The best smart cities focus on people rather than technology

The best smart cities focus on people rather than technology

by • Cities, Features, Technology, Wellbeing

The best smart cities such as Buenos Aires focus on peopleCities are fast becoming “smart”, and the impact on people’s lives can be immense. Singapore’s smart traffic cameras restrict traffic depending on volume, and ease the commute of thousands of passengers every day. In Kaunas, Lithuania, the cost of parking is automatically deducted from the bank accounts of drivers when they park their cars. In many cities, the timing of public buses is announced at each stop with almost perfect accuracy. And free WiFi is now accessible across entire cities, including Buenos Aires, Argentina (pictured) and Ramallah, Palestine. More →

HR leaders feel unprepared for the future of work

HR leaders feel unprepared for the future of work

by • News, Technology, Workplace

Gartner and the future of workOnly 9 percent of chief human resources officers (CHROs) agree that their organisation is prepared for the future of work, according to a new report from Gartner. The study ties in to Gartner Gartner ReimagineHR conference, which took place last week. It concludes that to address the needs of organisations and workers in the future, HR leaders must focus on five areas of work. It suggests that tackling the future of work should not mean looking at the various changing aspects of work, such as AI, the gig economy and the multigenerational workforce, in silos. Istead, HR leaders should focus on the big picture of what the future of work can and should look like in their organisation. More →

Four day week at Microsoft Japan boosts productivity by 40 percent

Four day week at Microsoft Japan boosts productivity by 40 percent

by • Flexible working, News, Technology

Microsoft Surface Hub and the four day weekMicrosoft Japan has announced the results of its four day work week trial, and claims the move increased productivity by almost 40 percent. The trial of the four day week, named the “Work-Life Choice Challenge Summer 2019” saw around 2,300 employees given five successive Fridays off, with no reduction in salary and no days taken from annual leave. The project also included an offer of subsidised holidays and further education opportunities. Microsoft claims that the increase in productivity was largely attributable to shorter and more efficient meetings. More →

Digitalisation hindered by lack of leadership

Digitalisation hindered by lack of leadership

by • News, Technology

digitalisation held back by lack of leadershipDespite its importance in staying competitive and accelerating growth, business leaders are not seen as driving their company’s digital transformation, according to Mercer’s latest survey report, ‘Still transforming or already performing?. While 61 percent of UK HR leaders confirm that digitalisation is embedded in their company’s corporate strategy, only 3 out of 5 rate leadership as the main driver of transformation. More →

The workplace of the future and its tech must work for the good of society

The workplace of the future and its tech must work for the good of society

by • AI, News, Technology, Wellbeing

Slow progress with BYOD threatens smarter working in public sector

Slow progress with BYOD threatens smarter working in public sector

by • News, Technology

security and BYODLarge parts of the public sector have yet to authorise the use of Bring Your Own Device policies in their organisation, according to new research commissioned by Kyocera Document Solutions UK. A survey of staff across the public sector found that 38 per cent of respondents said that their organisations’ current use of BYOD is unauthorised. The findings provide further evidence of the pressures faced across the government sector to keep pace with the growth of remote and flexible working trends. Public sector organisations that continue to prohibit BYOD risk missing out on the benefits of smarter working, as well as driving staff to ‘shadow IT’, creating a whole host of serious cybersecurity risks. More →

Workplace culture fails to meet needs of multi-generational workforce

Workplace culture fails to meet needs of multi-generational workforce

by • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace design

workplace cultureA new report (registration) claims that companies with a one-size-fits-all approach to workplace design is failing to meet the needs and expectations of a multigenerational workforce. Published by Chargifi with in put from WeWork and other firms, the study polled more than 2,000 employees about their experience of workplace culture and office design and how mobility affects their day-to-day lives. More →

Older workers outshine younger colleagues on cybersecurity

Older workers outshine younger colleagues on cybersecurity

by • News, Technology

cybersecurityAccording to a new report on behaviour and attitudes to cybersecurity among different age groups, employees over the age of 30 are more likely to adopt cybersecurity best practice than younger colleagues who have grown up around digital technology. The report, Meeting the expectations of a new generation. How the under 30s expect new approaches to cybersecurity (registration), also indicates that the younger generation is more anxious about cybersecurity and their company’s ability to tackle the number of security threats.

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Banning email out-of-hours likely to be harmful to some employees

Banning email out-of-hours likely to be harmful to some employees

by • News, Technology, Wellbeing

Banning email isn't such a good ideaBanning email outside of normal office hours could do more harm than good to employee wellbeing, a new study suggests. The newly published research, led by the University of Sussex, states that while blanket bans could help some workers to achieve certain goals, they could impede other employees’ progress towards their own targets. More →

People spend more time than you think repeating completed tasks

People spend more time than you think repeating completed tasks

by • AI, News, Technology

A new global study of more than 10,000 office workers, claims that British workers spend a whole month a year (30 days) doing work that a colleague has already completed. Five hours and 5 minutes a week is spent duplicating work. Asana, the publisher of the Anatomy of Work Index (registration) also claims that Brits aren’t spending as much time on the actual work that they’re hired to do.

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Full fibre broadband could boost UK economy by billions

Full fibre broadband could boost UK economy by billions

by • Flexible working, News, Technology

The deployment of full-fibre broadband could boost the UK economy by around £59 billion, according to a new report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), commissioned by Openreach. The Full fibre broadband: A platform for growth report claims that connecting the UK to fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband could increase productivity, reduce commuting, enable smarter ways of working and improve public services. More →

People work better with robots when they see them as teammates

People work better with robots when they see them as teammates

by • Comment, Technology

robotsWe might not be able to control our emotions towards robots metallic but fear not. We perform all the better as a team for it. No longer the realm of the privileged US military, robotic technology is edging into households and workplaces at a keen pace. At work, robots prop up teams across a diverse range of industries, often taking on the more dangerous or otherwise challenging tasks. More →

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