March 3, 2022

Employees are largely happier at work than they were before the pandemic

The UK workforce is largely happier than it was pre-pandemic, according to a poll from Right Management. For female employees, the main reason for their increased contentment is that the pandemic gave them a newfound appreciation for their job and made them realise that they took their job for granted previously (41 percent). On the other hand, it was reuniting with colleagues that led to an improved mood among their male counterparts (39 percent). More →

March 3, 2022

The nature of work has changed permanently for many people, new report claims

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

The pandemic has changed the nature of work, which offers opportunities for organisations to adopt more considerate and efficient work practices as offices reopen. The latest study to come to this conclusion has been published by the University of Southampton and funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC). The research considered the longer-term implications of working from home and which new working practices should remain and be encouraged. Its findings offer lessons from lockdown that will guide organisations as they seek to make hybrid working a success. More →

March 3, 2022

Best of NeoCon 2022 awards submissions portal is now open

by Freddie Steele • News, Workplace design

The organisers of US based office design event NeoCon have announce that the submission portal for the 2022 edition of the celebrated Best of NeoCon competition is now open. A hallmark of the show since 1990, the official awards programme recognises exceptional new products in 54 categories from exhibiting companies across a wide cross-section of verticals. More →

March 3, 2022

British Land secures 250,000 sq ft of new office deals across London campuses

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

British Land has signed 34 new deals totalling 238,000 sq ft across its central London campuses. Since the half year results, nine businesses have signed 125,000 sq ft at newly refurbished buildings at Broadgate. New occupiers include customer engagement platform, Braze (49,000 sq ft, Exchange House); proprietary trading firm, Maven Securities (38,000 sq ft, 155 Bishopsgate); US-based law firm, Jenner & Block LLP (13,000 sq ft, 10 Exchange Square) and markets’ infrastructure and technology platform, Symphony (7,000 sq ft, 135 Bishopsgate). More →

March 2, 2022

Quarter of young people don’t want to work for firms with unsustainable practices

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News

Almost a quarter (24 percent) of Gen Z employees (18 to 24-year-olds) would not work at a business that profits from unsustainable practices, according to a a new poll from PLAY. Among British employees more broadly, two-thirds surveyed (68 percent) felt it was important for the company they work for to be committed to acting sustainably, and nearly half (44 percent) want businesses to demonstrate the initiatives or goals that will make the entire business more sustainable (not just one part of the business). However, pay remains the most attractive job feature for most surveyed, inlcuding young people. More →

March 1, 2022

People management role to evolve into guardianship of data, change and culture

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

New research from The Adecco Group and the Center for Leadership in the Future of Work, University of Zurich claims that people management executives are moving further away from being “managers,” toward a dual role as both data scientists and guardians of change and culture. The report, The Chief People Officer of the Future: How is the Top People Management Role Changing as the World of Work Evolves? draws upon the views of 122 senior people management executives from 10 countries and regions, and who are responsible for a total of 3,110,419 employees, to assess how the landscape of people management is changing. More →

March 1, 2022

Home office falls short when it comes to amenities, say half of workers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

Over half of employees believe their home office set-up falls short of standard workplace amenities, a new poll claims. The study from Brita and Oktra (page includes promotions) claims to highlight the value of functional design and the impact well-designed workspaces have on employee wellbeing, engagement, and productivity. More →

February 28, 2022

Half of employees say their job is main source of mental health challenges

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

More than half of employed people in the UK (58 percent) say their job is the main source of their mental health challenges according to new research from Qualtrics which also claims that more employees in the UK would prioritise the ability to choose which hours of the day they work (55 percent) and what days of the week they work (22 percent) over the ability to work remotely from any location (14 percent). More →

February 25, 2022

Bad behaviour at work can be regulated by a little perspective

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

People who can self-reflect and regulate their moral behaviour are more likely to bounce back after a failure rather than deviate from their ‘moral compass’ and misbehave, according to new research. According to the authors, it is well known that people do not always act in accordance with their own standards regards what is right and wrong. Moral disengagement is a psychological concept that helps explain how people may routinise bad behaviour, rule-breaking and wrongdoing without feeling guilty or seeing the need to make amends. More →

February 24, 2022

Location pay doubts are now rife amongst organisations

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

The latest data from XpertHR suggests that 44 percent of UK organisations are ‘unsure’ about the future of their location pay arrangements following the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent shift to hybrid working. Location pay is currently offered by more than half of UK organisations (55 percent). Its most common form is a London allowance on top of basic pay (offered by 40 percent of organisations),with inner London employees receiving a median location payment of £3,775 (£3,250 in outer London). More →

February 23, 2022

Flexible working takes a back seat to salary as inflation bites

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, Jobs, News, Workplace

Salary is now the most important factor (40 percent) for those looking to make a move as cost-of-living crisis squeezes budgets, claims a new survey from Michael Page. In a week in which UK wage growth was shown to still lag behind the cost of living, the poll suggests that salary is now the number one priority for workers, with flexible working seen as less important. The survey of 2,000 UK office workers claims that over a quarter (28 percent) are currently on the hunt for a new job, rising to 43 percent among those aged 18-34. This points to hopeful times ahead for businesses seeking talent, with recent ONS figures showing that open job vacancies hit a record 1.3m between November and January. More →

February 23, 2022

Employers offering flexible working reap recruitment and retention benefits

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Employers who have embraced flexible working policies have seen a 20 percent improvement in employee recruitment and retention compared to two years ago, according to new global research from Targus. According to the poll, seventy percent of senior business decision-makers say flexible working policies and working environments are positively impacting recruitment and a further 76 percent say it’s positively impacting employee retention. More →