Columnists
March 24, 2016
Flexible working is a more important perk than nap time for employees 0
by Sara Bean • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace
Headline grabbing employee perks such as free catered lunches and massages; whether Google’s free nap times during the day or Netflix’s free unlimited holidays are all very well, but they are hardly the norm. Back in the real world, over half (61 percent) of people in the UK believe they don’t get near enough employee incentives at […]
March 23, 2016
Is discrimination of women with children the root cause of gender pay gap? 0
by Sara Bean • Comment, Flexible working, Legal news, News, Workplace
Two reports published this week support the argument that it is when women have children and require more flexible hours, that they really start to feel the sharp end of the gender pay gap. A report by a cross party group of MPs on the Women and Equalities Select Committee, reveals that supporting men and women to share childcare and other […]
March 23, 2016
The choice of a clear or messy workplace is an expression of personality 0
by Michael Page • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design
When it comes to each individual’s working space and workstation area, a question that is always worth asking (and often is) is whether it is best to back off and let people customise their immediate surroundings to fit with their own tastes and needs or whether a company-wide tidy desk policy and uniformity of approach be […]
March 22, 2016
A growing need to create an office that attracts rather than repels staff 0
by Darren Bilsborough • Comment, Property, Workplace, Workplace design
So where do you start when identifying the attributes that make an office an ‘attractor’ for staff? There are numerous articles extolling the virtues of everything from pool tables, to hammocks, creative “playgrounds” and all manner of enticing and unique workplace design considerations. However, I believe that there are more intangible and subjective issues at stake […]
March 21, 2016
Graduates value flexible work and innovative office spaces over pay 0
by Sara Bean • Comment, Flexible working, News, Workplace, Workplace design
There’s been a lot of assumptions and predictions made about Millennials, and the upcoming generation of workers dubbed Gen Z. They’re alternately spoilt with a sense of entitlement or have a zeal for change and strong social conscience. So while there is a danger of stereotyping this diverse group, employers still need to work out the best way to attract and retain the […]
March 16, 2016
The difference between ‘recyclable’ and ‘recycled’ is management not material
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Environment, Facilities management, Furniture
The Times (paywall) has uncovered some pretty remarkable statistics about the way the British consume coffee. It appears that we now buy some 2.5 billion paper cups of coffee each year, primarily from the main High Street chains. That’s about 7 million cups a day. The good news for the environmentally conscious public would appear […]
March 16, 2016
Over half of workers are not getting enough sleep to do their job effectively 0
by Sara Bean • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace
Daylight saving time began in the US on Sunday and the clocks will ‘spring’ forward in the UK and Europe in less than a fortnight’s time (27 March). Although having more daylight is welcomed, losing even an hour’s sleep can be a jolt to the system. According to a new survey from CareerBuilder, over half of workers (58 […]
March 11, 2016
What that story about menstrual leave teaches us about flexible working 0
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace
There’s nothing that makes you yearn more for the end of humanity quite like the comments section on a website. There is such a direct correlation between your zeal for the apocalypse and the amount you expose yourself to the fetid bullshit that seeps from some people’s heads on to the Internet that you could […]
March 8, 2016
Eight in ten women believe gender discrimination still prevalent at work 0
by Sara Bean • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace
Today is International Women’s Day, which marks the official day of the year when gender equality across the world comes under the spotlight. In the UK, a poll by Investors in People found that 8 in 10 of women (83 percent) in full time employment believe gender discrimination is still present in the workplace. According […]
March 8, 2016
Classrooms are starting to mimic the form and function of the office 0
by Tricia McCall • Comment, Technology, Workplace design
Technology is not the only factor impacting the way education is being approached in the classrooms of today. While it’s true that many classrooms have begun to adapt to the inclusion of technology in the curriculum, there are also several “offline” options which have clearly trickled down from business design. Globally known companies such as Google […]
March 30, 2016
Isn’t it time that UK businesses thought more like the Scandinavians? 0
by Richard Morris • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace
The clocks went forward on 27th March meaning darker mornings and lighter evenings – at least for a time. But the standard working day doesn’t reflect such changes, with commuters setting out in darkness to make a fixed 9am start. The changing of the clocks raises interesting questions about the UK work model. Why does UK business […]