December 10, 2019

Always on working culture in financial services sector driving staff to burnout

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

More than nine in ten banking and financial services professionals in the UK work beyond their contracted hours every week, according to a new survey — laying bare the extent of the City’s always on working culture. Almost half, or 47 percent, said that they do not leave the office or take a break at lunchtime, according to the survey by Morgan McKinley. The recruitment firm canvassed the views of around 480 finance workers in an informal poll to come to its conclusions. More →

December 5, 2019

Gartner report sets out top 5 priorities for HR leaders in 2020

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

As 2020 approaches, HR leaders are focused on five key measures to continue driving business outcomes, according to a report from Gartner. The priorities include: building critical skills and competencies, strengthening the current and future leadership bench, incorporating organisational design and change management, driving digital business transformation, and enhancing employee experience. More →

December 3, 2019

Manifesto calls for action on disability inclusion as pay gap for disabled people widens

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

A leading non-profit disability and business organisation is calling on the future Government to commit to a series of actions to support businesses to deliver on disability inclusion. Business Disability Forum published its ‘Manifesto for Inclusive Change’ today (3 December) to mark the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The manifesto calls for action in seven areas to ensure that the role businesses play in disabled people’s lives is enhanced, not inhibited, by government policy. To read Business Disability Forum’s ‘Manifesto for Inclusive Change’ go to www.businessdisabilityforum.org.uk . Follow the debate at #DisabilitySmart. More →

December 2, 2019

Wellbeing risks remain for majority of inactive workers

by Neil Franklin • News

The vast majority (84 percent) of British workers are failing to achieve the necessary amount of physical activity recommended by the NHS to maintain their health and wellbeing. That is according to the third Wellbeing Index Report from health and wellbeing provider, Westfield Health. The quarterly analysis focuses on the negative impact of desk jobs: over a quarter (26 per cent) spend a dangerous nine hours or more sat down; 65 per cent say they quite or very often sit continuously for one hour or more, clocking up an average of seven hours and two minutes every day. More →

November 29, 2019

Seeing red about the only home we will ever know

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

Somewhere in the Utah desert, there is a small living pod designed to emulate conditions on Mars for a group of scientists keen to explore how we might colonise that red planet after messing this blue one up. This came as a surprise to me as did the news that Ikea has been on site recently installing some of its furniture for the occupants. Next up perhaps, an installation of Billy bookcases on the International Space Station as scientists explore the effects on people of a lost screw in zero gravity. I am Jack’s unconstrained rage. More →

November 29, 2019

For the love of workplace art, where have all the walls gone?

by Chloe Adams • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

A survey exploring art in the workplace (‘Making Art Work in the Workplace’) conducted by the British Council for Offices (BCO) found that almost 88 percent of respondents felt that “art is more relevant in the workplace than ever before”. Yet, with the arrival of the generic modern office, full of open plan space and glass partitions, we frequently find ourselves rather short of walls on which to hang any workplace art in the first place. “There are no bloody walls left’ and those that are left are glass,” protests Jack Pringle of architects Perkins+Will, pointing to the fact that traditional hanging space is on the decline.

November 28, 2019

The four day week will make management support more important than ever

by Adrian Moorhouse • Business, Comment, Wellbeing

With work collaboration tools like Facebook Workplace growing more common and constant out of hours access to work emails, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between work and leisure. This lack of separation between the office and home risks creating a situation where we have less time to unwind. So it’s not surprising that the World Health Organisation officially classified burnout as an occupational phenomenon. Rising workloads, limited staff and resources, and consistently long hours are all contributing to half a million people in the UK suffering from work related stress, with 15.4 million working days lost as a result. Business and politics are hoping to buck this negative trend by finding ways of improving people’s work-life balance – most recently by experimenting with a four day week. More →

