In London, nearly half (48 percent) of workers would be likely to switch to a job that offered better benefits and overall women are more likely than men to consider work/life balance an important factor in switching jobs (41 percent vs 35 percent).

October 27, 2016

One in six public sector jobs to be lost to automation, claims report ⁰

by Neil Franklin • News, Public Sector, Technology

Up to 861,000 public sector jobs in the UK – around 16 percent of the overall workforce – could be automated by 2030 according to research by Deloitte. The research builds on Deloitte’s work with Oxford University on job automation and is included in the firm’s The State of the State report for 2016-17 – its annual analysis of the state of public finances and the challenges facing public services. Deloitte’s previous work has shown that all sectors of the UK economy will be affected by automation in the next two decades, with 74 percent of jobs in transportation and storage, 59 percent of jobs in wholesale and retail and 56 percent of jobs in manufacturing having a high chance of being automated. The public sector includes higher numbers of roles in areas such as education and caring, as well as jobs requiring public interaction, all of which are at lower risk of automation. However, Deloitte calculates that automation could still lead to a reduction of up to £17 billion in public sector wage costs by 2030.