Parliament refit could hold back UK net zero efforts for 40 years

Parliament refit could hold back UK net zero efforts for 40 years

by • Environment, Facilities management, News

The £20 billion refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster, could impact the availability of people needed for UK net zero targetsThe extensive refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster, a project estimated to cost over £20 billion, could significantly impact the availability of specialist craftworkers needed for the UK’s net zero targets, according to Historic England. The public body is warning that the project, which could take up to 43 years and require around 3,000 specialist workers annually, would absorb a large portion of the nation’s skilled heritage plasterers, carpenters, and window specialists. This is likely to strain an already limited workforce at a time when the country faces a shortage of traditional building crafts essential for refurbishing older buildings. More →

Traditional models of facilities management are no longer fit for purpose, report claims

Traditional models of facilities management are no longer fit for purpose, report claims

by • Facilities management, News

facilities managmentWorkplaces need to be maintained and managed in a more agile and responsive way if they are to serve the needs of hybrid working and the so-called return to the office, according to new research from Colliers. Colliers Global Occupier Services’ new report Adaptive Facilities Management – a new vision in agility reveals traditional facilities management (FM) models, where services are delivered at fixed frequencies and costs, are no longer fit for purpose, due to occupancy levels at many workplaces remaining in flux. More →

Commercial property market should be more optimistic, but it still needs to change

Commercial property market should be more optimistic, but it still needs to change

by • News, Property

JLL’s latest Future of Work Survey claims to reveal new opportunities for the commercial property sector as two-thirds of business leaders expect their CRE budget to riseJLL’s latest Future of Work Survey claims to reveal new opportunities for the commercial property sector as two-thirds of business leaders expect their CRE budget to rise between now and 2030. Despite challenges in the commercial real estate sector and bumpy economic conditions, global business leaders are optimistic about the future, with two-thirds (65 percent) expecting their CRE budgets to increase by 2030, according to the poll. This survey sets out to explore the evolving nature of work, assessing the key priorities, challenges, and strategies for more than 2,300 business and CRE decision-makers. More →

Digital transformation efforts yet to translate into greater productivity at many firms

Digital transformation efforts yet to translate into greater productivity at many firms

by • AI, News, Technology

British and Irish firms are increasing their investment in digital transformation, according to Docusign’s Digital Maturity Report 2024, but this hasn’t yet translated into improved productivity or digital maturityBritish and Irish firms are increasing their investment in digital transformation, according to Docusign’s Digital Maturity Report 2024, but this hasn’t yet translated into improved productivity or digital maturity. The poll of 600 decision makers in the UK and Ireland, now in its second year, reveals what it claims is a ‘stark productivity and efficiency paradox’ for employers, as well as a Catch-22 for workers. More →

Firms are optimistic about AI, but most have little idea what to do with it

Firms are optimistic about AI, but most have little idea what to do with it

by • AI, News

Despite high levels of optimism about their adoption of AI, two thirds of firms say they are not ready to implement AI in projects yetDespite high levels of optimism about their adoption of artificial intelligence, two thirds of firms say they are not ready to implement AI in projects yet, according to a new poll. The Riverbed Global AI & Digital Experience Survey suggests that while 94 percent of those surveyed say AI is a top C-Suite priority and 91 percent agree it provides a competitive advantage, only 37 percent are fully prepared to implement projects now,  However, 86 percent of leaders say they expect their organisation to be fully prepared to implement a strategy and projects by 2027.  More →

A new approach is needed to tackle ill health and economic inactivity, report argues

A new approach is needed to tackle ill health and economic inactivity, report argues

by • News, Wellbeing

A ‘whole-of-government approach’ is needed to tackle the causes of ill health, increase economic activity and reduce NHS demandA ‘whole-of-government approach’ is needed to tackle the causes of ill health, increase economic activity and reduce NHS demand, a new report from the NHS Confederation and Boston Consulting Group claims. According to the report, “Improving our Nation’s Health: A Whole-of-Government Approach to Tackling the Causes of Long-Term Sickness and Economic Inactivity”, reintegrating between half and three-quarters of people who have dropped out of the workforce for reasons of ill health since 2020 could deliver an estimated £109-177 billion boost to the UK’s GDP (2-3 per cent in 2029) and unlock £35-57 billion in fiscal revenue over the next five years. More →