November 27, 2019

Designers may be ignoring leadership style in quest for productive workplaces

by Jayne Smith • Comment, Workplace design

Leadership styles are not considered in the design process for productive workplaces despite the majority of organisations agreeing they have a major impact on productivity. These are the latest findings in report authored by Leeson Medhurst, Director of 36 Workplace, The United Workplace (TUW) and WORKTECH Academy. Productivity – linking Workplace Design to Leadership (registration) is the next chapter in a research conversation presented and discussed at WORKTECH London this week. The new report builds on “The Puzzle of Productivity: What enhances workplace performance?” that pointed to leadership as the major factor influencing workplace productivity. More →

November 26, 2019

First Mats launches new range of cable protectors

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Promotion

First Mats is delighted to announce the launch of a brand-new range of floor cable protectors to complement the company’s existing selection of floor matting safety products. The new range of floor cable protectors is specifically designed with floor safety in mind to protect workers from trip hazards, as well as preventing damage to expensive IT equipment.

“A big part of the First Mats mission is to help improve safety in workplaces, and I believe that this range of floor cable protectors is a fantastic addition to our established range of floor matting products,” said Richard O’Connor, Strategic Marketing Director.

Loose, trailing cables present a dangerous health and safety hazard to workers, and First Mats’ new range of floor cable protectors can improve floor safety and prevent workplace accidents. IT equipment is also vulnerable to damage when cables are accidentally yanked out.

As well as performing a vital health and safety at work function, First Mats’ new range of floor cable protectors has another important role to play in any workplace environment. Floor cable protectors help to keep office premises, warehouses, commercial kitchens, and factory floor areas tidy, preventing tangles of cables from collecting dust that could present a fire hazard or harbour gnawing pests and insects.

Loose cables can easily be damaged and abraded by foot traffic and vibration. Still, First Mats’ floor cable protectors can prevent that, saving firms from the cost of cable replacement and the expensive production downtime that can be caused by catastrophic equipment failure. Floor cable protectors can also be used to shield outdoor cabling at events, festivals, and the like, preventing damage by the elements and from foot traffic, as well as protecting people attending the event from trip-related accidents.

First Mats’ cable protectors are made from super-strong PVC material for excellent durability and are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The whole range of floor cable protectors is made with a seamed backing that keeps cables and wires snapped firmly in place. There are several grades of durability on offer, from general-purpose floor cable protectors that are ideal for use in offices and computer rooms, through to a heavy-duty version that can withstand impact from heavy vehicular traffic and vibration from adjacent machinery.

For more information, please contact First Mats on 0121 702 1659, email info@firstmats.co.uk or visit the First Mats website (https://www.firstmats.co.uk/).

November 25, 2019

Commuting and outdated tech are biggest work gripes

by Neil Franklin • News

Commuting, difficult colleagues and archaic tech are among the UK’s biggest office gripes, according to new research from Village Hotel Club. The study, which explores what makes UK workers tick and what ticks them off, also uncovered what benefits workers want to see most, with flexible working topping the list. More →

November 21, 2019

Merging workplace cultures and breaking habits

by Andrew Mawson • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace design

Human beings are hardwired to be creatures of habit. From birth, we learn behaviours and develop routines that are reinforced over time through repetition. Researchers at MIT claim the neurons in our brains are responsible for this process. When someone begins a new activity a certain part of the brain kicks into gear, helping them to learn the exercise quickly. But once the action is repeated successfully, the scientists found, those same neurons only really come to life at the beginning and end of the activity. This is the reason that mundane tasks, like getting dressed or driving a car often feel like they’re performed on ‘autopilot’ and why breaking bad habits is so difficult, including those we develop in the workplace. More →

November 21, 2019

Small coworking providers taking advantage of WeWork woes

by Neil Franklin • Coworking, News

Despite its recent challenges, WeWork remains the most popular coworking space in the US, but smaller, local coworking spaces are catching up, according to a new survey from Clutch. According to the study, 39 percent of coworking employees work in a WeWork space, but local coworking spaces are almost as popular, at 36 percent. More →