Columnists
September 18, 2020
When it comes to describing the new world of work, the Scandis have a name for it
by Fredrik Bergsten • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace design
We have very clearly arrived at a point of inflection in the world of work right now, with more time than ever spent pondering some of its bigger questions. Like what will individuals expect from their place of work? What will employers be willing to offer them? How will the culture – the very fabric […]
September 16, 2020
Get used to the idea of work as an experience rather than a place
by Tim Oldman • Comment, Flexible working, Property, Workplace design
Suck it up. The role of property in supporting organisational performance has changed forever. The obsession with bricks and mortar has to shift to the employee-as-consumer experience. If we understand that user experience, then organisations can make the right decisions. The problem is, experience is now scattered across millions of homes worldwide.
September 15, 2020
Testing times for offices mean new regimes at work
by Helen Farr • Comment, Wellbeing
Businesses are now encouraging employees back to working in the office. Should employers be using regular Covid-19 testing as part of their processes to reassure staff that doing so is safe? The government is advocating more regular testing and the use of mobile testing as a way to ensure that businesses stay open even if […]
September 15, 2020
We are still overlooking the importance of air quality
by John Swift • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design
The impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on commercial buildings was immediate – offices emptied overnight as people made the sudden shift to home working. Several months later, and although restrictions are being lifted, an unease about the possibility of localised lockdowns and an uncertainty about the potential health implications of being indoors with larger groups, […]
September 11, 2020
The next chapter for office life, remote work and the stories we tell about it all
by Mark Eltringham • Comment
One of the few interesting things about the deluge of tedious work-related stories over the last few months has been watching the narratives about remote work, office life and all the rest of it develop. Of course, you’ll still get the odd piece like this, a rambling, lazy string of unexamined clichés that could have […]
September 8, 2020
Frontline and front of mind; communicating with employees away from HQ
by Julien Lesaicherre • Comment, Flexible working, Technology
It has been a rough year for business. Many organisations have had to evolve their operating models overnight, go to great lengths to keep their people safe and build entirely new ways of working to ensure they can stay afloat. A lot have had to fast forward five years into the future in a few months – […]
September 2, 2020
Remote work and the coming race to the bottom
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Wellbeing, Working lives
One of the most significant consequences of the 2008 economic crash was a remarkable shift in the nature of employment. The recession led to a surge in the number of people categorised as self-employed. The numbers have been increasing ever since, albeit at a more stable rate. By the end of 2019, the number of […]
August 28, 2020
A new social contract can improve the everyday experience of work
by Mark Spratt • Comment, Workplace
It’s not happening quickly enough for some and too slowly for others, but most companies are in the midst of managing a return to work and grappling with a very different post COVID-19 world and what it means for employees. HR professionals are paying close attention to how well employees are faring and are looking […]
August 20, 2020
Working from home and the future of work. How quaint
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology
In 1962, a professor of communication studies called Everett Rogers came up with the principle we call diffusion of innovation. It’s a familiar enough notion, widely taught and works by plotting the adoption of new ideas and products over time as a bell curve, before categorising groups of people along its length as innovators, early […]
August 18, 2020
The challenge for the office is to stay relevant
by Ben Capper • Comment, Workplace design
The world is going through some painful changes at breakneck speed. As a result, the word unprecedented has reached number one spot on our ‘words to avoid’ list. What’s the big deal with unprecedented anyway? Our obsession with all things unprecedented taps into our fear of the unknown. But life itself is an unknown: Life […]
September 21, 2020
Time to get on board with the psychological effects of working from home
by Jörg Bakschas • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing
It almost goes without saying that this year has seen a rapid shift towards remote working, with many companies now moving to a flexible working model. From a business perspective, many employees are proving that they can still get their work done working from home. But what is the psychological impact of this? And are […]