July 21, 2022

Digital presenteeism now a pervasive cultural pressure

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Damaging habits from the office have been imported into remote work, with a pervasive culture of digital presenteeism taking hold, according to a new report Killing Time at Work from Qatalog and GitLab Inc. The research also claims to reveal a new phenomenon which the authors have dubbed ‘async privilege’, with C-suite execs taking advantage of new freedoms to work on their own schedule, but not providing those same opportunities to junior members of staff. More →

July 21, 2022

Corporate real estate firms lagging on digital transformation

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Technology

Resistance to change and lack of resources are holding back real estate firms on digital transformation, a new report [registration] claims. The study involved more than 175 innovation leads in corporate real estate organisations at locations worldwide, including British Land, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield and Buro Happold. Authored by Swedish PropTech academic Olli Vigren, the report sets out to explain why the sector has fallen behind other industries in adopting new technology. More →

July 20, 2022

Toxic work culture continues to bedevil certain sectors

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Healthcare is among the worst industries in the UK for a certain type of toxic work culture, a new study by Delamere claims. The study claims to have identified the industries with the worst attitudes towards what it calls toxic hustle culture. Hustle culture refers to people feeling pressured to work tirelessly in order to constantly make money and be productive. More →

July 20, 2022

People who are proactive at work find their jobs more meaningful

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Being proactive at work is key to finding your job meaningful, a new study from ESSEC Business School suggests. According to the research, undertaken by Karoline Strauss, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at ESSEC Business School, proactivity at work and job meaningfulness are linked, especially when employees are otherwise unsure about the impact their tasks will have. More →

July 20, 2022

Enduring problems holding back success of UK government property strategy

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Public Sector

Longstanding problems such as poor data pose major risks to the successful delivery of the UK Government’s property strategy, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Central government property, valued at £158 billion, is one of government’s largest assets. It includes offices, hospitals, academy schools, jobcentres, courts, prisons and museums. The Office of Government Property (OGP) sets the strategic direction for the management of government property. The Cabinet Office has categorised properties into 12 portfolios (such as health, defence and school portfolios), 10 of which are led by a single department or arm’s-length body. The Government Property Agency (GPA) sets and implements a property strategy for the government’s office and warehouse portfolios. More →

July 20, 2022

Four day week seen as unrealistic for millions of people

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Interest in the four day work week is rising yet millions of UK workers are set to miss out, according to research from ClickUp. It found that certain careers are more likely to miss out on the idea of working a day less each week for no reduction in pay, as other employment sectors may go ahead. Businesses must take action to close these gaps to create equity for workers in the UK, the report argues. More →

July 15, 2022

Ditch the compulsory fun and ping pong tables. What people really want from the office

by Neil Franklin • News

As companies try to attract employees back to the office, a new survey of 4,000 people claims to reveal that what employees really want are yoga studios, office gyms and designated quiet spaces where they can work in peace. The survey findings suggest that employees are less interested in fun and games during the work day and more hungry for perks that enhance their work-life satisfaction. More →

July 14, 2022

Rising office fit-out costs begin to hit occupiers

by Jayne Smith • News, Property

An analysis by Savills of Q2 2022 Prime Office Costs (SPOC) in global markets around the world suggests that inflation and supply chain issues are now feeding into office fit-out costs and keeping occupiers’ net effective costs high in many cities around the world. Over the past year office fit-out costs have risen an average of 6 percent across the SPOC cities that have so far reported rises says Savills, although proportionally they remain a small part of overall costs compared to rents. More →

July 14, 2022

95 percent of organisations have experienced issues implementing hybrid working

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A new poll from XpertHR claims that nearly all UK organisations (95 percent) have encountered challenges implementing hybrid working, with reluctance to return to the workplace the leading issue currently faced by employers. Of the 292 organisations XpertHR surveyed, almost all (95 percent) operate a hybrid model. For most (59 percent) organisations, staff generally spend between 2-3 days working from home each week, however, over a third (37 percent) of staff are unhappy with this split and would prefer to spend even less time in the office. More →

July 14, 2022

Three quarters of young people worldwide lack skills needed for employment

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Nearly three quarters of young people aged 15 to 24 in 92 countries with available data are off-track to acquire the skills needed for employment, according to a new report published today by the Education Commission and UNICEF to coincide with World Youth Skills Day. Recovering learning: Are children and youth on track in skills development? features analyses on development in early childhood, and among children of primary school age and youth. The data highlight low levels of skill among children and young people across all age groups, with young people in low-income countries the least likely to have those required to thrive, particularly in future employment opportunities, decent work, and entrepreneurship. More →

July 14, 2022

UK ranks 17th worldwide for remote work

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

The UK ranks 17th in the world for remote work, according to a new report released by NordLayer. The report evaluated 66 countries in total. The report claims that the two biggest factors in the UK’s score are a relatively low cybersecurity ranking and a lower than expected digital and physical infrastructure ranking. The report concludes that the UK is not necessarily unsafe to work digitally but is taking longer than other countries to adapt and evolve digital practices and standards. More →

July 13, 2022

ESG reporting is mainly a box ticking exercise, say half of employees

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Wellbeing

Half of employees see ESG reporting as a box-ticking exercise according to a new poll from EcoOnline. The firm’s ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) survey was conducted in June 2022 and included 124 businesses and their employees. The study found a significant minority of businesses polled are not actively reporting on ESG measures and performance, with 42 percent of survey participants disclosing that their organisation currently has no reporting system in place. More →