Majority of office workers plan to split their week between the office and home

Majority of office workers plan to split their week between the office and home

office workersNew independent polling commissioned by the British Council for Offices (BCO), suggests that, once Government measures allow, Britain is set to move to a ‘mixed’ working style, with time in the office balanced with time at home. The survey, which polled over 2,000 office workers nationwide, took place prior to new Government measures and found an appetite to get back to the office. More →

People still prefer permanent jobs despite rise in number of freelance roles

People still prefer permanent jobs despite rise in number of freelance roles

Permanent jobsWorkers (82 percent) would rather have permanent jobs than “be their own boss” in a freelance or contract role, even as the self-employed and gig economy has grown rapidly in recent years, claims new research from the ADP Research Institute. Many workers believe that permanent work is preferable for a host of reasons including regular hours, better pay, timely payments, and the ability to get credit. More →

Remote work is harming workplace friendships, survey claims

Remote work is harming workplace friendships, survey claims

remote work and relationshipsFriendships at work have long been a debated topic pre-COVID: arguments either side profess these to be both conducive or a hindrance to productivity and creativity. Yet, according to research into the state of employee wellbeing conducted by Perkbox, 45 percent of 1,296 respondents say that maintaining emotional wellbeing still remains one of the biggest remote work challenges facing businesses, with 65 percent believing that workplace friendships – now even more critical in the ‘new working world’ – are suffering. More →

Career priorities transformed by COVID-19 as workers seek more ethical jobs

Career priorities transformed by COVID-19 as workers seek more ethical jobs

Covid-19 has shifted UK worker career priorities with professionals turning towards more socially-conscious employers including the Environment Agency and Oxfam, according to a survey of more than 23,000 people, by Universum. More →

Flexible working is crucial for many older workers

Flexible working is crucial for many older workers

The Centre for Ageing Better and Timewise have launched a toolkit to help employers maximise the benefits of flexible working. Experts at the two organisations say that enabling flexible working is particularly crucial in retaining the skills and talents of workers aged over 50, enabling them to manage health needs and caring responsibilities as well as achieve a better work-life balance. More →

Furloughed employees feel less valued

Furloughed employees feel less valued

Furloughed employeesA new survey published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) claims that while 78 percent of those who experienced a change in workplace felt that they had experienced positive impacts, furloughed employees have had a significantly different experience. More →

Kitchen table `entrepreneurs` surge since lockdown

Kitchen table `entrepreneurs` surge since lockdown

EntrepreneursOne in five Britons (19 percent) have become ‘kitchen table entrepreneurs’ during lockdown, either starting a business since March or putting plans in place to do so, claims new research by Direct Line – Business. Of those who haven’t yet started their venture, one in five (19 percent) hope to have it up and running by the beginning of 2021. More →

Workers long for clarity in their relationship with employers

Workers long for clarity in their relationship with employers

ExpectationsEmployees are longing for purposeful and visible changes to increase safety measures in the office, according to a new survey of 2,000 people from NELSON Worldwide. This is top of  people’s minds in order to assure that re-entry in the workplace is safe, according to the firm. Whether this is carried out by means of wayfinding, increased sanitation protocols, or direct implementation of distancing in workstations, staff are eager to see the action carried out. The survey concludes that 83 percent of employees have rated physical safety measures to be extremely or very important. More →

Information is harder to access while working remotely

Information is harder to access while working remotely

InformationNew research from Sinequa claims that finding information when working remotely remains a challenge for UK enterprise workers. Alongside these challenges, Sinequa’s research claims that knowledge workers in large enterprises now search for information 8 times a day, spending over 5 minutes each time carrying out the search – an average of 44 minutes a day spent searching for information, per employee. More →

Under-35s face a confidence crisis at work

Under-35s face a confidence crisis at work

Confidence crisisUnder-35s are in the midst of a professional confidence crisis, with work seen as a place where they feel isolated and afraid to speak out, claims research carried out by culture change business Utopia. The study which interviewed over 2,000 respondents across the UK, claims that workers under the age of 35 feel immense pressure to hold a standard of professionalism that shuns emotion and favours traditionally masculine behaviour, all the while juggling responsibilities at home. More →

Employees grow increasingly concerned about prospect of burnout

Employees grow increasingly concerned about prospect of burnout

In a survey of employees and business leaders across 11 nations, The Workforce Institute at UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) claims only a fraction of employees (20 percent) felt their organisation met their needs during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is a silver lining: a third of employees globally (33 percent) say they trust their employer more now than before the pandemic began because of how organisations reacted. More →

The stage is set for the next phase of working life

The stage is set for the next phase of working life

The debate about the effects of the pandemic on working life appears to have entered its next phase. Don’t ask me to define it precisely because I’m still coming to terms with the others. But here it is. More →