Search Results for: employee

New artificial intelligence regulations have important implications for the workplace

New artificial intelligence regulations have important implications for the workplace

artificial intelligence The European Commission recently announced its proposal for the regulation of artificial intelligence, looking to ban “unacceptable” uses of artificial intelligence. Up until now, the challenges for businesses getting AI ‘wrong’ were bad press, reputation damage, loss of trust and market share, and most importantly for sensitive applications, harm to individuals. But with these new rules, two new consequences are arising: plain interdiction of certain AI systems, and GDPR-like fines. More →

Long working hours increase deaths from heart disease and stroke, says WHO

Long working hours increase deaths from heart disease and stroke, says WHO

long working hoursLong working hours led to 745,000 deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease in 2016, a 29 per cent increase since 2000, according to the latest estimates by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization published in Environment International today. In what the authors claim is the first global analysis of the loss of life and health associated with working long hours, WHO and ILO estimate that, in 2016, 398 000 people died from stroke and 347,000 from heart disease as a result of having worked at least 55 hours a week. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of deaths from heart disease due to long hours increased by 42 percent, and from stroke by 19 percent. More →

We need to acknowledge our bias if we want to see the world for what it is

We need to acknowledge our bias if we want to see the world for what it is

We’re all biased. We all recognise the sharp bump of our critical thinking skills kicking into life when confronted with ideas and information that go against our beliefs. We know how they doze in the comforting embrace of affirming data. So, it’s been entertaining this week to observe the reaction to the large-scale academic study of 10,000 IT workers which found that they had worked 30 percent longer hours while working from home, a fifth of it outside their normal times of work, without actually doing any more work. In essence their productivity had fallen by 20 percent in spite of their increased hours. More →

Ditching ageism and ableism at work could pay dividends

Ditching ageism and ableism at work could pay dividends

ageismA new report launched by the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) highlights how pervasive ageism and ableism in the workplace are still locking far too many people out of work as they age, costing not only individuals but employers and the economy. More →

People working from home might now be subject to a visit from the Pensions Regulator

People working from home might now be subject to a visit from the Pensions Regulator

working from home and the new pensions lawThe Pensions Regulator might now have the power under current UK pensions legislation, to enter the private homes of employees when it is investigating their employer, if those employees are working from home. The current law has been in force since 2005 and it allows the Regulator to enter some premises at any reasonable time. This power is restricted to use only in relation to some limited statutory investigations. However, though currently limited, these regulatory powers will soon be widened and extended by the Pensions Schemes Act 2021 which is due to come into force in Autumn 2021.

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Workers dreading dressing smartly on their return to the office

Workers dreading dressing smartly on their return to the office

officeA new survey has suggested that people’s reluctance to head back into the office has much less to do with the risks of COVID-19 or other germs and more to do with the dress code of the company they work for. According to the poll from Airdri, as organisations across the country begin to welcome staff back from working from home, it seems many Brits are not looking forward to dropping the leisure wear and returning to a more formal attire needed when working amongst peers. More →

Organisations are finally getting their heads around what the office is really good at

Organisations are finally getting their heads around what the office is really good at

Modern office design by BDGAs 2020 came to a close, there was a palpable sense of hope that 2021 would bring with it a fresh slate with the horrors of COVID behind us. Alas, that has not happened and it seems we have more of the same, certainly for the next few months and with that the speculation about the ‘future of the office’ will no doubt continue. More →

UK business leaders pave the way for a hybrid working future

UK business leaders pave the way for a hybrid working future

workingNew research by Applaud, claims that UK business HR decision makers are paving the way for a new era of work post-pandemic, with organisations across the country looking to close or downsize their offices and focus instead on hybrid, remote working. More →

Office is the new social hub for a third of workers

Office is the new social hub for a third of workers

officeMore than a third (37 percent) of US and UK office workers describe the prospect of going back to the office as the equivalent of going out to meet with friends, according to a new study by Kadence. More →

Societal change is driving businesses to focus on purpose

Societal change is driving businesses to focus on purpose

focusIncreasing pressure from investors, customers and employees are causing CEOs to focus their businesses on purpose, resilience and long-term sustainability, according to a new report from the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA) and Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB). The report, ‘People risk – why the need for change is urgent‘ claims a shift in business focus away from short term gains in favour of emphasising long term value creation as one way of managing people risk. More →

Mental health is not a cultural priority for half of organisations

Mental health is not a cultural priority for half of organisations

An illustration depicting the mental health of individuals Koa Health, has released a new report titled Wellbeing at Work, exposing the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in businesses across the UK and organisations’ response to the crisis. Social listening research conducted by Pulsar on behalf of Koa Health claims that as COVID took told in the UK, content shared online about people’s declining mental wellbeing increased by 400 percent in the period from the last week of February 2020 to the final week of May 2020. More →

The future of work will see profound changes in the way firms engage with customers

The future of work will see profound changes in the way firms engage with customers

Businesses are managing a new work dynamic that’s made up of three parts, or three ‘types’ of employee. Some are keen to go back to the office, some want to stay working from home, and some want an entirely flexible arrangement so they can fit work around important personal commitments. More →