February 3, 2022

Working from home fuels concerns for energy consumption

by Sara Bean • Environment, Features, Flexible working

Back in February 2020, consulting firm WSP UK published some interesting research that revealed those working from home during the summer saved around 400kg of carbon emissions, the equivalent of 5 percent of a typical British commuter’s annual carbon footprint. The catch was that it was just a seasonal benefit. If an average employee worked at home all year round, they would produce 2.5 tonnes of carbon per year – around 80 percent more than an office worker. This is because, during the winter, most heating systems in Britain heat the whole house, which produces far more carbon emissions than would be produced from the commute. More →

February 3, 2022

Critical industries at risk of collapse as people shun key worker jobs

by Neil Franklin • Jobs, News, Workplace

Sectors critical to putting food on the table and looking after the health of people are on a cliff edge as working age adults shun many of the essential jobs in critical industries that keep the UK running – from food production and logistics to health and social care. That’s according to new research from skills development organisation, City & Guilds. The research finds that despite key workers seeing the nation through the pandemic, the UK’s most vital industries are being threatened by growing skills shortages, as poor reputations and concerns about low pay turn off potential new recruits. More →

February 2, 2022

Business ethics boosted by pandemic

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

Entering the third year of a pandemic, more professionals responsible for business ethics and compliance worldwide say that their ethical culture is more potent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest annual Ethics and Compliance Program Effectiveness Report from LRN. But, while values and ethics helped sustain companies during the pandemic, new areas of concern have emerged. And, there is a significant gap between companies with high-impact ethics and compliance (E&C) programs and those with low-impact ones. The top-ranked programs were proactive, utilised available resources, and made their programs more accessible to employees. High performing organisations also scored 27 percentage points higher than low-performing ones when it came to weathering COVID. More →

February 1, 2022

Indoor air quality and hygiene of greater concern to older workers

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

Older workers are much more concerned than their younger colleagues about the health risks of returning to office based working, a survey claims. The study commissioned by manufacturing firm Airdri, suggests that just 16 percent of under 24s are worried about indoor air quality and picking up germs from colleagues/communal areas on returning to work. In comparison, 43 percent of over 25s, around a third of 35–44-year-olds (34 percent), 35 percent of 45–54-year-olds, and 41 percent of over 55s agreed, showing a big disparity in the opinions of the younger age groups. More →

February 1, 2022

Three quarters admit to ghosting an employer

by Jayne Smith • Jobs, News, Workplace

More than three quarters (76 percent) of British job seekers admit to ghosting an employer or prospective employer in the past 18 months, despite over half (59 percent) having been ghosted themselves, according to new research from people analytics company, Visier. The study asked 1,000 UK employees who have been job hunting in the past 18 months about their experiences with ghosting, using Psychology Today’s definition of the term as ‘abruptly ending communication with someone without explanation’ in association with the workplace from recruitment through to starting a new role. More →

February 1, 2022

Half of business leaders now paralysed by decision making

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

Half (48 percent) of UK C-suite leaders now feel less confident making business-critical decisions compared to before the pandemic, according to a report (registration / promotion) commissioned by Treasure Data. The survey of 500 business leaders in the UK the impact the pandemic has had on leadership decision-making, and reviews whether these decision making processes are fit for purpose in a new era of unpredictability. More →

January 31, 2022

London office market ‘returns to normality’ in latter half of 2021

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Avison Young’s latest research claims that occupier activity in the London office market last quarter increased to 3.1 million sq ft, 27 percent above the previous quarter, to reach levels last seen in 2019 in what the report claims is ‘a strong sign that London’s occupiers are approaching their workplace strategies and office use with increased confidence’. The firm claims that nine deals above 100,000 sq ft were completed during the last six months, more than in the preceding eighteen months combined. More →

January 31, 2022

From the archive: How organic design can reflect the way people move around a building

by Paul Goodchild • Comment, Workplace design

The story goes that, after Rem Koolhaas had been appointed to design the McCormick Tribune Campus Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2003, the legendary architect noticed how students had created their own pathways between the buildings on the site. The site of the new building included a field on which their footprints had worn down the grass to such an extent that distinct grooves had been carved out that reflected their movements, prompting him to consider the effect of desire lines on organic design.

January 31, 2022

Business leaders have undue confidence in the idea of hybrid working

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology

Flexible working has overtaken salary as the top benefit to employees (59 percent), highlighting that flexibility and autonomy over the working day is now more important than financial reward for most workers. This is according to a new report from Jabra; the Jabra Hybrid Ways of Working 2021 Global Report carried out amongst 5,000 knowledge workers in five countries worldwide, including the UK. However, the report also suggests that many business leaders have a false sense of confidence in their ability to implement hybrid working.

January 27, 2022

Firms that invest in sustainability are more resilient, research claims

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

Investing in sustainability increases the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) because they become more creditworthy, according to new research conducted by Vlerick Business School and commissioned by ABN AMRO. Although large companies are under scrutiny from regulators, consumers and the media to become more sustainable, the sustainability transition is unachievable without the involvement of SMEs. Especially since SMEs constitute more than 60 percent of the value-adding economic fabric in Europe. More →

January 27, 2022

Urban and real estate recovery driven by talent and innovation focused firms

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Property, Technology

Innovation-oriented industries and talent concentration are driving urban and real estate recovery, with notable hot spots in parts of the US, Europe and Asia, according to JLL’s new report, Innovation Geographies (registration). The authors claim that cities that perform best on these measures will be best positioned for economic growth post-pandemic, demonstrating a strong link between innovation, talent ecosystems and real estate performance. More →

January 27, 2022

Tech leaders are dedicating more time to innovation than ever

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

Chief Information Officers are spending more time on innovation than they ever have, with three quarters stating they have increased innovation efforts, according to the 2021 Global CIO Survey (registration) from Logicalis. The study, which questioned 1,000 CIOs from around the world, claims that despite a strong focus on innovation, just 27 percent of CIOs describe it as an essential part of their company culture. More →