Employees take a dim view of organisations with poor sustainability records

Employees take a dim view of organisations with poor sustainability records

sustainabilityThe fourth research report from the Reward & Employee Benefits Association’s (REBA) Transforming Engagement [registration] series in association with Mercer Marsh Benefits suggests perceptions of a business’s approach to sustainability is influencing employee reward and benefits practices and decisions. However, many businesses are changing business practices, products and services to meet sustainability goals. REBA’s report claims that nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) respondent organisations have made changes to at least some of their products or services to meet sustainability objectives. More →

Tech firms now less likely to offer fully remote working

Tech firms now less likely to offer fully remote working

tech talent remote workingFully remote working is no longer viewed as the ‘holy grail’ by tech employers, with hybrid working now viewed as the perfect model for aiding retention and recruitment of talent. That is the main conclusion of Robert Half’s Demand for Tech Talent report, which surveyed 750 tech hiring managers across the UK. The results of the survey suggest that remote working – which the report claims was widely touted as the ‘future of work’ both before and during the pandemic – is now being shunned by companies in favour of a flexible approach. More →

Two thirds of SME staff ‘less likely’ to go off sick when working from home

Two thirds of SME staff ‘less likely’ to go off sick when working from home

working from homeTwo thirds of people working for small and medium sized businesses say they are are less likely to take sick leave when working from home and nearly half say they feel more pressure to justify their productivity when working remotely. The poll [registration] of around 1,300 people from Breathe suggests that the pressure people when working from home can lead to counterproductive forms of digital presenteeism.  More →

Poor mental wellbeing costs UK contact centres almost £1 billion each year

Poor mental wellbeing costs UK contact centres almost £1 billion each year

mental wellbeing contact centresPeople working in contact centre roles say that work-related poor mental wellbeing is making them less productive, including answering fewer calls and taking more sick days – costing the industry over £990m in lost productivity every year. That’s according to a new study, Duty of Care Gap [registration] from MaxContact. The contact centres industry is a huge contributor to the UK economy, employing over 800,000 people across the country. Yet the industry is facing a mental health crisis, with 83 percent workers saying their work is taking a toll on their mental wellbeing, with staff reporting high stress levels (62 percent), anxiety (48 percent) and feeling overwhelmed (46 percent). More →

BCO announces overhaul of specification guide

BCO announces overhaul of specification guide

BCO specification guideThe British Council for Offices (BCO), has released a position paper proposing updated key design criteria, as part of its most recognised publication, the BCO Guide to Specification. The guide, which is normally published every 4 or 5 years, provides expert best practice advice on how to specify office space, helping industry practitioners provide space that meets the needs of occupiers, helping them to conduct their business in safe, healthy, comfortable, and productive workspaces. More →

Employee engagement falls to record low

Employee engagement falls to record low

employee engagementThe UK is home to one of the most dissatisfied workforces in Europe following a two percentage-point fall in employee engagement levels over the last year, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace Report. Employee engagement among UK workers has declined steadily over the last decade. Just nine per cent of UK workers feel enthused by their work and workplace today – compared to 16 per cent in Germany and 33 per cent in Romania, home to Europe’s most engaged workforce. Across Europe, just 14 per cent of people feel engaged with their work, with rates also dipping below ten per cent in Spain, France and Italy. This compares to average engagement levels of 33 per cent in North America and 27 per cent in South Asia. More →

London Tech Week kicks off with new Government announcements on future of tech

London Tech Week kicks off with new Government announcements on future of tech

london tech weekThe Government’s review into the future of computing and its new UK Digital Strategy were unveiled at the start of London Tech Week as the world’s technology leaders, founders and next generation of tech superstars gather in the capital to collaborate on the future of the industry. Opening day speakers included Darktrace CEO Poppy Gustafsson, Darren Hardman, VP & General Manager, AWS, Theo Blackwell MBE in conversation with New York City’s CTO Matt Fraser, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemi?tkowski and The Body Coach CEO & Creative Director Nikki Wicks. More →

To provide people with better indoor air quality, we need a major upgrade of buildings

To provide people with better indoor air quality, we need a major upgrade of buildings

indoor air qualityGovernment must seize the post-pandemic opportunity to mandate long-term improvements to infection control in commercial, public and residential buildings to improve indoor air quality, reduce the transmission of future waves of COVID-19, new pandemics, seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases, according to a report published by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC). Infection control must also be coordinated with efforts to improve energy efficiency and fire safety, to support the three goals of safe, healthy and sustainable buildings. More →

Workplace health and wellbeing needs a radical rethink

Workplace health and wellbeing needs a radical rethink

workplace health and wellbeingHealth and wellbeing lobby group ukactive has called for a radical rethink of health incentivisation in the workplace, including expanding the Cycle to Work scheme to cover gym memberships and equipment as more people work from home, in a new report called The Active Workforce. A study [registration] conducted by the ukactive Research Institute, informed by Sport England and business organisations including the Federation for Small Businesses (FSB), examined the state of workplace health and wellbeing for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) following the Covid-19 pandemic. More →

One in five people have started a ‘side hustle’ in the last two years

One in five people have started a ‘side hustle’ in the last two years

side hustleOne in five (19 percent) adults in the UK have started a ‘side hustle’ since March 2020 and, almost one in six  (16 percent) claim to earn upwards of £1,000 a month from their new venture, according to new research from Aviva. Just under two thirds (63 percent) of those who started a side hustle since March 2020, the equivalent of 6.49 million people, are still active in them today. 37 percent have returned to their day jobs being their main source of income now that lockdowns are over and normality has ensued. More →

Digital transformation of small businesses could provide massive economic boost

Digital transformation of small businesses could provide massive economic boost

digital transformationThe new Digital Britain [automatic download] report from Sage claims that over half of Britain’s economic potential from tech adoption is as yet untapped. But ongoing concerns amongst small and medium sized business about cost, skills and knowledge are holding them back from taking on the digital transformation that will ensure their success and provide a massive boost to the economy. The report claims that the use of technology by small and medium businesses (SMBs) contributes £216 billion to the UK economy; but if SMBs unlock the full benefits of technology, this could add an extra £232 billion, boosting the value of tech use to the UK economy by almost double to £448 billion annually. More →

Work-life balance more important than pay for two thirds of people

Work-life balance more important than pay for two thirds of people

work-life balanceRising inflation and the UK’s cost-of-living crisis have put a lot of pressure on employers to increase wages and starting salaries this year, but a new survey suggests that there’s something that employees value more than pay – work-life balance. HR and payroll software provider CIPHR polled over 1,000 UK workers to find out which job aspects matter most to them. Based on the results, over two-thirds (70 percent of women and 65 percent of men) see work-life balance – albeit a term that can mean different things to different people – as being more important than their pay and employee benefits combined (selected by 60 percent of women and 57 percent of men). More →