August 7, 2019

Flexible working has increased dramatically in last two decades

The proportion of people with some form of flexible working has increased dramatically in the last two decades. That is according to an analysis of working trends by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). According to the 1999 Labour Force Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the percentage of people working flexible hours in the UK was 9.5 percent at that time. Recent statistics from CIPD, however, show that this number has drastically increased, with 54 percent of workers currently having the option of some form of flexibility in their time and place of work. More →

August 7, 2019

London is top flexible offices market in Europe

by Neil Franklin • Coworking, News, Property

Research conducted by CBRE claims that London’s stock of flexible offices amounted to over 1.1 million square metres, representing over 5 percent of the city’s total office stock. This places London firmly top of the table of flexible office markets, when compared to major cities across Europe. More →

July 31, 2019

Flexible offices continue to dominate UK property market

by Neil Franklin • Coworking, News, Property

Take-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 →

July 29, 2019

The tipping point for flexible working arrives

by James Geekie • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

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 →

July 26, 2019

Number of flexible benefits programmes continues to rise

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

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 →

July 19, 2019

Flexible working could be the default for all jobs in UK

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, Legal news, News

Flexible working could become the default for all jobs in the UK, under proposed legislation being considered by the UK government. The most important consequence will be that employees will no longer be expected to use their right request flexible working for an employer to consider, as is currently the case. More →

July 15, 2019

Flexible working the key to attracting female talent

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Flexible working is the key to make construction a more attractive and progressive career choice for female talent, according to a RICS poll which claims the top recommendations industry professionals believe will help employers encourage more female talent into the property sector. More →

July 10, 2019

Vast majority of workers want more flexible hours

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

The overwhelming majority (84 percent of workers) would like their organisations to offer more flexible hours of work, whether that’s time to suit personal needs, or the occasional early finish, according to a new report from Totaljobs. While employees have the legal right to request flexible working from their employer regardless of their existing contract, some companies have already built greater flexibility into their employer offering. Some go one step further with “agile working”, whereby employees can work from any location, at any time, by utilising appropriate technology. More →

July 8, 2019

Flexible office demand in Paris almost double the global average

by Neil Franklin • Coworking, News, Property

Demand for flexible office space in Paris is almost double the global average, according to a report by Instant Offices. With demand for office space on the rise in Paris, serviced offices have seen a 26 percent increase while hybrid space has seen a 23 percent increase. While the city ranks fourth globally by the size of supply, Paris is considered to be one of the largest flexible office markets in Europe and ranks among the top 10 best start-up cities in the world. Alongside New York, San Francisco and London, Paris also remains one of the most expensive places to rent a desk. Despite this, demand in the city is on the rise as more large businesses choose flexible offices over conventional leases. More →

June 27, 2019

Bosses overwhelmingly in favour of flexible working

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Businesses that fail to accommodate staff looking to set their own work schedule in some way will struggle to attract and retain talent, claims new research from Vistage. The research suggests that nearly two-thirds (73 percent) of UK CEOs and business leaders believe organisations that fail to offer flexible working to employees will face a struggle to attract talent. More than half (59 percent) of respondents said they’ve already written flexible working options into standard employment contracts. A further 36 percent say it’s either something they’re looking at or would consider in the future. More →

June 26, 2019

Flexible working is the new measure of success

by Ben Chatfield • Comment, Flexible working

Professional bragging rights were once the preserve of top earners. Those with massive salaries, huge bonuses, and in some cases, even bigger egos. Money equals success – technology has shifted that long held view. Today flexible working, in terms of hours, location and role, has become an embraced reality and chief workplace priority. Technology has blurred the lines between work and life. The new “digitally native” workforce now expect a flexibility and access in every aspect of their lives. More than ever, work is seen as an adventure which is to be explored, rather than accepted. More →

June 21, 2019

Flexible office revolution shows no signs of slowing

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Workplace design

The latest research from JLL, Disruption or distraction, where next for the UK flex market sector, claims that the real revolution of flexible office space lies in the variety of solutions now on offer and that the market has seen more changes over the last three years than the previous 30 combined as it continues to grow and evolve. JLL’s research claims that over the next five years more than 10m sq ft will be added to the stock in the key UK cities and flex space will account for over 8.5 percent of the total office stock by 2023. More →