Columnists
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 7, 2016
Government talks a good game on technology, then fails to deliver 0
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, News, Technology
Last week, the UK Cabinet Office Minister Matt Hancock delivered a speech to the Institute of Directors, outlining details of the government’s Cyber First programme which aims to develop the skills needed to address the security threats posed by the digital revoluution. The speech was full of the usual stuff about the ‘interconnected world’. It […]
March 5, 2016
Boundless office + Well Buildings + Open plan design drawbacks 0
by Sara Bean • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Newsletter, Technology, Workplace
In this week’s Insight Newsletter; Darren Bilsborough explains why Well Building is the new ‘green’ in building design; and Sara Bean finds open plan offices are not necessarily improving staff engagement levels. In news, the leading world cities are in danger of pricing out business tenants; the Chinese embrace Smart Cities as a route to rapid […]
March 3, 2016
Open plan offices linked to low engagement and workplace satisfaction levels 0
by Sara Bean • Comment, Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace design
As we’ve pointed out before, while open plan working can bring cultural benefits such as improved communication and collaboration; the continuing popularity of the open plan office is largely down to cost. The reason the UK has more than twice as many open plan workers as the global average is primarily due to high real estate costs. […]
March 2, 2016
Why WELL rather than green is the new black in building design 0
by Darren Bilsborough • Comment, Environment, Facilities management, Wellbeing, Workplace design
Businesses that seek to occupy premium or grade A office accommodation are traditionally seduced by the next big thing. What was once a bespoke architectural design, then became an icon, a taller building, one made of glass and finally the inevitable iconic, tall, glass tower. Now it seems a good number of those businesses have […]
February 24, 2016
Too much choice at work just leads to paralysis by confusion 0
by Leeson Medhurst • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design
There is a general acknowledgement within the realm of FM and workplace that its world is changing; and that organisations must be ready and able to adapt to the shifting landscape, or else slip through the cracks and go under. Various factors are contributing towards this drastic reform, including three key infrastructures: technology, corporate and social. […]
February 24, 2016
Three workplace performance indicators that may make or break you 0
by Matias Rodsevich • Comment, Technology, Workplace, Workplace design
Want to find out how your business is performing? Setting and analysing performance indicators for your company is the best way to forecast and get on track with your business goals. Creating Key Performance Indicators will help you measure your company’s success. While choosing the right KPIs relies upon a good understanding of what is […]
February 17, 2016
The workplace is not just about the play, but the stage too 0
by Darren Bilsborough • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace design
Why is it that just about every article I read talking about the value of workplace design, almost always ignores the broader context of the building and precinct in which the workplace is located? Similarly, almost all conversations extolling the virtues of remote working, love to predict the extinction of the office and diminish its […]
February 9, 2016
Career progression stalled by lack of respect for mums who work part-time 0
by Sara Bean • Comment, Flexible working, Legal news, News, Workplace
A recent UKCES report suggested it is career and personal choices that explain the gender pay gap, because so many women work part time after children. Now a new report supports the view that the dearth of women in senior management roles is a result of a lack of access to promotion for those in a part time role. A survey […]
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 […]