October 15, 2020
Search Results for: flexible working
October 12, 2020
Edinburgh sets out bold new smart city strategy
by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Technology
The City of Edinburgh Council has adopted a new digital strategy to push forward its ambitions for becoming a sustainable Smart City. The Digital and Smart City strategy – which sets out principles for how the Council’s future technology services should be designed, sourced and delivered over the next three years – was unanimously approved by members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee.
October 5, 2020
People not fully aware of remote work monitoring tech
by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology
The majority of people are not aware of the nature of new remote work monitoring technology, but do not like the idea of it. According to a new polling commissioned by the Prospect union, around two thirds of workers are uncomfortable with workplace tech like keystroke and camera monitoring and wearables being used when working remotely. More →
October 2, 2020
Two thirds of people believe their work travel patterns have changed permanently
by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Technology
Alphabet (GB) has published a new report examining how the pandemic has accelerated changes to travel and transport, altering consumer and business travel habits in UK cities. With mass migration to working from home, in March, road traffic travel dropped to levels not seen since 1955 and journeys on the London Underground fell by 95 percent. The report suggests that only six percent of those travelling to work by train feel comfortable, dropping to just four percent for tube users. More →
September 28, 2020
Nature positive cities have potential to transform the world
by Neil Franklin • Cities, Environment, News, Workplace design
COVID-19 recovery packages that include infrastructure development will influence the relationship between cities, humans and nature for the next 30 to 50 years. With the built environment home to half the world’s population and making up 40 percent of global GDP, cities are an engine of global growth and crucial to the economic recovery. 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 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
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 18, 2020
Supporting hybrid teams, both in and out of the office
by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives
As the UK is in the midst of the traditional ‘back to school’ period, many workplaces are debating over when to return to the office, and how. The sudden move to remote working during lockdown has proven that a new hybrid way of working is in fact possible for numerous organisations, but this has come at the expense of face to face communication and in person collaboration. More →
September 11, 2020
The mental health consequences of COVID grow increasingly clear
by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives
The number of self-employed people saying they have “poor” or “very poor” mental health has increased from 6 percent to 26 percent since the beginning of the pandemic (a 300 percent rise), claims new research by IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed). The number saying they had “good” or “excellent” mental health has also dropped significantly since the beginning of the pandemic – from two-thirds (68 percent) to just over a third (39 percent). This was most severe among women (a drop of 54 percent) and young freelancers aged 16-34 (a drop of 49 percent). More →
September 8, 2020
Majority of businesses plan to move to smaller but more focused offices in future
by Neil Franklin • News, Property
According to a new independent survey of over 500 senior business decision-makers, nearly three quarters believe COVID-19 will result in more UK businesses downsizing to smaller office spaces in the coming 12 months. Most also say they value the office and will be more focused on its strengths as part of the shift. The data from property developers Accumulate Capital claims to show how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected UK businesses and their commercial property needs. More →
September 7, 2020
Ditching the 9 to 5 has enlightening implications for the design of offices
by David Clements • Comment, Workplace design