US law firms make up two thirds of global law firm office leasing activity

US law firms make up two thirds of global law firm office leasing activity

by • News, Property

Together, US cities accounted for 69 percent of overall H1 law firm office leasing activity in the world’s largest legal marketsNew York accounted for a third of all leasing activity globally in the legal sector in the first half of 2024, says Savills, equating to over 1.4 million sq ft of space, out of a total of 4.3 million sq ft across the world’s 15 largest legal markets, reflecting its position as the world’s principal legal hub. Together, US cities accounted for 69 percent of overall H1 law firm office leasing activity in the world’s largest legal markets, reflecting the dominance of American firms in the sector overall, as well as the tendency for US legal offices to have a lower occupancy density and thereby requiring more space, according to Savills. More →

Generative AI will lead to a threefold increase in greenhouse gases from data centres

Generative AI will lead to a threefold increase in greenhouse gases from data centres

by • AI, Environment, News

Data centres are set to emit three times more carbon dioxide because of generative AIA new report claims that data centres will generate around 2.5 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide by the end of the decade. This figure is three times higher than it would have been had the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) not occurred. The report, published by Morgan Stanley titled Global Data Centers: Sizing & Solving for CO2, suggests that the combined emissions from the construction of new facilities and their energy consumption will amount to around 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent by 2030, roughly 40 per cent of the United States’ current annual emissions More →

Managers and employees have very different ideas about the quality of their management

Managers and employees have very different ideas about the quality of their management

by • Business, News

Most business leaders feel their management skills are up to scratch, but the people who work for them don't believe itA new poll from Unmind claims claims that there is a significant discrepancy between how UK managers believe they’re performing and the experience of those being managed by them, with over two-thirds (67 percent) UK workers having left or considered leaving their job because of a bad manager. The survey of 3,005 office workers (1,500 managers and 1,505 employees) suggests that, while 83 percent of managers say they’ve had formal training in people management, only 63 percent of their direct reports don’t believe it. Two fifths (40 percent) UK workers say they don’t believe their manager has had sufficient training or the right skills to perform their role. More →

Shared Parental Leave (still) failing to deliver for working dads

Shared Parental Leave (still) failing to deliver for working dads

by • News, Workplace

New research suggests that Shared Parental Leave (SPL) has failed to encourage greater take-up or longer leave by fathers, prompting calls for policy reformNew research suggests that Shared Parental Leave (SPL) has failed to encourage greater take-up or longer leave by fathers, prompting calls for policy reform. Introduced in April 2015, SPL was designed to let parents share the load of looking after their children, giving fathers a greater role at home and encouraging mothers to get back to work sooner. But new research by economists from the Economics Department and Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at the University of Bath and Cardiff University shows that the policy has fallen flat. Workplace Insight has been tracking the bumpy passage of the legislation over the past nine years. You can see our coverage here. More →

Millions of parents face work struggles due to children’s mental health challenges

Millions of parents face work struggles due to children’s mental health challenges

by • News, Wellbeing

Millions of parents across the UK are finding it increasingly difficult to balance work responsibilities with the demands of caring for children who suffer from mental health issuesMillions of parents across the UK are finding it increasingly difficult to balance work responsibilities with the demands of caring for children who suffer from mental health issues, according to a new poll. In the UK, approximately 2.5 million children are grappling with mental health issues, a statistic that has significant repercussions for their families. The study of 652 parents commissioned by the charity Parenting Mental Health offers a detailed look into how these challenges affect the lives of parents. More →

Londoners spending more time in the office, but not as much as people in other global cities

Londoners spending more time in the office, but not as much as people in other global cities

by • Flexible working, News, Property

Central London is showing steady progress in the return to a traditional working day, with workers spending more time in the office compared to last yearCentral London is showing steady progress in the return to a traditional working day, with workers spending more time in the office compared to last year, according to a new survey. The data, collected by Centre for Cities in collaboration with Savanta and Focaldata, claims that the average full-time worker in Central London spent 2.7 days per week in the office in June 2024. This marks an increase from the 2.2 days recorded in April 2023. More →

«< 4 5 6 7 8 >»