Columnists
November 27, 2019
Designers may be ignoring leadership style in quest for productive workplaces
by Jayne Smith • Comment, Workplace design
Leadership styles are not considered in the design process for productive workplaces despite the majority of organisations agreeing they have a major impact on productivity. These are the latest findings in report authored by Leeson Medhurst, Director of 36 Workplace, The United Workplace (TUW) and WORKTECH Academy. Productivity – linking Workplace Design to Leadership (registration) […]
November 25, 2019
Working carers occupy a blind spot and are suffering because of it
by Vivek Patni • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace
The working world has changed almost beyond recognition over the past half century. Historically, employers had to fulfill two criteria to attract the best talent: be large or have a well-known brand and pay well. Of course, priorities have shifted. Growing demand from staff for a healthier work/life balance including for the country’s working carers […]
November 22, 2019
Office design can be a vehicle for equality and change
by Jeni Durksen • Comment, Workplace design
The way companies design physical environments is a direct reflection of their values and beliefs. Inequality is hardwired into the “standard” office layout, with perimeter offices and fixed desks offering limited settings for unstructured collaboration and recreation, further perpetuating the issue. Modern office design often favours extroversion and emphasises a hierarchy with values that benefit […]
November 21, 2019
Merging workplace cultures and breaking habits
by Andrew Mawson • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design
Human beings are hardwired to be creatures of habit. From birth, we learn behaviours and develop routines that are reinforced over time through repetition. Researchers at MIT claim the neurons in our brains are responsible for this process. When someone begins a new activity a certain part of the brain kicks into gear, helping them […]
November 18, 2019
The agile workplace: try to catch the wind
by Neil Usher • Comment, Workplace design
In the chilly hours and minutes, of uncertainty sang Donovan in ‘Catch the Wind’. That’s us, arriving at the agile workplace. We are all Donovan. The comment was recently made on Twitter that agile is “as natural as the wind”. Seemingly however, the anxiety and frustration generated by our experiences are proving as impossible as catching […]
November 16, 2019
Is IoT the answer to occupancy level issues?
by Byron BeMiller • Comment, Facilities management, Technology
A frequently heard claim from manufacturers is that all Internet of Things (IoT) technology is the panacea to occupancy level issues for owners and managers of commercial buildings. The obvious retort is “Well, they would say that wouldn’t they?” since the equipment they have on offer is produced with the sole purpose of putting a […]
November 12, 2019
Uber Works may not be as good for workers as it is for businesses
by Shainaz Firfiray • Comment, Flexible working, Technology
Uber is still best known as a ride-hailing platform but it has been branching out into other industries. Food (Uber eats), electric scooters and bicycles (Jump), and now shift work with the launch of Uber Works. It is being trialled in Chicago, with plans to launch elsewhere soon, and enables casual workers such as cleaners, bar […]
October 29, 2019
Here is how you should handle racial discrimination in the workplace
by Karen Holden • Comment, Legal news, Workplace
While progress has been made with tackling racial discrimination in recent decades, it is clear that it still lives on in the workplace in less overt and more nuanced forms. A survey commissioned by the Trade Union Congress found that over 70 percent of ethnic minority workers say they have experienced racial harassment at work […]
October 29, 2019
Workplace values matter more than career progression to young dads
by Han Son Lee • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing
With recent research showing that over half of young dads (58 percent) are more actively involved in day to day parenting than ever before, it is increasingly important that employers put health and wellbeing and other workplace values at the heart of their offer to employees. In particular, they should be able to offer flexible […]
October 28, 2019
The key to wellbeing at work is focusing on the individual
by Jonathan Hindle • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design
It gets more apparent as each day passes that the layout of an office can have a profound impact on wellbeing at work. While this knowledge is more widespread than it once was, it’s still common to see companies addressing the issue with simple box-ticking exercises rather than taking into consideration the actual wants and […]
October 28, 2019
A synaesthetic approach to office design
November 28, 2019
The four day week will make management support more important than ever
by Adrian Moorhouse • Business, Comment, Wellbeing
With work collaboration tools like Facebook Workplace growing more common and constant out of hours access to work emails, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between work and leisure. This lack of separation between the office and home risks creating a situation where we have less time to unwind. So it’s not surprising that the […]