February 3, 2022

Working from home fuels concerns for energy consumption

by Sara Bean • Environment, Features, Flexible working

Back in February 2020, consulting firm WSP UK published some interesting research that revealed those working from home during the summer saved around 400kg of carbon emissions, the equivalent of 5 percent of a typical British commuter’s annual carbon footprint. The catch was that it was just a seasonal benefit. If an average employee worked at home all year round, they would produce 2.5 tonnes of carbon per year – around 80 percent more than an office worker. This is because, during the winter, most heating systems in Britain heat the whole house, which produces far more carbon emissions than would be produced from the commute. More →

February 3, 2022

Workplace culture needs a rethink in line with employees’ changing priorities

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Considerable job insecurity and uncertainty has pushed companies to rethink their workplace culture to meet employees’ new needs, priorities, and expectations, according to the annual Fjord Trends report from Accenture. According to the report, nearly two years of social, economic and employment disruption has resulted in a collective shift in people’s relationships with work and employees are re-assessing what they want and expect from a company culture and employee value proposition. This means enhancing workplace flexibility, benefits packages, and greater employee care and compassion will continue to be notable trends in 2022, creating both challenges and opportunities for businesses looking to retain and recruit talent. More →

February 1, 2022

Indoor air quality and hygiene of greater concern to older workers

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

Older workers are much more concerned than their younger colleagues about the health risks of returning to office based working, a survey claims. The study commissioned by manufacturing firm Airdri, suggests that just 16 percent of under 24s are worried about indoor air quality and picking up germs from colleagues/communal areas on returning to work. In comparison, 43 percent of over 25s, around a third of 35–44-year-olds (34 percent), 35 percent of 45–54-year-olds, and 41 percent of over 55s agreed, showing a big disparity in the opinions of the younger age groups. More →

January 31, 2022

The great workplace conversation (still) needs to be held with a great deal more humility

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace design

“Nobody knows anything”. William Goldman’s infamous summing up of the essential unknowability of the movie business also has a less quoted second part. “Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what’s going to work. Every time out it’s a guess and, if you’re lucky, an educated one.” It is a call for humility. That no matter how much we know about what we do and how good we are at it, we can’t always predict its outcomes. And that is clearly the case with the ongoing Great Workplace Conversation. More →

January 31, 2022

From the archive: How organic design can reflect the way people move around a building

by Paul Goodchild • Comment, Workplace design

The story goes that, after Rem Koolhaas had been appointed to design the McCormick Tribune Campus Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2003, the legendary architect noticed how students had created their own pathways between the buildings on the site. The site of the new building included a field on which their footprints had worn down the grass to such an extent that distinct grooves had been carved out that reflected their movements, prompting him to consider the effect of desire lines on organic design.

January 31, 2022

Business leaders have undue confidence in the idea of hybrid working

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology

Flexible working has overtaken salary as the top benefit to employees (59 percent), highlighting that flexibility and autonomy over the working day is now more important than financial reward for most workers. This is according to a new report from Jabra; the Jabra Hybrid Ways of Working 2021 Global Report carried out amongst 5,000 knowledge workers in five countries worldwide, including the UK. However, the report also suggests that many business leaders have a false sense of confidence in their ability to implement hybrid working.

January 27, 2022

Learning first aid is an essential skill for the modern workplace

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Promotion

First aid is a type of emergency care that is administered in the event of an injury. Volunteers within the community can receive this training so that they can help with emergencies before the proper authorities arrive on the scene. First aid includes CPR, cleaning wounds, and supporting breaks or sprains. A person giving first aid cannot fix a problem- that is for the paramedics and doctors to do. So, why is learning first aid so important, especially in the modern workplace? More →

January 27, 2022

Urban and real estate recovery driven by talent and innovation focused firms

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Property, Technology

Innovation-oriented industries and talent concentration are driving urban and real estate recovery, with notable hot spots in parts of the US, Europe and Asia, according to JLL’s new report, Innovation Geographies (registration). The authors claim that cities that perform best on these measures will be best positioned for economic growth post-pandemic, demonstrating a strong link between innovation, talent ecosystems and real estate performance. More →

January 27, 2022

Tech leaders are dedicating more time to innovation than ever

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

Chief Information Officers are spending more time on innovation than they ever have, with three quarters stating they have increased innovation efforts, according to the 2021 Global CIO Survey (registration) from Logicalis. The study, which questioned 1,000 CIOs from around the world, claims that despite a strong focus on innovation, just 27 percent of CIOs describe it as an essential part of their company culture. More →

January 26, 2022

Hybrid working is now the dominant business model for knowledge workers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace design

Future Forum, a consortium launched by Slack with founding partners Boston Consulting Group, MillerKnoll and MLT has released the latest findings from its Pulse study, which shows that hybrid working has become the dominant work model for knowledge workers around the world. The report claims that the percentage of people working in hybrid arrangements has increased to 58 percent (from 46 percent in May 2021), as the share of workers who say their teams work exclusively either from home or from the office has declined sharply. More →

January 26, 2022

Remote workers struggle to make themselves heard in hybrid meetings

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

A new report claims that remote workers are growing more concerned about perceptions of an inequal and less productive meeting experience while apart from their colleagues, and many are going as far as to consider new opportunities at organisations where they believe they will be more included. The Barco ClickShare Hybrid Meeting Survey (includes promotion) claims that more than one-third (35 percent) of workers still have trouble fully engaging during hybrid meetings. More →

January 25, 2022

Hybrid working? Let’s put on a show

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working

I’m currently rereading Art Kleiner’s masterful book The Age of Heretics which describes the history of ground-breaking thought in management in the 20th Century and the lessons we forget. It remains a relevant book for the new era of ‘hybrid working’ because the book draws a distinction between two fundamental schools of thought in management theory. One of these sees management as a numbers game in which people are inherently problematic and so must be directed what to do based on data and routines of desirable activity and behaviour. And the other sees people as well meaning, capable and adaptable with managers there to facilitate and channel their abilities and help them develop. More →