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Three-quarters of women experience health problems at work, but line managers aren’t trained to support them 

Three-quarters of women experience health problems at work, but line managers aren’t trained to support them 

The majority of women in the workplace have experienced health problems at work (74 percent) yet there is a lack of support available to help them, according to new data from Simplyhealth. In the new research, women reported generally higher rates of being affected by health issues than men in the workplace, with around four-in-ten (37 percent) reporting experiencing anxiety last year compared to just 26 percent of men. Women were also twice as likely to report having migraines (20 percent, compared to just 10 percent of men) and more women reported experiencing back pain (29 percent vs 25 percent) and muscle pain (18 percent vs 14 percent) than men.? (more…)

Hybrid working helps women into senior management roles

Hybrid working helps women into senior management roles

The widespread adoption of hybrid working has opened the door for women to apply for senior positions within their companiesThe widespread adoption of hybrid working has opened the door for women to apply for senior positions within their companies, according to a new report released ahead of International Women’s Day. IWG’s 2024 report Advancing Equality: Women in the Hybrid Workplace, based on research among more than 1,000 female hybrid workers, found that flexible working had allowed over half (53 percent) to pursue promotions or apply for more senior roles  – which, in an encouraging move for advancing equality, rises to more than three in five (61 percent) of women from minority backgrounds. For almost three quarters (73 percent) of women in minority groups, flexible working has opened up new opportunities that they would not have had otherwise. (more…)

People have lost trust in AI already, and aren’t keen on innovation more generally

People have lost trust in AI already, and aren’t keen on innovation more generally

The Edelman Trust Barometer claims to expose a rift that has become a factor in the polarisation of societies on the issues of AI, innovationThe 2024 edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer claims to expose a rift on the subjects of AI and innovation that has become a new factor in the polarisation of societies. Respondents, by nearly a two-to-one margin, feel innovation is being poorly managed; this is true across age groups, income levels, and gender, and in both developed and developing countries people are more likely to say innovation is poorly managed than well managed. Innovations have also become politicized, especially in Western democracies where right leaning individuals are far more likely than those on the left to reject them; the biggest differences between those on the right and left are in the U.S. (41 points), Australia (23 points), Germany (20 points), and Canada (18 points). (more…)

Finding the spark of creativity in the routine and boredom of every day

Finding the spark of creativity in the routine and boredom of every day

Every day, after a leisurely breakfast in bed and the opening of his post, Roald Dahl would wander down his garden to the grubby little hut crammed with personal paraphernalia he had created. There he would sharpen the six yellow pencils that were always by his side while he worked, settle into an armchair, put his feet up on an old suitcase filled with logs, place an American yellow legal pad of paper onto a makeshift board on his lap and work for two hours. (more…)

Quarter of people have now used or tried AI in the workplace

Quarter of people have now used or tried AI in the workplace

A new report from the Workforce Lab at Slack sets out to explore how office-based workers think about AI and how they are using it in their jobs.A new report from the Workforce Lab at Slack sets out to explore how office-based workers think about artificial intelligence and how they are using it in their jobs. The poll of 10,000 people suggests that  the adoption of AI tools in the workplace accelerated by 24 percent over the last quarter, with one in four office-based workers reporting they have tried out the tech for work as of January 2024, compared with  one in five as of September 2023. And 1 in 3 desk workers have used automation tools in their job. (more…)

Two in five architects say they are already using AI on projects

Two in five architects say they are already using AI on projects

New research by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) suggests that 41 percent of UK architects are already using artificial intelligence (AI) on at least the occasional projectNew research by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) suggests that 41 percent of UK architects are already using artificial intelligence (AI) on at least the occasional project, and of those, 43 percent think it has made the design process more efficient. The RIBA AI report includes the findings of a survey asking architects how they are using and plan to use AI. In the next 2 years, 54 percent of architects expect their practice to use AI, and 57 percent think it will improve efficiency in the design process. However, this ambition this doesn’t yet seem to be matched by investment, as 69 percent say their practice has not invested in AI research and development, and only 41 percent expect their practice to invest. (more…)

