September 28, 2020

People still love the office, but would prefer one closer to home

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A new survey from IWG claims that commuting remains the biggest barrier to the return to office life post-Covid, with only 8 percent of British workers now prepared to travel more than an hour to get to work. In the short term, workers are set to follow Government guidance by continuing to work from home, in the longer-term, six in ten (57 percent) want an office that is closer to home and an even greater proportion (77 percent) say that a more conveniently located office is a must-have for their next job move. More →

September 26, 2020

The world of work explored in all its glory in Issue 3 of IN Magazine

by Mark Eltringham • Case studies, Cities, Features, Flexible working, Premium Content, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Some things will never change. IN Magazine continues to offer the best content you can find on the changing world of work. The digital edition of Issue 3 is now available and print copies will be posted out later in the week. More →

September 25, 2020

Office space costs fall for only the second time

by Jayne Smith • News, Property

Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) has published the results of its annual Total Office Costs Survey (TOCS), claiming that the average outlay of occupying office space in the UK fell by 1.3 percent over the 12 months to June 2020 for new build accommodation and 1.6 percent for 20-year old buildings. This is only the second time costs have fallen in the survey since the global financial crisis in 2008 and contrasts sharply with the 3.6 percent increase in costs in 2019. More →

September 25, 2020

Furloughed employees feel less valued

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

A new survey published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) claims that while 78 percent of those who experienced a change in workplace felt that they had experienced positive impacts, furloughed employees have had a significantly different experience. More →

September 24, 2020

Workers long for clarity in their relationship with employers

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

Employees are longing for purposeful and visible changes to increase safety measures in the office, according to a new survey of 2,000 people from NELSON Worldwide. This is top of people’s minds in order to assure that re-entry in the workplace is safe, according to the firm. Whether this is carried out by means of wayfinding, increased sanitation protocols, or direct implementation of distancing in workstations, staff are eager to see the action carried out. The survey concludes that 83 percent of employees have rated physical safety measures to be extremely or very important. More →

September 24, 2020

Employees grow increasingly concerned about prospect of burnout

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

In a survey of employees and business leaders across 11 nations, The Workforce Institute at UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) claims only a fraction of employees (20 percent) felt their organisation met their needs during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is a silver lining: a third of employees globally (33 percent) say they trust their employer more now than before the pandemic began because of how organisations reacted. More →

September 23, 2020

Remote working set to triple in the post-COVID world

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

A new survey from XpertHR, claims that the average percentage of employees remote working at least part of the time is projected to nearly triple from 12 percent before the COVID-19 pandemic to 30 percent after the pandemic. The survey Employer Response to COVID-19 was completed by 835 US employers. More →

September 23, 2020

Employees concern over the fairness of who returns to the office

by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives

Fairness around office rota decisions and implementation is a top employee concern, claims new research by HSM. As employers now consider the impact of a second wave of Covid-19, the Government is now encouraging people to work from home and grapple with decisions around how and when to bring people back to the office. More →

September 22, 2020

BCO invites NextGen members to design the post-pandemic workplace

by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives

The BCO has launched a competition for its ‘NextGen’ members, who will be asked to design an office fit for 2025. Entrants will be asked to consider key global issues, from the pandemic, tackling the impending climate crisis, to ongoing issues around equality and inclusivity. More →

September 22, 2020

New demand for office space indicates mass `return to work`

by Jayne Smith • Facilities management, News, Property, Working lives

Water cooler chats and the buzz of office life is set to remain on hold until at least the New Year as businesses look to restructure their office needs from January. A government drive to see more office employees return to work in the workplace has seen a rise in commuters to more than 60 percent according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. More →

September 21, 2020

Time to get on board with the psychological effects of working from home

by Jörg Bakschas • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

It almost goes without saying that this year has seen a rapid shift towards remote working, with many companies now moving to a flexible working model. From a business perspective, many employees are proving that they can still get their work done working from home. But what is the psychological impact of this? And are companies doing enough to research and prevent any negative psychological effects of remote working? More →

September 18, 2020

When it comes to describing the new world of work, the Scandis have a name for it

by Fredrik Bergsten • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace design

We have very clearly arrived at a point of inflection in the world of work right now, with more time than ever spent pondering some of its bigger questions. Like what will individuals expect from their place of work? What will employers be willing to offer them? How will the culture – the very fabric – of our offices change as a result of the pandemic? In the midst of all the head scratching and soul searching over what this brave new world of work might look like, there is an increasingly vocal minority arguing that a new, better path has already been paved. Where? In Scandinavia, of course. More →