Friendly colleagues make an organisation a good place to work, poll claims

Friendly colleagues make an organisation a good place to work, poll claims

A new poll by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr suggests that most people (85 percent) can name at least three positive aspects that make the company that employs them a good place to work. ‘Good people / friendly employees’ was the top pick for two-fifths (40 percent) of the 1,006 British workers polled, with a further third citing good pay and job security (35 percent and 34 percent respectively). Having a supportive manager is the fourth most important consideration for around a quarter of respondents, followed by a good employee benefits package (27 percent and 24 percent respectively). More →

People feel too busy to move around enough during the working day

People feel too busy to move around enough during the working day

A large proportion of workers (86 percent) feel they have too much work to be able to move during the working day, with chronic stress and anxiety becoming increasingly prevalent, according to a new report [registration] by Magic Mountain, supported by CIMSPA (The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity).  Despite growing health issues linked with consistently spending too much time seated, the report claims that over half of workers remain sedentary for eight hours or more during the working day alone. More →

Workplace decision making is subject to a number of conflicting forces

Workplace decision making is subject to a number of conflicting forces

workplace decisionA new survey from 15Five claims that the workplace is in a state of upheaval, with one-third of workers planning to quit their jobs despite the potential economic downturn. Conversely, nearly one in five organisations are planning on layoffs, and more than one-third of HR leaders have rescinded job offers. The poll of 1,000 US full time employees and 500 HR leaders [registration] also claims that work-life balance is a top concern for employees, behind only pay and health benefits. When HR leaders were asked what was most important to their employees, work-life balance claimed the number one spot (64.6 percent), followed by health benefits (62.8 percent) and growth opportunities (54.6 percent). More →

A safe and healthy working environment is now a human right

A safe and healthy working environment is now a human right

healthy working environmentA landmark decision was made recently in the long history of efforts to protect people from injury and illness at work. At a hybrid conference held by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, for those attending in person, delegates voted in favour of a resolution to make the principle of a safe and healthy work environment a human right. That’s correct; we managed to reach the third decade of the 21st century without a safe workplace being a fundamental right of us all. More →

Hybrid working could be doomed by a failure to protect organisational culture

Hybrid working could be doomed by a failure to protect organisational culture

hybrid working return to officeA new report from Poly warns that hybrid working policies could be destined to fail if organisations do not protect company culture while facilitating “a return to office”. The report claims that getting employees back to the office is a challenge being fuelled by a reluctance to return, with employees citing concerns over work-life balance and productivity. This reluctance is exacerbated by rising bills and spiralling inflation, with the cost of living putting increased pressure on employee finances, causing them to potentially choose between traveling to work or spending that money elsewhere.  More →

Two thirds of businesses set to increase borderless working over next 12 months

Two thirds of businesses set to increase borderless working over next 12 months

borderless workingA new poll from Perkbox suggests that a growing number of businesses are going to look to borderless working to resolve hiring challenges. According to the survey, almost two-thirds of businesses (62 percent) plan to increase the number of remote staff they hire outside of their main country of operations over the next 12 months. This drive is fuelled by technological advances over the past two years facilitating greater hybrid and remote working. There are a range of motivations, but the survey of 500 UK business leaders identified the top three as building a more diverse workforce to access a wider talent pool (35 percent), encouraging innovation (32 percent), and building a global workforce (29 percent) to service a wider customer base. More →

Employees at large firms only in office for 1.5 days a week on average

Employees at large firms only in office for 1.5 days a week on average

A global study of nearly 80 offices in 13 countries with nearly 80,000 employees has revealed a seismic shift in working pattens, with people now coming into the office an average of just 1.4 days a week, versus nearly four days a week before the Covid-19 pandemic. The Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) Hybrid Working Index study [registration], conducted during June and July this year, found that on an average day two thirds of desks are unused and just over a quarter of people are coming into the offices, with the attendance figure dropping to just 12 percent on Fridays. More →

Circularity is now essential in the delivery of net zero buildings

Circularity is now essential in the delivery of net zero buildings

net zero buildingThe UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published new insight into the positive impact circular thinking can have in delivering whole life carbon reductions and value creation across construction projects. The study, ‘How Circular Economy Principles can impact carbon and value‘ seeks to increase understanding within the built environment sector of how circularity can support reductions in whole life carbon in achieving net zero. It also seeks to enable project decision-makers and key built environment stakeholders to strengthen the business case for implementing circularity. More →

Benefits of zero-hours contracts outweigh downsides for most people

Benefits of zero-hours contracts outweigh downsides for most people

zero hours contractsNew research from the CIPD suggests there needs to be a more balanced and nuanced debate about their place in the labour market, that recognises both the positives and downsides to zero-hours work. The CIPD’s new research ‘Zero-hours contracts – Evolution and current status’– claims that this kind of arrangement – where there’s no guaranteed minimum number of hours that must be worked – is an established part of the UK labour market. It finds that the number of people on ZHCs has changed little since 2015, making up just 3 percent of employment. Fewer than a fifth of employers (18 percent) use ZHCs, and they’re most often used in the hospitality and entertainment industries, in the voluntary sector, and typically in roles such as bar staff, waiters/waitresses, and care workers. More →

Exploring the best current thinking about work and the workplace

Exploring the best current thinking about work and the workplace

Issue 12 of IN Magazine is in production, but in the meantime Issue 11 explores the best and latest thinking from the world of work. In this issue: we talk to Joanna Frank about active design; visit the offices of Drees and Sommer in Stuttgart; consider the role of routines in creativity; argue that we need to understand the past before we can shape the future; discover Iceland’s new Science City; hear about the changing nature of workplace experiences; and much more. Includes our latest supplement, exploring the role of internal comms in hybrid work cultures, published in association with Magenta. Print copies will be mailed out in the next few days. More →

Commercial property values fall during July

Commercial property values fall during July

commercial propertyCapital values decreased 0.5 percent across all UK commercial property in July 2022, according to the latest CBRE Monthly Index. Over the month, rental value growth was 0.3 percent. Total returns were -0.1 percent. In July, capital values for the office sector decreased 0.1 percent. Capital value growth was pulled down by Outer London and M25 offices and offices in the rest of the UK both reporting a decline of 0.3 percent. Central London offices posted a capital value growth of 0.1 percent. Rental values for the office sector increased 0.1 percent in July. Rental growth was driven by Outer London and M25 offices (0.4 percent) and rest of UK offices (0.3 percent). In July, total returns for the office sector were 0.4 percent. More →

ESG: only a third of people think their workplace has a positive impact on society and the environment

ESG: only a third of people think their workplace has a positive impact on society and the environment

ESGAccording to a poll from YuLife and YouGov, just over a third (39 percent) of people think their place of work has some sort of positive impact on society and the planet. This is in spite of the many announcements from organisations about how ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) can boost employee engagement and help them stand out from their competitors. With many businesses having upped their ESG investment in recent years,  the new YuLife-YouGov report claims to shed light on what UK working adults want and expect from their workplaces, equipping businesses with vital insights into how to focus their ESG programmes most effectively. More →