August 23, 2019

Two-thirds of people say work damages their mental health

A new survey from CV-Library suggests that the UK’s professionals have a problematic relationship with work, with three-quarters (74.2 percent) claiming that their job is damaging their mental health. The research, which surveyed over 2,000 professionals, claims that four in ten (43.9 percent) workers even consider resigning from their job because of this, with a further 52.6 percent stating that their workplace doesn’t do enough to support employees. More →

July 26, 2019

Self-employment might be good for mental health

by Mark Stabile • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

The general picture of self-employment, the gig economy work and mental wellbeing is not a pretty one. Around the world, Uber drivers face wage and security worries. Deliveroo workers have too much competition. Airbnb owners face legal problems in Paris and other cities. But while these headlines suggest a dark cloud over the heads of gig economy workers, recent data I’ve looked at unexpectedly shows that they are about 33 percent more likely to self-report positive mental health traits.
More →

July 8, 2019

Meetings ruined by late arrivals and setting up tech

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Workplace design

A report from Moo claims that people are wasting time by waiting for all attendees to arrive at or dial-in to meetings. Engaging in small talk with colleagues and tackling technology followed closely behind. The findings include the claims that nearly half of British workers spend up to ten minutes trying to find a meeting room on average, and around the same number spend up to 15 minutes waiting for other attendees to arrive or dial-in.

July 2, 2019

Fears about impact of AI now widespread

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

A significant proportion of the global population is concerned about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), with scepticism about its use by business greater than its use by government, a poll published by the World Economic Forum suggests. According to the poll, which surveys the attitudes of over 20,000 people across 27 countries, 41 percent of respondents said that they were worried about the use of AI. This compares to 27 percent that disagreed and 32 percent that were undecided. When asked whether the use of AI by companies should be regulated more strictly than it is today, 48 percent of respondents said they agreed compared to 20 percent that disagreed. More →

June 27, 2019

We are running out of time to find the meaning of work

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

Last week’s report from the IFS detailing the ongoing rise in the numbers of working poor in the UK highlights just how dysfunctional work can be in the modern era. While depictions of work in the media tend to consist of diverse Millennials clustering around a single laptop in the sun-dappled offices of tech firms, or chilling on the Chesterfield in a coworking space, the reality for many people is somewhat different. 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 12, 2019

Working lives dominated by stress and overwork

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Over-work, stress and poor work-life balance are undermining attempts to improve the quality of working lives in the UK, new research from the CIPD claims. Over 5,000 people were surveyed for the UK Working Lives Survey, an annual assessment of job quality across seven different categories including pay and benefits, contracts and employment terms, and voice and representation. More →

May 28, 2019

Number of over-70s in work doubles

by Mark Eltringham • News, Workplace

Record numbers of over-70s are choosing work over retirement, according to new analysis from Rest Less, a membership community site in the UK to offer work and volunteering opportunities specifically targeted at the over 50s. Using bespoke data provided to Rest Less by the Office for National Statistics, Rest Less’s analysis claims that the number of over-70s in full or part-time employment has been steadily rising year on year over the past 10 years, reaching a peak of 497,946 in the first quarter of this year – an increase of 286,000 or 135 per cent since 2009. Today, nearly 1 in 12 (8.1 percent) of those in their 70s are working, a significant increase from the 1 in 22 (4.5 percent) there were 10 years ago.

April 8, 2019

Overhaul of shared parental leave is already overdue, claims TUC

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

The TUC is calling for an overhaul of shared parental leave legislation just four years after its introduction. Last year only 9,200 new parents took shared parental leave – just 1 percent of those eligible to do so. The TUC believes take-up is low because the scheme is so low-paid (£145.18 per week) making it unaffordable for most fathers. It claims that large numbers of dads in insecure work, such as agency workers and those on zero-hours contracts, are not eligible for it. And currently men and women who are self-employed don’t get any shared leave rights at all. More →

March 27, 2019

The pursuit of happiness, lumpy tech, space science and some other stuff

by Mark Eltringham • Features, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Underlying most of the stuff you read about the workplace is the quest for happiness. Indeed happiness has become something of a preoccupation for those pondering the issue at the apex of social and economic thinking, as epitomised by Gallup with its latest World Happiness report. As always, the Gallup report stumbles over definitions of happiness, often using the word interchangeably with wellbeing and stuffs it with other ideas without explaining how or even whether they contribute to happiness.

March 18, 2019

Government report shows increase in number of workers balancing care commitments

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A new official report has highlighted the increasing number of people who are having to balance caring for family members with their own working commitments. Catherine Foot, the Director of Evidence for the Centre for Ageing Better, responded to these statistics by calling for legislation to promote flexible working among older workers. Published by the Office for National Statistics, the report has found that one in four older female workers, and one in eight older male workers, have care responsibilities.

March 17, 2019

Area completes refurbishment of Birmingham offices for Mills & Reeve

by Freddie Steele • Case studies, Company news, Workplace design

Workplace design and fit-out specialist Area, has completed a 30-week refurbishment of the Colmore Row, Birmingham offices for Mills & Reeve, one of the UK’s top law firms. With six floors in constant operation and located in a prime area of Birmingham’s business district access was tight, timescales tighter and work had to be undertaken without disruption to the day-to-day running of a major law firm. The design concept reflects the Mills & Reeve brand but is tailored to the Birmingham location, embracing the history of the area and the architectural features of the building.