June 26, 2020

Obo becomes the UK distribution partner for Gustav agile working office toolbox

Workplace advisor, obo, has become the U.K. distribution partner for Gustav, the award-winning, office toolbox for agile working. The first ergonomic and portable solution of its kind, Gustav allows users to carry their workspace with them wherever they go – whether you are working from home or in an office. Light, beautifully-designed and with capacity to hold all the work essentials anyone needs, it also doubles as a laptop stand. More →

June 26, 2020

Majority of businesses moving forward with international expansion

by George Eltringham • News, Working lives

New research released by Globalization Partners and CFO Research, suggests that most businesses are undeterred by the impact of COVID-19 and are still moving forward with plans for new or expanded international operations. More than half of the respondents expressed interest in expanding or adding operations in the Asia-Pacific region. The findings also claim that 83 percent of respondents said they are looking into a remote, global workforce model as a solution to the changes brought about by COVID-19. More →

June 24, 2020

The traditional commute to work may be a thing of the past

by Neil Franklin • News, Working lives

A majority of corporate real estate professionals (58 percent) in a recent survey say that the traditional nine to five, Monday to Friday work pattern is a thing of the past. The survey was conducted by CoreNet Global, the professional association for corporate real estate professionals – those who have responsibility for managing the real estate, including workplace configuration and locations, at large corporations globally. The survey was conducted among “end-users” only from May 27 – June 16. More →

June 23, 2020

The key features of the post COVID-19 office you should consider

by Paul Seddon • Company news, Workplace design

With millions of people now working from home or furloughed, they may be wondering when they will be asked to return to the office, perhaps imagining what their office will look like on their return and feeling a little anxious about going back to their work space. A TUC survey issued 27 April 2020 confirmed that 39 percent of workers returning to the office are concerned about safe distancing from their colleagues. More →

June 11, 2020

The lessons learned under lockdown will help us grow and improve

by Alicia Michael • Features, Workplace design

As the global community navigates the Coronavirus crisis, the nature of the workplace will be more important than ever. We have been working remotely on an unprecedented scale, and the benefits are clear – flexibility, time with family, and reduced commuting as a start. In some form, working from home is here to stay, even as returning to the physical office becomes possible. However, we have also discovered the limitations to remote working. While teams have been able to stay connected virtually, this cannot substitute for face-to-face collaboration, which is essential to fostering innovation. More →

June 5, 2020

Working under lockdown is straining mental health

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

New research from Quinyx, claims to reveal the impact coronavirus is having on the mental health of the UK’s “deskless workers.” The research indicates that a pre-existing mental health issue among workers is being made worse as a result of the lockdown. Prior to the outbreak, 38 percent of remote workers said that their job had negatively impacted their mental health in the last twelve months. Since the outbreak, more than half of respondents (52 percent) say that coronavirus has made this worse.

June 5, 2020

Vast majority neglecting breaks when working from home

by George Eltringham • Flexible working, News

A new study claims that “microbreaks” have decreased for 95 percent of employees during home working, as lockdown sees people glued to our desks more ever before. The ‘Working from home’ study, conducted by Wildgoose, asked employees from 133 companies throughout the UK how their working day differs at home compared to in the office, whether they wanted to continue working from home after lockdown has finished, and how companies could improve home working practices. More →

June 4, 2020

Right, said Fred. Here I am again

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing

If there has been an underlying driver of workplace thinking over the past several decades, it has been a rejection of the principles of scientific management. These begat the idea of the office as a factory, subject to the same rigid times and places of work and the same culture of process, efficiency and productivity. This made a pantomime villain of its key figure Frederick Taylor. The worst adjective you could use to describe a working culture was Taylorist. More →

June 3, 2020

Data is changing the role of the workplace and HR

by Shaun Guyver • Comment, Property, Workplace

Business leaders have been heavily dependent on HR, real estate, and technology functions working together to help their organisation adapts to this new world of work during the pandemic. Ensuring personal safety, promoting wellbeing, encouraging collaboration, and maintaining efficient service delivery will never be more important than in the coming months. The challenge facing CRE leaders is how to advise on the appropriate range of workspaces and hygiene standards to allow organisations and their people to thrive, and how to cut through the complexity of accessing and interpreting data to achieve this. More →

May 29, 2020

The role of workplace professionals in the new era of work

by Kelly Bream • Comment, Flexible working, Property

Many consequences of the COVID-19 crisis are immediately apparent to workplace managers and users. Potentially less obvious, are the fundamental changes to the job roles involved in managing commercial property, both within occupier businesses and property management teams alike. More →

May 21, 2020

Clerkenwell Design Week postponed for 2020

by Neil Franklin • Events, News

The organisers announced today that Clerkenwell Design Week will now be postponed until 25-27 May 2021. The event – a must attend in the annual calendar for workplace designers and managers – had originally been postponed from its regular May date for this year to 14-16 July. “This has not been a decision taken lightly, though above all else, the health and safety of CDW’s visitors, exhibitors, clients and staff remains the number one priority in light of these unprecedented times”, said the organisers in a statement. “CDW wants to ensure the festival can be delivered safely and with everyone’s best interests at the core of its approach. More →

May 21, 2020

Firms need to embed lessons from pandemic in a new work culture

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Wellbeing

Organisations should build on the lessons they have learned about themselves and their employees during the pandemic and embed them into their work culture. That is the main claim of the tenth annual Global Human Capital Trends report from Deloitte. More →