Columnists
November 20, 2020
HR professionals must seek a new connection with the IT team
by Joseph Morley • Comment, Technology
It has now been more than eight months since the government first advised people to work from home if possible, due to COVID-19. The shift to remote working happened suddenly in March and quickly became part of everyday life; in April 2020 alone, 47 percent of people in employment did some work at home, compared […]
November 19, 2020
Covid-19 is levelling the playing field for disabled workers
by Ruby Gullon • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing
As many of us cope with yet another lockdown, optimism is easy to misplace but, for disabled workers, this could result in monumental change for future employment. On the month commencing the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act and the run-up to International Day of Disabled Persons, could this be the final push for […]
November 12, 2020
Stepping back into the workplace arena
by Rachel Houghton • Comment
Dr Brené Brown is one of those individuals whom I find myself channelling, particularly during challenging times. Her views on the power of vulnerability and her call to be brave and ‘step into the arena’ have shaped my career. In a crisis, we need to be courageous and ready for the fight. It’s not just about rolling with the punches. It’s about knowing that it’s ok to get […]
November 11, 2020
Burnout, stress and disconnection are now our most urgent workplace mental health issues
by Catherine Flynn • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing
This has been a tough year all round, particularly with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to cause seismic shifts in how we live and work. Surveys across various countries indicate that employees are experiencing more feelings of burnout, stress and disconnection as the pandemic is taking a toll on people’s mental health. What’s causing this and […]
November 11, 2020
UK office design should look to Europe for inspiration
by Ollie Plastow • Comment, Workplace design
The word ‘office’, based on the Latin term officium, wasn’t originally used to describing a building, or a space: instead it was used primarily as a term for a position: a role that was occupied by a person. So it seems only right with this etymology to take inspiration from Europe. And when considering office […]
November 10, 2020
What Carl Sagan could teach us about knowledge and information
November 9, 2020
Working from home could energise some of our overlooked cities
by Michel Serafinelli • Cities, Comment, Flexible working
For years, we have been promised a work-from-home revolution, and it seems that the pandemic has finally brought it to pass. In April this year, at the height of the first wave of coronavirus, 47 percent of people in the UK were working from home, the vast majority of them doing so because of the […]
November 6, 2020
Furlough schemes are leaving isolated staff down in the dumps
by Steven Buck • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace
Since March, Glint has been creating a dataset which now consists of 7 million survey responses from employees around the world and across a broad range of industries. Our aim is to take the pulse of the global workforce to see how it’s faring with our ongoing global health crisis and to understand its effects […]
November 5, 2020
Leadership in a new age of virtuality
by Andrew Mawson • Comment, Facilities management, Property, Technology, Workplace design
We are living through a fundamental transformation in the way we work. The pandemic has forced organisations to go virtual. New government guidelines, including a tiered alert system, suggest that this will be the norm for the foreseeable future. But step back from the noise and it is easy to see how the current crisis […]
November 3, 2020
Should employers require people to use the NHS COVID-19 App when at work?
by Helen Farr • Comment, Legal news, Workplace
The NHS COVID-19 App was introduced on 24 September. Many welcome its arrival as another step to contain the spread of COVID-19. Others are concerned about using the app for data and privacy reasons. Employers face a dilemma. It is not mandatory for staff to use the app. Employers can do nothing and leave the […]
October 29, 2020
Workplace culture is not something to be changed with hashtags
by Kirsty Ritchie • Comment, Wellbeing
The state of the nation’s mental health and subsequent pressure on organisations to do ‘something’ has resulted in a PR opportunity for those who see it and take it. While mental health is high on the agenda of workplace culture improvements, several organisations, including Barclays, Eon and Unilever to name a few, have signed an […]
November 23, 2020
The crisis is making us more authentically human at work
by Jill Dark • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace design
Let the dogs bark, let the kid dance, admit that you are in the basement because your spouse is occupying the kitchen. It takes bravery to let the new reality shine. In previous circumstances, your dog starting to bark like crazy while you are on a work video call with the CEO of a company […]