September 2, 2021
Search Results for: communication
August 17, 2021
Right to disconnect should be enshrined in law, says report
by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing
An overtime “epidemic” driven by the rise in home working during the pandemic must be curtailed with new right to disconnect laws, according to a report from think-tank Autonomy. The authors claim that unpaid labour is a growing problem in the UK, exacerbated by home working during the pandemic. They say employees are frequently contacted by their employers after the working day has finished officially to complete tasks, which impacts their mental health. The report proposes draft legislation to implement a ‘right to disconnect’ based on French law, which ensures respect for employee rest periods and allows them to ignore work calls and emails outside of working hours. More →
August 17, 2021
Working culture for half of employees has deteriorated during the pandemic
by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Working culture
Nearly half (42 percent) of employees think the working culture of their organisation has deteriorated during the pandemic. That’s according to research by StaffCircle, which surveyed employees and HR leaders to determine the impact of the pandemic on company culture, engagement and communication. The survey identified the three Cs of COVID – culture, communication and churn – as the key challenges for businesses, with 42 percent of HR leaders saying that churn has increased since the ease of restrictions, and 30 percent of employees more likely to leave jobs post-pandemic. More →
August 6, 2021
Managers and workers have different perception of the future ‘employee experience’
by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology, Working culture
A gap is emerging between executive and employee perceptions on the future of the ’employee experience’, according to a report from Gartner. The 2021 Gartner Hybrid Work Employee Survey of 4,000 employees in January 2021 claims that there are six perception gaps that employers must resolve. The Gartner survey claims that 75 percent of executive leaders believe they are already offering a flexible employee experience, yet only 57 percent of employees indicate that their organisational culture embraces flexible working. Further, nearly three-quarters of executives believe the business understands how flexible work patterns support employees, but only half of employees share this view. More →
August 5, 2021
We need to take a long term view on workplace sustainability
by Guenaelle Watson • Comment, Environment
One of the more welcome outcomes from the pandemic has been a reinvigorated and better conversation about the environment in general and workplace sustainability in particular. There were some immediate quick wins in the Spring of 2020. Cleaner air became evident in atmospheric readings and satellite images. People literally took to the streets as traffic all but vanished. Planes were grounded. We could hear birdsong. Wild animals populated some streets. It was as if Nature itself breathed a sigh of relief. More →
July 30, 2021
Technology is the great enabler for employee wellbeing programmes
by Neil Franklin • Company news, Wellbeing
Technology is now integral for short and long-term employee wellbeing following the dramatic changes to working life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Thomas Woods, Vice-President of Enterprise for Virtuagym, the global fitness technology provider. The argument was made during a keynote presentation at the Virtual Engage Employee Wellbeing Conference, a case study led solutions event addressing the important challenges and opportunities relating to the mental, financial and physical health of people in the workplace. More →
July 29, 2021
Inclusive workplaces will be focus of new disability strategy
by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing
A new strategy from the UK government promises more inclusive workplaces, easier commuting and better job prospects for millions of disabled people. The strategy sets out 100 immediate commitments supported by £1.6bn of funding alongside an ambitious agenda for future reform. As well as inclusive workplaces, the strategy covers a range of other areas including accessible housing and better access to justice, culture and the arts. More →
July 28, 2021
Firms continue to underestimate employee turnover threat, study claims
by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace
A new study from communications agency Zeno Group claims that businesses continue to underestimate the chances of an increase in employee turnover as a result of changing attitudes towards work. According to the survey, while companies often focus on addressing their disengaged or disgruntled groups, the study finds that 58 percent of satisfied employees in the UK now report being open to new opportunities, with many actively searching. In addition, those surveyed report their employers do not recognize this reality, with just 20 percent of respondents saying their employers think many workers are looking for new roles elsewhere. More →
July 22, 2021
Hybrid working poses challenges of culture, morale and training
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working culture
As increasing numbers of companies offer post-pandemic hybrid working for employees, the challenges it poses to maintaining culture, morale, effective training and staff loyalty have been disclosed in a new survey of senior executives. More →
August 10, 2021
The reason we can’t stomach so many opinions on the future of work
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace design