January 30, 2023

New study will explore the impact of economic turmoil on workplace experience

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

People’s workplace experience in the wake of recent economic upheavals is to be investigated as part of a major new survey led by Cardiff University and funded mainly by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The Skills and Employment Survey 2023 (SES2023), which also involves researchers at UCL, the Universities of Oxford and Surrey and the National Centre for Social Research, will help academics assess the impact of an extraordinary period of turbulence for workers which includes the economic downturn, Cost-of-Living Crisis, Covid-19 and Brexit. More →

January 27, 2023

Issue 13 of IN Magazine celebrates ten years of workplace insight

by Mark Eltringham • Environment, Facilities management, News, Premium Content, Technology, Workplace, Workplace design

The new issue of In Magazine has now been published. It marks ten years of Workplace Insight with a few things we think we know about work, working culture and work places. Elsewhere in this issue: Stephanie Fitzgerald talks about the unspoken privilege of wellbeing; we consider the sprawl of the world’s megacities; Jo Knight argues that the office sector needs to really up its game on the environment; Rene Stevens makes the case for a strategic approach to learning environments; we weigh up the pros and cons of retrofit and new builds; Neil Usher sets out to develop a universally acceptable definition of hybrid working; Andy Brown on what we really need data for; why dead tech hangs around; and we do the maths on what it means when people say the office should be worth the commute it takes to get to it. More →

January 27, 2023

New lighting guide updated to embrace era of hybrid working

by Jayne Smith • Facilities management, Lighting, News, Workplace design

The Society of Light and Lighting has launched the latest Lighting Guide 07 (LG7): Offices [paywall for non CIBSE members]. There have been considerable developments since the previous edition, published in 2015. The new guide considers hybrid working, addressing uncertainty around how office space will be used in the future. With increased hybrid working and the use of portable devices, people are spending less time at their desks and in the office. This revision of Lighting Guide 7 now includes home office lighting advice. More →

January 25, 2023

Firms failing to embed net zero into operations

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News

A survey [registration] of 300 managers at organisations in industrial sectors across the U.K., U.S. and Germany by ESG consulting firm Sphera, claims that while 85 percent of companies now have net zero strategies, the majority are failing to incorporate them into daily business operations. Only 41 percent of operations managers have seen sustainability strategies produce significant changes in daily practices, and 32 percent say their firms do not align with science-based emissions targets. More →

January 25, 2023

Cost of living driving employees to seek new jobs or more help from employers

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A large majority (84 percent) of employees are experiencing stress and anxiety due to the cost-of-living crisis, yet two-thirds of employers aren’t offering any financial or emotional support. This is the key claim in a new report from Workhuman which suggests that employees across the UK are struggling with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, with 62.5 percent considering leaving their current job if their employer doesn’t recognise their financial struggles or does nothing to support them. The survey of 1,000 full-time employees across the UK also claims that 77 percent of employees said their employer could be doing more to support them financially and emotionally through the current crisis. More →

January 25, 2023

Half of tech workers bracing themselves for layoffs, but fears may be unfounded

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Tech workers are pre-empting layoffs in 2023 and taking steps to protect their careers, according to a new poll from CWJobs. The survey – carried out among 2,000 UK tech workers – revealed more than half (53 percent) are pre-emptively applying for new jobs in case of redundancies at their firm. The research suggests that London tech workers feel at most risk, with nearly two thirds (63 percent) pre-emptively applying for a new job in case of layoffs – the highest out of any region. Young people are also more likely to make sure they have a Plan B in place, with 62 percent of 18-24-year-old tech workers actively applying for new jobs in case they are laid off, compared to 24 percent of those aged 55+. More →

January 24, 2023

Offices valued as a place to get work done, not just connect

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

The latest Workplace Survey from the Gensler Research Institute sets out to explore how employees are spending their time as they return to the office, how offices can more successfully support them, and the strategic design interventions that will have the biggest impact on the workplace experience. As companies consider the future of their workplaces, the new data suggests that U.S. employees are looking for offices that are both highly effective and offer a desirable mix of experiences. The highest-performing workplaces are those that support all modes of work, offer a wide range of experiences, and are located in amenity-rich buildings and/or neighbourhoods. More →

January 24, 2023

Hybrid working remains a key recruitment tool

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Over four in five (83 percent) HR professionals across the UK say that hybrid working is essential in attracting the best talent, according to a new survey from flexible workspace operator IWG. The poll of 500 UK HR professionals suggests that benefits like hybrid working, which give employees a better work/life balance, are crucial for attracting talent. Almost two thirds (64 percent) of HR professionals have experienced applicants turn down a job because of a lack of wellness benefits such as flexible working and exercise options. More →

January 23, 2023

Half of people never thought they’d be back working in an office last year

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Property

More than half of UK employees did not believe they would return to office based work full time in 2022, according to a survey by GlobalData. The poll from the analytics company which focuses its research on the insurance sector suggests that increasing consumer demand for flexible working models presents both challenges and opportunities. GlobalData’s survey, conducted as part of research for its Insurance Intelligence Center, indicates that only 40 percent of those surveyed anticipated a return to the office in 2022. More →

January 20, 2023

Vast majority of IT managers prioritise commercial success over sustainability

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Technology

A new poll claims that the vast majority of tech managers prioritise commercial success over sustainability, despite the fact that nearly all agree with the idea that sustainability is good for business. The report from Software AG is based on a survey of 2,000 senior IT decision-makers from the US, Canada, UK, Germany and France. It suggests that most organisations prioritise commercial objectives over sustainability in the face of economic challenges. This is despite the fact that almost all (95 percent) leaders agree sustainability is either a top or high priority and a similar number (97 percent) agree that other firms’ sustainability credentials are either essential or important in their own buying decisions. The annual Reality Check reports seeks to investigate how technology initiatives can benefit both sustainability and commercial objectives. More →

January 19, 2023

Third of firms believe hybrid working improves productivity, but at a cost

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A poll from the latest Bupa Global Executive Wellbeing Index suggests that over a third (35 percent) of UK business leaders feel implementing hybrid working has brought greater productivity to their organisations. Over a quarter (29 percent) of UK executives said they had now embraced the benefits of hybrid working despite being previously dubious about the practice, with more than two-fifths (44 percent) saying they personally enjoy the flexibility of a hybrid workplace. Overall, over a third of UK business leaders (35 percent) agreed that working from home increases productivity. More →

January 17, 2023

TOG opens what it claims is Central London’s tallest mass timber office building

by Freddie Steele • Environment, News, Property

Flexible office provider TOG has announced the opening of its first project built from the ground up – The Black & White Building, located in Shoreditch. The firm claims that The Black & White Building is Central London’s tallest mass timber office, standing at 17.8 metres high and covering 38,315 sq ft. The workspace has been built using renewable materials and innovative construction methods, which TOG claims results in embodied carbon creation being reduced by 37 percent compared with a concrete structure of the same size. More →