Search Results for: risk

Always connected in the age of disconnection

Always connected in the age of disconnection

by • Features, Flexible working, Wellbeing

All of humanity’s problems,” the French scientist and philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in 1654, “stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” He may have been right, but then again, sitting in a room alone isn’t necessarily a great state of permanent being either. There was a time we used to talk with dismay about the Japanese phenomenon of intense social distancing known as hikikomori. We would consider with horror the isolation, lack of engagement with society, poor mental health and loneliness of the people who had almost completely withdrawn to their rooms. Those poor bastards locked up in enclosed spaces linked to the outside world only by screens. More →

Majority of firms currently using technology to plug talent gaps

Majority of firms currently using technology to plug talent gaps

by • News, Technology

In the face of hiring and skills issues, 77 percent of UK organisations say they are finding ways for technology to do jobs formerly performed by people, according to a new poll from Rackspace Technology.  According to the survey, two thirds (64 percent) of UK companies are downsizing their staff, facilitated by technology, out of a necessity, with roles in customer service the most likely to be automated, as identified by 70 percent of business decision makers – followed by IT operations (62 percent), sales and marketing (57 percent), business operations (56 percent), and HR and admin (56 percent). More →

EU approves major funding increase for new circular economy and clean energy projects

EU approves major funding increase for new circular economy and clean energy projects

by • Environment, News

The European Commission has approved more than €380 million of funding for 168 new projects across Europe as part of its LIFE Programme for the environment and climate action. As part of the European Green Deal, it believes that the projects funded can help the EU become climate-neutral by 2050 and reach climate, energy and environmental goals. They aim to support biodiversity, nature restoration and a circular economy while contributing to the clean energy transition across the continent. More →

Two thirds of young professionals now have a ‘side hustle’ to make ends meet

Two thirds of young professionals now have a ‘side hustle’ to make ends meet

by • News, Workplace

A relaxed looking young man sitting at a desk to illustrate the idea of a side hustleTwo thirds of professionals under the age of 24 claim to have a ‘side hustle’ – with 74 percent stating it is ‘too risky’ to focus on just having one job as they may have done pre-pandemic. In a poll – of 6,000 white-collar professionals – undertaken by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters; 54 percent of young professionals expressed a desire for a ‘portfolio career’ – the concept of monetising your skills in several ways and having multiple income sources, rather than a single job at one company. More →

Major new report offers snapshot of hybrid and remote work debate in the US

Major new report offers snapshot of hybrid and remote work debate in the US

by • Flexible working, News

Two colleagues in a coworking space to illustrate how hybrid and remote work is changingOwl Labs and Global Workplace Analytics have just released their sixth annual State of Remote Work report. Based on a survey of over 2,300 full-time workers across the United States, the report reveals the latest trends and perspectives on a range of issues from remote work and hybrid work, trust, intent to move, training offered, workplace redesign, intent and reasons for quitting, technology needs, employee surveillance, the 4-day workweek, and more.

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Retrofitting buildings essential to reduce energy costs and combat the global energy crisis

Retrofitting buildings essential to reduce energy costs and combat the global energy crisis

by • Environment, News, Property

A tree lined street to illustrate the green benefits of retrofitting buildingsA new report from JLL claims that rising energy costs are expediting the move toward more efficient buildings. JLL’s Retrofitting Buildings to be Future-Fit research suggests that net-zero carbon (NZC) intervention measures directly impact a building’s bottom line and that failing to decarbonise leads to significant financial risk. For many buildings, meeting 2050 decarbonization targets put forward in the Paris Climate Agreement is grounded in retrofitting current spaces, which can also garner higher rents, reduce financial risk and generate higher occupancy rates and tenant satisfaction. More →

Plans for largest datacentre in Europe approved by London council

Plans for largest datacentre in Europe approved by London council

by • News, Property, Technology

A rendering of the plans for the datacentre in HaveringHavering Council has agreed to move forward with the £5.3bn East Havering project, which will bring Europe’s largest datacentre to the borough in Greater London, delivering a major piece of national infrastructure. The Cabinet agreed for the council and its prospective partner, Digital Reef, to continue to develop the proposals to bring forward the site. This decision means the Council in its capacity as Local Planning Authority can begin to take a view on the appropriate planning route for this project. More →

Summing up where the office now stands in the scheme of things

Summing up where the office now stands in the scheme of things

by • Comment, Flexible working

A painting in the style of Edward Hopper of a lone man waiting to board a commuter train to get to the office The argument about what it takes to encourage people to come into the office more often seems to have boiled down to an equation. It’s now common to hear somebody argue that the office has to be worth the commute it takes to get to it. So, if you want people to spend more time in the building, you need to do the maths. O must be greater than or equal to C More →

Workplace wellbeing remains a neglected issue for many firms

Workplace wellbeing remains a neglected issue for many firms

by • News, Wellbeing

Two people sharing a coffee and a joke at work to illustrate workplace wellbeingTwo in five businesses have either cut or maintained workplace wellbeing budgets despite growing pressures on their staff, according to a new report. Faced with stressors such as the cost-of-living crisis, political uncertainty, and the ‘return to work’ post-Covid, just 16 percent of directors and risk practitioners said their wellbeing budgets had seen a significant increase. Around 40 percent of businesses had increased their budgets slightly to tackle issues such as mental, physical, financial health, organisational vision, values, culture and working standards, according to the poll by Deloitte, the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) and the Institute of Directors (IoD). More →

Younger workers turn to friends rather than colleagues for career advice

Younger workers turn to friends rather than colleagues for career advice

by • News, Workplace

A painting of two people sharing a drink and some career adviceA new poll from Right Management, claims that British office workers aged 18-24 years are much more likely to turn to friends in similar jobs for career advice, than to seek guidance from their immediate manager or any other colleagues (older or younger) in their team. After two years of remote and hybrid working impacting on office life, younger workers who need career guidance are more likely (38.1 percent) to turn to their friends in similar jobs for advice, whereas all other working age groups (those aged 25+) prioritise getting their career advice directly from their immediate manager. More →

Flexible working takes a step back in face of economic certainty

Flexible working takes a step back in face of economic certainty

by • Flexible working, News

A woman working at home to illustrate flexible workingAs economic storm clouds gather, the flexibility and freedoms introduced during the pandemic that employees benefited from are now at risk according to a new study conducted by LinkedIn. It claims that in the UK, the current economic and business climate is causing concern among business leader that companies will be forced to wind back progress on important areas of working life such as flexible working (75 percent), skills development (76 percent), and employee wellbeing (83 percent). More →

Quiet quitting is not a thing, but employers do need to offer more fulfilling work

Quiet quitting is not a thing, but employers do need to offer more fulfilling work

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A drawing of a male worker looking like he is overworked and unfulfilled to illustrate the idea of quiet quittingA new survey from Ricoh Europe claims that the majority of workers seek more stimulation and creativity in their job, suggesting that employers need to do more to provide fulfilling work. The research, conducted by Opinium for Ricoh Europe, polled 6,000 workers and 1,500 decision makers across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. It claims to contradict the idea of quiet quitting with 82 percent of workers describing themselves as ‘engaged’ at work, while 65 percent say they are enthusiastic about what they do. Yet while workers feel content to a degree, there remain frictions and roadblocks to them becoming more productive and creative. More →

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