June 25, 2020

Research suggests men are more likely to struggle with lockdown isolation

New research claims that more than three quarters of men who live alone feel isolated while they’re working from home and two fifths of 18-30 year olds feel their mental health has deteriorated. This latest research from The Institute of Leadership & Management ‘Homeworking trials and triumphs during Covid-19: mental health and wellbeing’, explores the impact of working from home on mental health, suggesting hat a significant number of men who live alone (79 per cent) are struggling with feelings of isolation during lockdown. More →

June 12, 2020

Half of HR managers say profession must change post-pandemic

by George Eltringham • News, Workplace

The role played by HR teams during the Coronavirus crisis has thrust the function into the spotlight and demonstrated the importance of an effective people strategy. That’s according to new research from Personio, which also finds that HR teams are eager to maintain a more influential and strategic role in the future. And with half (51 percent) of managers claiming that the function cannot continue as it did prior to the outbreak, it’s clear the pandemic has only accelerated the profession’s ongoing evolution. More →

May 12, 2020

Business needs to do more to address lockdown mental health issues

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

Employers must do more to support the mental health of their staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, as new research suggests up to 23 million people in the UK could be struggling with poor mental wellbeing as a result of the current situation. The research, carried out by not-for-profit healthcare provider Benenden Health, claims that 35 percent of people are thought to be struggling with their mental wellbeing as a result of the pandemic, with many saying support from employers could help ease the stress they’re experiencing day-to-day. More →

April 30, 2020

Team building exercises have never been more important

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace

These days, almost every company implements team building exercises — and rightly so, as decades of research have shown how beneficial they can be. Indeed, in a Forbes article O2E Brands CEO Brian Scudamore argues that team building activities are the most significant investment companies can make. More →

April 20, 2020

How workers are adapting their homes into offices

by Jayne Smith • News

According to the results of a recent survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Citrix Systems, work has a completely new look as employees around the world adapt to the realities or working from home. Beds have become desks, bathrooms serve as conference rooms, kids and pets crash virtual meetings and cameras thought to be off capture awkward moments and sounds. Yet, workers remain as, if not more, productive and engaged. More →

March 24, 2020

A shift in the workplace axis might be a welcome outcome of this crisis

by Luke Munro • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

I am not a philosopher. I sell home and workplace furniture. But I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how radically different things will be – both in how we work and how we live – once we get through this dreadful period of our lives. We have the opportunity to embrace a whole new way of working which recognises and gets the best out of all parts of our community. More →

March 3, 2020

What is the evidence for the benefits of basic income?

by Marcia Gibson • Features, Wellbeing, Working culture

The idea of giving everybody something called basic income – an unconditional, regular income – has become increasingly popular in the last few years, partly because employment has become less secure and people fear that increasing automation may cause job losses across many sectors. More →

January 3, 2020

Burnout remains a risk for workers of all generations

by Brendan Street • Comment, Wellbeing

Flexible working has become an important part of the modern UK economy, with over half of employees taking up a flexible working arrangement. However, Nuffield Health’s latest whitepaper The effects of remote working on stress, wellbeing and productivity has found while remote working is associated with higher workplace wellbeing, it can also present many business challenges including the risk of burnout for an increasingly diverse workforce. More →

November 22, 2019

Office design can be a vehicle for equality and change

by Jeni Durksen • Comment, Workplace design

The way companies design physical environments is a direct reflection of their values and beliefs. Inequality is hardwired into the “standard” office layout, with perimeter offices and fixed desks offering limited settings for unstructured collaboration and recreation, further perpetuating the issue. Modern office design often favours extroversion and emphasises a hierarchy with values that benefit only a small portion of the overall workforce, contributing to organisation-wide imbalance. So how do we create more inclusive workplaces that can be leveraged as vehicles for change? More →

October 30, 2019

The workplace of the future and its tech must work for the good of society

by Neil Franklin • AI, News, Technology, Wellbeing

October 22, 2019

Women less likely to progress at work than male colleagues after childbirth

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Women and men experience a ‘large divergence’ in their career paths in the years following childbirth, according to a study following more than 3,500 new parents. Only 27.8 percent of women are in full-time work or self-employed three years after childbirth, compared to 90 percent of new fathers. And while 26 percent of men have been promoted or moved to a better job in the five years following childbirth, the figure is just 13 percent for women.

October 17, 2019

Young people struggle to find secure and meaningful work

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The Institute for Employment Studies (IES) has published new research exploring young people’s experiences of work and the implications for their future health. Many of the issues raised are common across all age groups, but the report argues that they can be especially pronounced and harmful for younger people as they set about finding meaningful work that is also secure and well paid.