University of Warwick receives £1.25 million to research how AI could change the market for real estate

University of Warwick receives £1.25 million to research how AI could change the market for real estate

The University of Warwick has received a £1.25 million donation to launch the FutureFinance.AI Research Group that could transform the way the world purchases, sells, rents and handles real estate over the next five yearsThe University of Warwick has received a £1.25 million donation to launch the FutureFinance.AI Research Group that could transform the way the world purchases, sells, rents and handles real estate over the next five years. Based in the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology at Warwick Business School, the new Research Group will draw interdisciplinary scholars and thinkers from across the world to redefine and innovate the financial and property technology landscape. (more…)

Employee wellbeing advocate shortlisted for Veuve Clicquot Bold Awards

Employee wellbeing advocate shortlisted for Veuve Clicquot Bold Awards

Francesca Brady, founder of AirRated who advocates for employee wellbeing and cleaner air in the workplace has been named as a finalist in Veuve Clicquot’s Future AwardsFrancesca Brady, founder of AirRated who advocates for employee wellbeing and cleaner air in the workplace has been named as a finalist in Veuve Clicquot’s Future Awards, the international awards programme celebrating businesswomen. Previous winners include Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, the inventor of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID vaccine and Jo Whitfield, CEO of Co-Op Food. Francesca’s work highlights the dangers of a polluted workplace, as research shows the link between pollution, cognitive decline, dementia and poor employee wellbeing and mental health. (more…)

EHRC publishes new guidance on menopause in the workplace

EHRC publishes new guidance on menopause in the workplace

New guidance on menopause in the workplace, setting out employer’s legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, has been issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)New guidance on menopause in the workplace, setting out employer’s legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, has been issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Many women report experiencing negative impacts of menopausal symptoms in the workplace, with some even feeling compelled to leave their jobs as a result. Research shows that one in ten women surveyed who have worked during the menopause have left their jobs due to symptoms, while two thirds of working women between the ages of 40 and 60 with experience of menopausal symptoms said they have had a mostly negative impact on them at work. However, very few workers request workplace adjustments during this time, often citing concerns about potential reactions. (more…)

Work-life balance trumps pay in list of employee wants

Work-life balance trumps pay in list of employee wants

The majority of UK workers would choose better work-life balance over higher pay (61 percent vs. 39 percent) in both their current and future jobsThe majority of UK workers would choose better work-life balance over higher pay (61 percent vs. 39 percent) in both their current and future jobs, according to the latest Amex Trendex report which claims to reveal consumer trends and priorities for 2024. According to the report, based on a survey of adults from the UK, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, and the United States, personal wellness, work-life balance and the environment are seen as priorities for this year. (more…)

Helsinki announces plans for new Museum of Architecture and Design

Helsinki announces plans for new Museum of Architecture and Design

Helsinki City Council has agreed to part fund a new national museum of architecture and design. Design competition also announcedHelsinki City Council has voted to provide a donation of 60 million euros to the foundation responsible for establishing the new national museum of architecture and design. The Finnish state will match this funding, with an additional 30 million euros to be raised from private donations. With these commitments in place, an international design competition for the new museum building will be launched in April. The new museum will sit at the heart of a new pedestrian-friendly district in Helsinki’s South Harbour. (more…)

Employers ‘toughen’ remote working rules 

Employers ‘toughen’ remote working rules 

Employers are toughening up remote working rules according to a new poll Randstad UK. Three in every five workers in the UK say that, in the past few months, their employer has become stricterEmployers are ‘toughening’ up remote working rules according to a new poll from Randstad UK. Three in every five workers in the UK say that, in the past few months, their employer has become stricter about making staff come into the office. In a survey of 2,000 workers across the UK, 60 per cent agreed with the statement: “In the past few months, my employer has become stricter about making sure staff come into the office.” But the research claims that cutting remote working options may prove counterproductive for organisations. (more…)