Columnists
June 13, 2018
US companies are waking up to the benefits of caring for employee mental health
by Colleen O'Day • Comment, Wellbeing
In 2015, the American Psychological Association chose American Express as the inaugural winner of the Organizational Excellence Award, recognizing successful efforts to integrate psychology and prioritize behavioral health and emotional well-being in the workplace. American Express had an employee assistance program (EAP) for workers dealing with depression and other mental health challenges. The EAP was […]
June 12, 2018
Keeping people at the heart of the modern workplace
by Ryan Anderson • Comment, Technology, Workplace design
The modern workplace is undergoing significant change, and it’s no surprise that many of these changes are driven by the adoption of new technologies. However, unlike previous eras of technological change, most of the technologies being adopted by organizations today have the potential to offer more autonomy, choice and flexibility to their employees. This can […]
June 11, 2018
Coworking is breaking away from its cultural and geographical stereotypes
by Gary Chandler • Comment, Property, Technology, Workplace design
There is a persistent image of a coworking space as a sort of glorified serviced office for tech and creative startups who can’t afford the eye-watering rents in the areas they need to be. This is usually in the technology hothouses of the world’s major cities where they can work alongside the corporate giants and […]
June 4, 2018
Your happiness at work is not just down to your employer
by Cary Cooper and Ivan Robertson • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design
When Google promoted a software engineer named Chade-Meng Tan to the role of “Jolly Good Fellow”, his career – and the entire culture of Silicon Valley – took a sharp turn. Meng, a cheerful employee valued for his motivational qualities, went from developing mobile search tools to spreading happiness across the organisation. Happiness became his […]
June 1, 2018
How our noisy world was foreseen by the 20th Century’s great minds
by Charles Marks • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design
Over the past few years we’ve become more aware of the problems associated with the pace and clatter of modern life and not least among them its noise. Authors like Susan Cain have highlighted not only how distracting noise can be for everybody but how it affects different personality types in different ways. She is […]
May 30, 2018
Australia is leading the world in the adoption of activity based working
by Max Luff • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design
Over half of those employed in the banking sector in Australia now find themselves in agile and dynamic activity based workplaces. The banks have set the pace. The overall growth of the phenomenon has been exponential in the last 5 years, with sources suggesting two thirds of Australian organisations will have adopted Activity Based Working […]
May 18, 2018
The toxic workplace is not only about culture, but is a very real physical problem
by Johanna Ljunggren • Comment, Environment, Workplace design
In today’s society there is far more awareness and concern around additives in food and drink, vehicle emissions and the pollutants from factories. There is, however, a remarkable lack of knowledge when it comes to the air quality of our working environment, beyond air conditioning systems and whether printers emit anything ‘nasty’. The truth is […]
May 17, 2018
What exactly is driving the global workplace conversation?
by Andrew Mawson • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design
There is a growing body of research and understanding on the impact that working environments, workplace habits and culture have on people and broader business performance. The very best workplaces in the world – some of which will be on show at Workplace Week in New York next month – are changing our expectations around the look, […]
May 16, 2018
A 21st Century take on the idea of the time capsule that tells us something about the way we work
by Freddie Steele • Comment
Last December, National Geographic published a story about the discovery of one of the oldest known time capsules. It was concealed by a chaplain of the Cathedral of Burgo de Osma in Spain, in the buttocks of a statue of Jesus Christ. Hidden inside were some documents that detailed life in Spain in the late […]
May 2, 2018
The quest for wellbeing has taken over from our search for productivity
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design
For decades, humankind has sought to establish the link between office design and productivity. And by humankind I mean a parochial band of researchers, suppliers, workplace specialists, futurologists and designers with a special interest in the whole thing. Most other people only expressed a passing interest in the subject. It did not seem to matter […]
May 1, 2018
No surprises in new report on future workplace trends
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design
The latest Global Workplace Trends report from Sodexo focuses on the ‘workplace experience’ and how it affects levels of engagement, wellbeing and corporate performance. It’s an undemanding study that sets out seven trends covering familiar themes in a familiar way, even though the authors claim it offers ‘fresh insights’. As well as the idea of […]
June 17, 2018
Fathers Day offers a chance to ponder the disadvantages faced by many working dads
by Julia Waltham • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing
Father’s Day – a day when fathers up and down the UK are supposed to feel valued – whether it’s hand print cards from their 2-year old, a pair of socks from their teenager or BBQ accessories from their fully-grown son or daughter. Fathers looking to the government for an offering will be disappointed. Its […]