October 5, 2020

Coronavirus will lead to a permanent change in the way we work

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Coronavirus will have a lasting impact on office use and levels of remote and flexible working, new figures from the Institute of Directors suggest. That is the unsurprising findings of a survey of close to a thousand company directors conducted in September. The poll claims nearly three quarters (74 percent) of respondents said their firms would maintain increased levels of remote and flexible after the pandemic ends. More →

October 2, 2020

Time for businesses to establish more meaningful wellbeing initiatives

by Jolawn Victor • Comment, Wellbeing

Over the years, mental health has become a prominent feature of wellbeing initiatives in many businesses, but especially in the wake of the pandemic. However, our research has found that more than half of the UK workforce (54 percent) do not feel that mental health benefits are a priority in their organisation. This is despite half of workers believing that mental health benefits are essential post-COVID-19. More →

October 2, 2020

What (nearly) everybody gets wrong about work and the coronavirus

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

You’ve probably read and heard dozens, or even hundreds, of different viewpoints about the effect of the pandemic on the world of work. Most of them (until recently perhaps) have dished up one of the two binary options as part of a zero-sum game. Many are based on hackneyed ideas and expressed as clichés. 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 →

October 1, 2020

EDGE adds building software to its portfolio of innovations

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Technology

Sustainable tech-led real estate pioneers EDGE have built upon their already impressive reputation as an innovator with the launch of a software platform that offers what the firm claims is a “seamless solution for optimising any office building’s performance”. It claims that EDGE Next allows “tenants and owners to transform their offices into smarter, healthier and more sustainable spaces in which people and companies can truly thrive”. The EDGE Next platform also sets out to ensure the wellbeing of employees by monitoring air quality and the numbers of people in a spaces, which it claims will make offices safer for work during the COVID-19 outbreak and beyond. More →

October 1, 2020

Businesses favour the commercial brain over the creative one, study claims

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

Businesses in the UK are disproportionately made up of logical and rational thinkers, over intuitive and expressive ones, claims a new study. The study from Genius You, involved more than 2000 individuals across 10 different sectors and highlights a trend that could be impacting creativity and innovation in the UK. More →

September 29, 2020

Flexible working is crucial for many older workers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

The Centre for Ageing Better and Timewise have launched a toolkit to help employers maximise the benefits of flexible working. Experts at the two organisations say that enabling flexible working is particularly crucial in retaining the skills and talents of workers aged over 50, enabling them to manage health needs and caring responsibilities as well as achieve a better work-life balance. More →

September 29, 2020

New support for employees experiencing domestic abuse

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

Following a surge in calls from individuals to domestic abuse helplines during lockdown, the CIPD and EHRC have published new guidance for employers, setting out how to recognise and support staff experiencing domestic abuse. A CIPD survey of UK employees claims that just under a quarter (24 percent) are aware of their employer having a policy or support in place on domestic abuse. 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 26, 2020

The world of work explored in all its glory in Issue 3 of IN Magazine

by Mark Eltringham • Case studies, Cities, Features, Flexible working, Premium Content, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Some things will never change. IN Magazine continues to offer the best content you can find on the changing world of work. The digital edition of Issue 3 is now available and print copies will be posted out later in the week. 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 24, 2020

The magical limits of workplace design

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace, Workplace design

Derren Brown is clearly on to something. And if you’ve read his books you’ll know that what he’s on to is finding ways to tap in to our fascination with how our thoughts and actions can be manipulated using some well-defined and researched techniques and principles. Add in some showmanship and what you have is something that is indistinguishable from magic. It also gas something to say about some of the ways we think about workplace design and management.