Search Results for: tech

Voices from the age of uncertain work

Voices from the age of uncertain work

A woman crosses on a tightrope, illustrating the problem of uncertain workOn the surface, the wellbeing of the American worker seems rosy. Unemployment in the U.S. hovers near a 50-year low, and employers describe growing shortages of workers in a wide array of fields. But looking beyond the numbers tells a different story. My new book, “The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty,” reveals that some Americans are experiencing an erosion in the world of increasingly uncertain work that is hurting their wellbeing, relationships and hopes for the future. More →

Working dads say their schedule means missing out on children growing up

Working dads say their schedule means missing out on children growing up

One in five dads says their working schedule means they are missing out on seeing their children growing up, claims Quinyx. The research highlights the importance of opening up flexible working to all members of the workforce, including working dads and the impact the rigidness of the current system is having on families. 17 percent of working dads say their work schedule makes them feel like they are missing out on seeing their children grow up. More →

Number of remote workers in US shows massive increase

Number of remote workers in US shows massive increase

Remote workersBased on an analysis of American Community Survey data by Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs, the number of remote workers in the US increased 159 percent between 2005 and 2017.  This new data is based on an analysis of the most current US government data available (from 2017, released in 2018), and represents the most up-to-date statistics about remote work in the United States. 3.4 percent of the total US workforce currently telecommute, up from 2.9 percent in 2015. The terms telecommuters and remote workers are defined in the report as non-self-employed people who principally work from home at least half-time. More →

Flexible offices continue to dominate UK property market

Flexible offices continue to dominate UK property market

flexible offices dominate UK propertyTake-up across the UK’s ‘Big Nine’ regional office markets rose to 2.3 million square feet during second quarter of 2019 according to the latest market update from property advisors Avison Young. This is up ten percent up on a 10-year average, with activity was skewed towards flexible offices, larger deals, city centres and the technology media and telecoms sector.  More →

GDP should be replaced by new indicators of prosperity and wellbeing

GDP should be replaced by new indicators of prosperity and wellbeing

Two people laughing together to illustrate the principle of wellbeingAs the consequences of climate change, social tensions and high levels of inequality are increasingly evident, the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, led by Professor Diane Coyle, has published its initial report on how to improve economic measurement by replacing GDP as the standard measure for national prosperity with others that include wellbeing and social and environmental capital. More →

Employers missing opportunity to unlock emotional intelligence

Employers missing opportunity to unlock emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence or emotional quotient (EQ) is an increasingly popular buzz phrase in business and understanding its impact in the workplace is becoming crucial to employers in getting the most out of their staff. A new survey from Lee Hecht Harrison Penna claims the importance placed by people managers both on finding EQ in staff, and demonstrating it themselves. The study claims the changing mind-set of managers, who see EQ as key to the career development and professional success of their employees. More →

The tipping point for flexible working arrives

The tipping point for flexible working arrives

Although people have been talking about flexible working in one way or another for decades – the economist John Maynard Keynes declared in 1930 that technological advances would lead to a 15-hour working week – we may now be at the tipping point where work takes on an entirely different character. More →

Number of flexible benefits programmes continues to rise

Number of flexible benefits programmes continues to rise

New research from Aon, claims that flexible benefits programmes continue to be popular within organisations, despite communication challenges and a potential impact from 2018’s optional repayment arrangement (OpRA) regulations. Aon’s Benefits and Trends Survey 2019 claims that 45 percent of employers say they already have an online benefits or flex portal, with a further 20 percent saying they plan to introduce one within the next three years. This compares with last year’s 37 percent and 26 percent, respectively. More →

Self-employment might be good for mental health

Self-employment might be good for mental health

self-employmentThe general picture of self-employment, the gig economy work and mental wellbeing is not a pretty one. Around the world, Uber drivers face wage and security worries. Deliveroo workers have too much competition. Airbnb owners face legal problems in Paris and other cities. But while these headlines suggest a dark cloud over the heads of gig economy workers, recent data I’ve looked at unexpectedly shows that they are about 33 percent more likely to self-report positive mental health traits.
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Agile working? This is Frank’s World and the rest of us just live in it

Agile working? This is Frank’s World and the rest of us just live in it

An early example of agile working James Joyce had a word for moments of insight when we see right through convention and suddenly appreciate how things really are. He called such moments epiphanies. Such a flash of insight happened to me three or four years ago in Texas. I had been explaining to the partners of a very large international client how they could use their office space more effectively. Since these partners were rightly concerned with driving down occupancy costs, including rent, property taxes, service charges and energy costs throughout all their operations everywhere, my proposals were very acceptable. More →

Organisations upskilling to make sense of people data

Organisations upskilling to make sense of people data

New research claims that there has been a huge rise in the number of people analytics teams as HR is called on to take an increasingly strategic role in shaping business performance. Innovation generation: the big HR tech disconnect, a report released by Thomsons Online Benefits, claims there has been a significant increase in the proportion of UK-based global organisations building people analytics teams, rising from 8 percent to 43 percent in just three years. With tech talent in short supply, the survey of 60 HR decision makers from UK-based companies suggests that employers are looking to upskill existing HR team members to make sense of the data now available to them. More →

New government has unprecedented chance to transform buildings

New government has unprecedented chance to transform buildings

Deloiite London offices is an example of a new generation of buildings with a focus on the environment

The new UK government led by Boris Johnson has an unprecedented opportunity to dramatically shift policy on the built environment and deliver higher standards of safety, sustainability and social justice, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). It urged the new administration to back up rhetoric around climate change with robust legislation; to enshrine the recommendations of the Hackitt Review to improve fire safety in buildings; and tackle the scourge of late payment that is undermining thousands of SME and driving many into insolvency. More →