Columnists
October 10, 2017
We (still) need to talk about mental health in the workplace
by Liam Butler • Comment, Wellbeing
In recent years we have made huge strides in moving discussions around mental health into the public arena. Celebrities such as Cara Delevingne, Ryan Reynolds, Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt have all come forward to share personal stories of their struggle with mental health problems. Â The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have […]
October 9, 2017
Our Twentieth Century approach to ergonomics has to change
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design
One of the big problems with the way some people talk about the term ‘ergonomic’ is that they tend to use it to describe the design of objects when really it’s about the relationship between a person and the things around them. It’s an abstract idea, about the relationships between design, facilities and management, so […]
October 4, 2017
Convergence of work and life defines September London workplace design shows
by Paul Goodchild • Comment, Events, Flexible working, Furniture, Workplace design
It has always been a characteristic of the 100% Design exhibition that it has segmented along the demarcations of workplace, home, interiors, kitchens and bedrooms. This used to make perfect sense as the same distinctions existed in our lives, reflected in the form and function of the products we allocated to those spaces. This is […]
October 2, 2017
Time to start a new culture to tackle stigma on mental wellbeing issues in the workplace
by Kate Cooper • Comment, Wellbeing
As a recent Workplace Insight story reported, UK workers are still uncomfortable about having honest conversations at work, with nearly two thirds (61 percent) feel they keep an aspect of their lives hidden in the workplace. Family difficulties (46 percent) was the most likely hidden issue at work, followed by mental health (31 percent). Talking […]
September 13, 2017
Banking sector will be ground zero for job losses from artificial intelligence and robotics
by Gordon Fletcher and David Kreps • AI, Comment, Technology
Deutsche Bank CEO John Cryan has predicted a bonfire of industry jobs as automation takes hold across the finance sector. Every signal is that he will be proved right very soon. Those roles in finance where the knowledge required is systematic will soon disappear. And it will happen irrespective of how high a level, how highly trained […]
August 23, 2017
I’ve got some real estate here in my bag
by Paul Carder • Comment, Flexible working, Property, Technology
August 17, 2017
How workplace design shapes and reflects organisational hierarchies
by Angela Love • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design
The roots of the open plan office can be traced back to the 1960s when post-capitalism was beginning to emerge as a political and intellectual movement. The social and political upheaval that followed World War Two and the emphasis on the autonomous, motivated and engaged worker combined to inspire designers and architects to develop a […]
August 14, 2017
Seven ways in which flexible working is making our lives more rigid
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology
One of the main reasons why books such as Catch 22 and 1984 make such mediocre films, is because celluloid struggles to capture the books’ preoccupation with the ways in which language can be used to subvert meaning and rationality. We don’t always have to lean on the bookcase to see how this works. It’s […]
August 11, 2017
Reducing the risk of personal gambling becoming a corporate fraud issue
by Andrew Durant • Comment, Workplace
A recently leaked confidential report for the betting industry says that, if introduced, the new rules to encourage responsible gambling in the UK would lead to closure of half of the country’s bookmakers and the loss of around 20,000 jobs. The report follows widespread concerns about the controversial use, and misuse, of Fixed Odds Betting […]
July 31, 2017
It is time to take action to support older people’s health at work
by Patrick Thomson • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace
Poor health is one of the biggest factors causing people to leave work earlier than they would like to; yet poor health isn’t an inevitable part of ageing. We know that health conditions can become more likely as we get older. While some health conditions are not any more likely the older you get, others certainly […]
October 19, 2017
How our smartphones stop us from living in the moment
by Joelle Renstrom • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing
As a teacher who has long witnessed and worried about the impacts of technology in the classroom, I constantly struggle to devise effective classroom policies for smartphones. I used to make students sing or dance if their phones interrupted class, and although this led to some memorable moments, it also turned inappropriate tech use into […]