Columnists
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
October 25, 2019
Fine tuning office design and its most wonderful invention to our needs
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace design
The best workplaces are always focused on people. Which is why many of the great pioneers of workplace thinking are from the social sciences, including disciplines such as psychology, ethnography and anthropology. These are the people who have shared the insights that help us to understand the characteristics of great office design. In particular, this […]
October 25, 2019
How office design trends in different countries feed off each other
by Steve Elliott • Comment, Workplace design
The term Global Village has passed into general use to describe many of the phenomena we associate with the modern globalised world. But it actually dates back to 1962 when coined by Marshall McLuhan to describe an emerging, electronically contracted world in which cultures converge alongside political, business and legislative frameworks. These forces have been […]
October 24, 2019
Asking about mental health is not the answer, listening is
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 […]