June 15, 2023

Younger workers are the least likely to favour hybrid working

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

New research has revealed the nuances in attitudes towards hybrid working and work-life balance in the UK and US. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the appeal of hybrid work is linked to the life and career stage of employees. The poll from United Culture suggests that work-life balance is the factor most valued by employees at work (58 percent), but is much more appealing to women than men (66 percent vs. 52 percent). Flexibility came in second place, chosen by 47 percent. More →

June 9, 2023

Getting back to the idea of a better future

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Technology

A recent edition of Jon Connell’s daily newsletter The Knowledge included this nugget: “Last month, I heard one of the world’s most successful fund managers admit that the charts and models he previously used “gave almost no clue” as to what to do with money now. (His one firm prediction, that the US dollar would weaken, has so far proved dead wrong.) Same with climate, with migration, with a business world about to be utterly transformed by AI. That, as much anything, will be one of the biggest questions of the coming years and decades: What do we do if we can’t predict the future?” More →

June 5, 2023

Think tank seeks funding for Universal Basic Income trial

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A universal basic income may be trialled in England for the first time, with thirty people set to be paid £1,600 per month over a two-year period regardless of personal circumstances. Researcher Autonomy is seeking funding for the pilot scheme, which it claims “has the potential to simplify the welfare system and tackle poverty in Britain”. People will be drawn from two locations in England to participate, with the scheme testing the effects of basic salary being paid to everyone regardless of wealth or job. More →

June 1, 2023

The circular economy is a great opportunity, but it doesn’t add up yet

by Joanna Knight • Comment, Environment, JK, Workplace design

The circular economy, carbon measurement, product material content, rental, ‘take back’, reuse and recycling – all actions for a more environmentally responsible workplace sector. But what are the priorities? Manufacturers and suppliers are arguably challenged by lack of clarity, requirements for significant investment, combined with cost pressures in a heavily subscribed market. More →

May 17, 2023

Workload and personal appearance now main sources of workplace anxiety

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

A new poll from The Adaptavist Group claims that three-quarters of UK office workers now say they experience workplace anxiety, with a little over one-quarter saying it happens often to almost all the time. This is a significant shift from just nine months ago when only 38 percent of respondents in Adaptavist’s Reinventing Work study said they suffered from anxiety upon returning to work. More →

May 17, 2023

APAC region leads the world in return to office bookings, report claims

by Jayne Smith • Facilities management, News, Property, Technology

A new report from Eptura [registration] claims that there has been a global wave of return to office bookings led by the Asia Pacific market, including a worldwide 338 percent increase in collaborative room bookings, 76 percent room booking check-in rate, 35 percent increase in visitor check-ins, and 3 percent increase in site inspections. More →

May 10, 2023

WorldGBC launches Circular Built Environment Playbook

by Jayne Smith • Environment, Facilities management, News

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and its network of over 75 Green Building Councils are launching the Circular Built Environment Playbook. The organisation claims this is ‘a critical guide for the building and construction sector around the world to accelerate the adoption of circular economy and resource efficiency principles’. More →

May 10, 2023

Majority of employees see themselves as cogs in corporate machinery

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

A significant majority (85 percent) of employees feel like they are just a cog in the machinery of their organisation and 43 percent have no idea how their performance contributes to business success, according to a new survey of employee experience and expectations. According to the new study [registration] from Oracle, HR leaders are struggling to keep up with changing employee expectations and this can have dire consequences for businesses. The survey of 1,000 employees and HR leaders across the United Kingdom (UK) found that despite current economic uncertainty, worker expectations are higher than ever, and HR leaders need help to get the employee experience right or risk losing profits and market share. More →

May 9, 2023

Three quarters of small business owners say overwork leads to strife at home

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

A new poll from Sky Business claims that whilst 67 percent of SME owners and decision makers would recommend someone should start their own business, more than half (54 percent) have found running their own business more stressful since the threat of impending recession in the middle of 2022. And one of the consequences of overwork for SME owners is a tendency for stress to spill over into other parts of their lives. More →

May 3, 2023

Around a quarter of jobs will shift over the next five years, WEF report claims

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Almost a quarter of jobs are expected to switch in the next five years according to a new report from the World Economic Forum. Its Future of Jobs Report for 2023 suggests that employers anticipate 69 million new jobs to be created and 83 million eliminated among the 673 million jobs corresponding to the dataset, a net decrease of 14 million jobs, or 2 percent of current employment. The data is an extrapolation of data from 803 employers employing around 11 million people. More →

April 25, 2023

Employers gain nearly two weeks extra work a year from hybrid workers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Analysis by workplace consultancy Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) claims that on average hybrid workers deliver nearly two extra weeks of work a year for their employer as well as working harder and better in a hybrid environment. The results of the analysis — which shows the benefits of hybrid working for organisations — are a combination of academic research and studies by AWA itself. They are included in AWA’s latest report, ‘Why Employers Benefit From Hybrid Working’, which also found that employees often work better when in a distraction-free environment, with more than half their time dedicated to working alone or focussed work. More →

April 24, 2023

Reconnecting older workers with the office: have we retired what matters most?

by Julie Lecoq • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

Older workers now make up a larger percentage of the workforce than they did two decades ago. Data from Legal and General and the Centre for Economic Research (Cebr) suggests that the number of over 50s in employment has increased by 36 percent in the last 20 years, with 47 percent of this age group predicted to be in employment by 2030. A combination of the increase in retirement age and rising costs of living have made it a necessity for individuals to stay in work longer. From a corporate perspective, the growing skills shortages in a range of sectors has also meant that employers are consistently seeking to attract and retain those in the latter stage of their professional career. More →