Search Results for: working lives

Overwhelming majority of Scottish workers say flexible working improves the quality of their lives

Overwhelming majority of Scottish workers say flexible working improves the quality of their lives

by • Flexible working, News

Around nine out of 10 Scots who work flexibly say it improves their quality of life and makes them happier, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by Family Friendly Working Scotland.  However, the study also found that fewer than half of Scottish workers (46 percent) said they are offered flexible working by their employer. The figures are published to coincide with National Work Life Week, which sets out to encourage firms to explore flexible working options and help their staff find a better work-life balance. The poll of more than 1,000 Scots claims that among those who already work flexibly, 77 percent say they are more productive and are willing to “go the extra mile” for their employer. Almost half of people who took part (49 percent) say changing their start and/or finish time would help while nearly a third (32 percent) would like occasional time off for family emergencies, deliveries or school events. Just one in five (21 percent) say reducing their hours, or going part time, would be valuable.

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Seven ways in which flexible working is making our lives more rigid

Seven ways in which flexible working is making our lives more rigid

by • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

One of the main reasons why books such as Catch 22 and 1984 make such mediocre films, is because celluloid struggles to capture the books’ preoccupation with the ways in which language can be used to subvert meaning and rationality. We don’t always have to lean on the bookcase to see how this works. It’s been evident recently in the coverage of the massive growth of zero hours working worldwide, although they have now been banned in New Zealand. There are now up to 1.5 million people on zero hours contracts in the UK and the adjective most commonly associated with the practice in the media coverage has been ‘flexible’, despite the fact that from the perspective of the majority of the people working on such contracts they are anything but. It’s yet another example of the subversion in our use of the term flexible working. It’s Doublespeak; an expression which means something completely different to, or indeed the opposite of, the thing it is describing.

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Working from home: how to look after your eyes

Working from home: how to look after your eyes

by • Company news

In an era where working from home has become the new norm, our eyes are more essential than ever for navigating the digital landscape that defines our daily livesIn an era where working from home has become the new norm, our eyes are more essential than ever for navigating the digital landscape that defines our daily lives.  The rise of remote work has been rapid, with a significant portion of the American workforce transitioning to home-based employment post-pandemic. According to a recent survey, approximately 10 percent of the British workforce reported working remotely full-time, and 29 percent were working remotely part-time. However, there is a trend towards returning to the workplace, and least in part, with several businesses mandating a return to the office. More →

We can have a dramatic impact on people’s lives with simple, small and cost-free changes

We can have a dramatic impact on people’s lives with simple, small and cost-free changes

by • Cities, Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

London, the crouching monster, like every other monster has to breathe, and breathe it does in its own obscure, malignant way. Its vital oxygen is composed of suburban working men and women of all kinds, who every morning are sucked up through an infinitely complicated respiratory apparatus of trains and termini into the mighty congested lungs, held there for a number of hours, and then, in the evening, exhaled violently through the same channels. More →

Roboquitting is the latest workplace trend to emerge in the era of hybrid working

Roboquitting is the latest workplace trend to emerge in the era of hybrid working

by • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

Hybrid working ushered in the era of quiet quitting. Now people are using AI to take the idea one step further. Say hello to roboquittingThe era of hybrid working has driven many changes in the way people work. And the latest workplace trend to emerge is something called roboquitting. It takes advantage of remote work and AI to allow people to automate parts of their jobs, freeing them for side hustles and more free time. It builds on the trend for quiet quitting over the past four years, which describes how people do the minimum requirements of their job. They put in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than absolutely necessary to collect a salary. More →

Flexible working rights stand to benefit millions of people

Flexible working rights stand to benefit millions of people

by • Flexible working, News

From today (April 6th 2024), UK employees will have the legal right to request flexible working from their first day in a new job.From today (April 6th 2024), UK employees will have the legal right to request flexible working from their first day in a new job. Under the updated regulations, employers must engage in discussions with employees and consider alternative solutions before declining a flexible working request. Decisions on applications must now be made within two months, reducing the previous timeframe of three months, which includes any appeals. Additionally, employees will be entitled to submit two flexible working requests within a 12-month period, rather than the previous allowance of one. More →

