Columnists
April 26, 2016
Men paid more after having kids, as mothers’ pay and prospects diminish 0
by Sara Bean • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace
We’ve observed at Workplace Insight that the reason many women fall behind men in terms of pay and promotion may not be due to direct gender discrimination but becauses when women start having children, they’re penalised for needing a more flexible working arrangement. This theory has been borne out in a series of surveys and now the […]
April 21, 2016
How and why Millennials are shaping the future of remote working 0
by Sara Sutton Fell • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Workplace, Workplace design
The future is here. Millennials, the youngest generation in the workforce, are now the majority generation at work. Their potential impact has been discussed for decades, but we’re finally seeing results, as this generation not only enters the workforce, but assumes management-level roles, makes their voices heard, and shifts how we approach work. But why […]
April 20, 2016
400 years on, the Bard continues to influence Britain’s workplaces 0
by Mark Farrar • Comment, Workplace
It has been well reported that Saturday (23rd April) marks the 400th anniversary of the death of one of Britain’s most famous literary geniuses, William Shakespeare. The reasons for his enduring popularity are clear, as the website Shakespeare Online points out, if you cannot find words to express how you feel about love or music […]
April 17, 2016
How can commuting to your choice of office affect staff productivity? 0
by Darren Bilsborough • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Property
To say that I am obsessive about the subject of productivity in the workplace is an understatement. It is integral to much of the subject matter I write about, including the core theme contained in my book Don’t Worry About The Rent. Whilst undertaking research, it was important for me to get to the bottom […]
April 12, 2016
Women who feel valued at work will help close the gender pay gap 0
by Mark Bull • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace
There has been much debate around the gender pay gap but aside from any instances of obvious gender discrimination is the controversial fact that women appear to be more afraid of asking for a pay rise than men. According to a recent survey by Randstad 72 per cent of women are afraid even to ask […]
April 11, 2016
What our enduring love of wooden office furniture tells us about how we work
by Paul Goodchild • Comment, Furniture, Workplace design
As the office continues to evolve so too do the materials used within it. While many corporate headquarters make liberal use of brushed steel, aluminium and glass, an ancient, well loved and sustainable material is becoming increasingly popular all over again. Wood never went away, of course, but the latest ideas about office design seem to […]
April 6, 2016
What Johan Cruyff can teach us about the contemporary workplace 0
by Andrew Brown • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design
The Dutch (and to an extent, their north European neighbours in Scandinavia) are regarded as leaders in ideas on how to improve employee engagement, productivity, wellbeing and basically putting people ahead of the capital asset. It’s why people are heading off to Amsterdam this week for the Smart Workplace Design Summit. What you might not know […]
April 5, 2016
Scientific management and the enduring love of the open plan office
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Furniture, Technology, Workplace design
There are many reasons why organisations like open plan offices. When it comes to making the business case for them however, firms prefer to talk about some more than others. So while they prefer to focus on the argument in terms of how openness can foster better lines of communication, collaboration, teamwork and team spirit, […]
March 31, 2016
Government needs to wise up to the Fourth Industrial Revolution 0
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Property, Public Sector, Technology
Last week, the UK Government passed the latest bill to pave the way for the creation of HS2, the high speed rail line that will initially connect London with Birmingham and later cities like Sheffield, Manchester and Leeds. Most of the criticisms of the line are focussed on its financial and environmental costs, impact on […]
March 31, 2016
Flexible workspace underpins Hong Kong’s status as Asia’s hub 0
by Sean Lynch • Cities, Comment, Flexible working, Property
Despite the challenging cost of real estate and general commercial life in Hong Kong, startup activity in the city has seen exponential growth in the last few years, fuelled in part by new and innovative approaches to occupying workspace. The conventional Hong Kong office market is, famously, the most expensive of its kind – making it […]
May 5, 2016
The problems that come with London’s success need better solutions 0
by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Cities, Comment
We might all welcome London’s success as a thriving centre of commerce and culture, but this comes at a price and we need to look for a better balance than we currently see between London and the rest of the UK. Of course London is often the main victim of its own success. Its thriving tech […]