Hybrid working opens door to greater risk of data breaches

Hybrid working opens door to greater risk of data breaches

hybrid working data breachesMore than eight in 10 (83 percent) UK businesses say hybrid working increases the risk of a data breach, yet over a fifth (22 percent) remain unprepared if it happens, ­­with speed of response the top concern. According to new research published within TransUnion’s Data Breach Support for Businesses ebook (registration), business leaders expect 43 percent of their workforce to be hybrid working in the coming year, splitting their time between the office and remote working. Yet this change to working practices means a far greater potential for devices and data to end up in the wrong hands. More →

Remote working led to drop in high quality output, Microsoft study concludes

Remote working led to drop in high quality output, Microsoft study concludes

remote workingA new study of 61,000 Microsoft employees claims that the sudden shift to remote working had a profound effect on their work behaviours and output. Overall, remote workers spent less time in meetings, had fewer real time conversations and worked in more siloed ways. Crucially it found that there was a reduction in the strengths of ties between people and fewer networking opportunities. While not suggesting that office based work and remote work are necessarily better than the other, the study concludes that the drop in loose connections and chances of networking with other teams could have a negative impact on higher quality work outputs and working culture. More →

Companies have unique chance to restore balance between wellbeing and performance

Companies have unique chance to restore balance between wellbeing and performance

wellbeingEighteen months since nationwide shutdowns, the global surge in COVID-19 cases is exacerbating the onset of virtual fatigue for many employees according to JLL. The new “How Regenerative Workplaces Can Restore Employee Wellbeing” report explores opportunities for companies to redefine what employee wellbeing looks like and achieve organisational resilience through the physical workplace. More →

Three quarters of firms planning to change work culture

Three quarters of firms planning to change work culture

cultureSocio-economic fault lines exposed by COVID-19 are creating an unforgiving marketplace, with companies under scrutiny from governments and the public and little room to avoid disputes and investigations into business practices and behavior, according to a new report from FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN). More →

UK business leaders to boost investment in employee wellbeing

UK business leaders to boost investment in employee wellbeing

wellbeingAccording to Bupa Global’s Executive Wellbeing Index 2021, UK business leaders are predicted to increase their spend on employee mental health and wellbeing by 18 percent in the coming year, among the highest rates in the world-wide study. More →

Air quality guidelines from WHO aim to save millions of lives

Air quality guidelines from WHO aim to save millions of lives

air qualityNew World Health Organization (WHO) Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) claim to provide clear evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood. The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which also contribute to climate change. More →

UK employers more worried about motivation than resignation

UK employers more worried about motivation than resignation

employersResearch from Omnipresent, in partnership with Remote Social, claims that four in 10 employers (40 percent) feel that COVID-19 has positively or extremely positively impacted employee retention. In contrast, less than a quarter (24 percent) feel that it has negatively or extremely negatively impacted this area. The survey considered the views of 250 HR managers and C-Suite professionals across the UK. More →

One in five employers have changed employees’ terms and conditions since pandemic onset

One in five employers have changed employees’ terms and conditions since pandemic onset

terms and conditionsOne in five employers (22 percent) have made changes to employees’ terms and conditions of employment between March 2020 and July 2021, according to new research from the CIPD. The most common changes were to location of work (49 percent), followed by hours of work (47 percent) and pay levels (44 percent), redundancy/terms pay (22 percent) and access to enhanced contractual entitlements/incentives (20 percent). More →

People leaders lack the training, knowledge and tools to effectively handle employee issues

People leaders lack the training, knowledge and tools to effectively handle employee issues

handle employee issuesHR Acuity has announced the research findings from a recent survey, People Leaders and the Gap in Managing Employee Issues. The report, which includes data from 126 enterprise employee relations leaders and from nearly 700 people leaders from a wide range of industries and company sizes, provides insight into how people leaders handle employee issues such as policy violations, performance concerns and behavioral issues. More →

Flexible working rights consultation welcomed by CIPD

Flexible working rights consultation welcomed by CIPD

flexible working rightsThe CIPD has welcomed a new consultation from the UK Government on making flexible working requests a day one right. The CIPD launched its #FlexFrom1st campaign in February, calling for all employees to have the immediate right to request flexible working. Under the proposed legislation, companies would be obliged to explain their reasons if it is then refused. The plan would also oblige employers to respond to such requests more quickly, and is being billed as a major reshaping of the way people work in a post-pandemic world, making flexible work the default. More →

Employers worry about remote work productivity, but majority fail to invest in solutions

Employers worry about remote work productivity, but majority fail to invest in solutions

productivityNew research released by Ricoh Europe claims that employers are failing to invest in technology to maintain productivity across their remote workforce, despite concerns about their output. More than 18 months since the Coronavirus pandemic took hold across Europe, forcing businesses to adopt remote working practices, just over a third (36 percent) of employers say their organisation has provided the tools and technology to maintain employee productivity while working from any location. More →

More hybrid working to bring 3.8 million Brits into employment

More hybrid working to bring 3.8 million Brits into employment

hybrid workingHybrid working could bring nearly four million people “locked out” from work such as parents, carers and disabled people into the workforce and enable part-time workers to work more hours adding £48.3bn to the UK economy each year, according to a new study by Virgin Media O2 Business and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). More →