Is working from home creating an epidemic of burnout and loneliness? Spacemade has an answer

Is working from home creating an epidemic of burnout and loneliness? Spacemade has an answer

by • Company news, Flexible working, Wellbeing

Many people working from home complain of feeling isolated and burnt out. So could a serviced office be the answerSince the pandemic, 69 percent of UK businesses have adopted a hybrid working model offering employees greater autonomy in their working lives. While this flexibility sounds ideal, it has unexpectedly created a work wellness issue, with employers reporting they have seen a 77 percent surge in mental health issues in 2023, vs 44 percent in 2022.  In a recent survey by Statista, 21 percent of workers said that their biggest struggle with working from home was that they had no reason to leave it. More →

Industry: the art of working from anywhere

Industry: the art of working from anywhere

by • Comment, Everything Omni, Flexible working

Eugenia Anastassiou is stopped in her tracks by a painting of a quintessential  21st century phenomenon – working from anywhere.Walking into Bristol-based artist Gail Reid’s studio, I literally stopped in my tracks! There it was a painting of everything I had been researching and writing about with workplace strategist Chris Kane for our book “Where Is My Office?” both pre-and post-pandemic. Gail, was a Semi-Finalist in this year’s Sky Art’s Portrait Artist Of The Year –  alas she didn’t make the final – although she impressed everyone with her talent and charisma. She also impressed me in managing to convey via the very traditional medium of an oil painting, a quintessential  21st century phenomenon – working from anywhere. More →

Offices not geared up for hybrid working, poll claims

Offices not geared up for hybrid working, poll claims

by • Facilities management, News, Workplace design

Despite a huge increase in the number of businesses adopting a hybrid working model, a new poll from Crown Workspace claims that almost half (46 percent) of hybrid workers believe their office or workspace does not suit a hybrid working model and is in need of modernisation.Despite a huge increase in the number of businesses adopting a hybrid working model, a new poll from Crown Workspace claims that almost half (46 percent) of hybrid workers believe their office or workspace does not suit a hybrid working model and is in need of modernisation. More →

Fear of judgement prevents working parents from using beneficial workplace policies and support

Fear of judgement prevents working parents from using beneficial workplace policies and support

by • News, Workplace

Although many organisations say they recognise the value in supporting working parents many are still failing to see significant or lasting changeAlthough many organisations say they recognise the value in supporting working parents many are still failing to see significant or lasting change, according to a report published by working WOMBA (Work, Me and the Baby), in partnership with Hult International Business School (Ashridge). According to the report,  The priority actions for boards to drive equal opportunities for working parents, many working parents do not use the policies, support and benefits available to them because they fear being judged negatively by colleagues and managers, and worry about the consequences of doing so on career progression. More →

UK loses 150 million working days due to lack of workplace support for women’s health

UK loses 150 million working days due to lack of workplace support for women’s health

by • News, Wellbeing

A new poll from healthcare provider Benenden Health claims that women in the UK miss an average of nine days of work a year due to health issues, exacerbated by a lack of appropriate healthcare support for female workers. The survey also suggest that four in ten (42 percent) have heard derogatory comments about a female employee’s health in the workplace, often around them taking time off work, being difficult to work with or not able to do their job properly. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this has left many women reluctant to discuss their health issues with managers, with almost half (42 percent) feeling uncomfortable doing so. More →

Two thirds of employees unaware of new flexible working rights

Two thirds of employees unaware of new flexible working rights

by • Flexible working, News

Two-thirds of employees are not aware of new flexible working rights that give them a right to request flex work from day one of their jobA new survey from Acas claims that over two-thirds of employees (70 percent) are not aware of new flexible working rights that mean they will have a right to request flexible working from their employer from day one of their job next year. All employees who have worked for their employer for 26 weeks or more currently have the right to ask if they can work flexibly. A new change in the law will make this a right that applies from the first day of employment. More →

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