Search Results for: initiatives

The failures of work give us hope for the future

The failures of work give us hope for the future

Workplace engagement is approaching an all-time low, and typical employer reaction has been characteristically resigned. Actually, that last statement was inaccurately soft. Let me rephrase: most employees either don’t care about or actually hate their jobs, and employers couldn’t care less. More →

Firms should focus on people in the drive for long term growth

Firms should focus on people in the drive for long term growth

A new report by Economist Impact, sponsored by Kyocera Document Solutions, claims that human-centric strategies are needed for businesses to drive sustainable business growth, focusing on three pillars: productivity and infrastructure, employee engagement and culture. The Magnetic Workplace Barometer claims to gauge confidence both today and in five years’ time across  what the report terms the three main pillars of productivity and infrastructure; employee engagement; and culture. The barometer scores are scaled from 1 to 7, 7 being the most confident. More →

Workspace Design Show announces inspiring speaker line-up for 2023

Workspace Design Show announces inspiring speaker line-up for 2023

A photo from the 2021 Workspace Design Show conferenceThe Workspace Design Show returns for the second time, unveiling an exciting speaker line-up as part of its 2023 edition. Taking place once again at London’s Business Design Centre, the show brings together the UK’s workplace interiors community to explore the experience of tomorrow’s workspaces. The show will take place from 27- 28 February 2023, with the theme being Destination Workplace: Places Where People Want To Be. One of the highlights from the inaugural 2022 edition was the Show’s talks programme, which was well received by the workplace design community. More →

Two thirds of employees are now worried about paying for essentials

Two thirds of employees are now worried about paying for essentials

As real time pay fails to keep up with rising costs and soaring inflation, employees are increasingly anxious about their financial situation. And employers are failing to keep up according to a new survey from Personio. The poll suggests that over two thirds (69 percent) of employees are worried or stressed about their ability to pay for essentials if the economy worsens over the coming months. A further 22 percent are concerned about losing their job whilst a fifth (20 percent) are worried they will need to take on a second job to support themselves. More →

Workplace wellbeing remains a neglected issue for many firms

Workplace wellbeing remains a neglected issue for many firms

Two people sharing a coffee and a joke at work to illustrate workplace wellbeingTwo in five businesses have either cut or maintained workplace wellbeing budgets despite growing pressures on their staff, according to a new report. Faced with stressors such as the cost-of-living crisis, political uncertainty, and the ‘return to work’ post-Covid, just 16 percent of directors and risk practitioners said their wellbeing budgets had seen a significant increase. Around 40 percent of businesses had increased their budgets slightly to tackle issues such as mental, physical, financial health, organisational vision, values, culture and working standards, according to the poll by Deloitte, the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) and the Institute of Directors (IoD). More →

Responsible capitalism, and space as a service will shape real estate industry over next 20 years

Responsible capitalism, and space as a service will shape real estate industry over next 20 years

A flexible office space from Instant Offices, a pioneer of space as a serviceEurope’s real estate leaders have set out a long-term vision for the industry. In this scenario the most successful firms have adopted ‘responsible capitalism,’ the user is the centre of attention, the cycle of demolition and development has been broken, mixed-use is the norm and multi-disciplinary and in-house teams deliver space as a service across a range of sectors. Emerging Trends in Real Estate Europe 2023, the twentieth annual survey of European real estate sector leaders’ expectations by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC, has looked beyond the year ahead at the trends shaping the industry over the next two decades. This report captures the views of over 900 sector leaders from across Europe. More →

NeoCon 2023 calls on contributors to share their knowledge and expertise

NeoCon 2023 calls on contributors to share their knowledge and expertise

Chicago, home of the NeoCon annual trade fairNeoCon, the office design and interiors event that takes places in Chicago each year, is inviting thought leaders, researchers and industry specialists,  to submit proposals for its onsite and virtual show conference programme, which takes place from June 12-14, 2023, at THE MART in Chicago. Contributors are also sought for the event’s year-round educational offerings. The announcement builds on the success of a lively NeoCon edition this past June that the organisers claim united and inspired the industry. More →

Working habits are changing in response to cost of living increases

Working habits are changing in response to cost of living increases

commuters in London to illustrate changing working habitsThe so-called cost of living crisis is having a fundamental impact on people’s working habits, according to Beamery’s latest Talent Index – Sixth Edition. Almost a third (29 percent) of workers polled for the report are now avoiding the office because of the increasing cost of travel whilst another third cited (31 percent) they were considering leaving their jobs completely due to lack of salary increases. More →

Digital twin in Birmingham will drive innovation and clean energy in the city

Digital twin in Birmingham will drive innovation and clean energy in the city

digital twin birminghamA digital twin that can comprehensively model and test pathways to clean energy and net zero emissions in East Birmingham is being planned in a partnership between the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City Council and Siemens. A feasibility study has been commissioned which demonstrates how a virtual representation of the energy and transport infrastructure within East Birmingham and Tyseley Environmental Enterprise District (TEED) will help to outline pathways for decarbonisation. More →

Remote working is still largely regulated at company level in Europe

Remote working is still largely regulated at company level in Europe

Access to telework and other remote working arrangements are still largely determined at company level in most EU Member States, with just France, Lithuania and Portugal currently enshrining the right to request telework in legislation. While some common ground exists, there are varying standards and practices in place with regards to telework in the EU, which can be regulated through legislation or collective agreements. These can relate to important issues such as health and safety, working time, and compensation. Although the right to disconnect has recently been expanded in several countries, it is not extensive throughout the EU and differs in implementation across the Member States. More →

Established businesses must do more to support local entrepreneurs and startups

Established businesses must do more to support local entrepreneurs and startups

With SME’s accounting for the employment of more than half of the UK’s workforce, supporting these businesses is of benefit to everyone while geopolitical events and the impact of the pandemic continue to cause economic uncertainty.  Entrepreneurs and small businesses are vital for spurring on evolutions in our technology and creating new markets for services and products, therefore bringing about competition which in turn boosts productivity that benefits our own and other economies, helping them withstand and recover faster from financial downturns. More →

Working families are only three weeks from breadline, claims report

Working families are only three weeks from breadline, claims report

working familiesThe latest Deadline to Breadline report from Legal & General claims that the financial resilience of working families in the UK has shrunk by a fifth since 2020, down from from 24 days to 19 days. According to the report, people overestimate by nearly six weeks how long they could fund basic living costs such as housing costs, loans/ credit card repayments, utility bills and food if they lost their income.  Households have average savings of £2,431 and debts of £610. Accounting for average daily expenses of £93, this would see the average household run out of money in less than three weeks if they were to lose their income. More →