Search Results for: Gen Z

September 20, 2017

Shocking level of dissatisfaction amongst workplace occupants, finds Leesman

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

There is a shocking level of dissatisfaction among the workforce according to a new global report from Leesman, which looks at how a poorly planned workplace can have a negative impact on employees, and inhibit their ability to perform. The findings show that while employers continue to face economic uncertainty, many of their employees are having to endure workplaces that fail to support their basic working day, obstructing their ability to positively contribute to business success. ‘The Next 250k’, a global report based on the evaluation results from more than 250,000 employees across 2,200+ workplaces in 67 countries found that 43 percent of employees globally do not agree that their workplace enables them to work productively. In the UK, that figure jumps to 46 percent. Therefore, in line with ONS employment figures, for over 1.3 million UK workers, the office is simply not good enough.

September 20, 2017

Brexit having a significant impact on London firms, but tech and media sectors growing

by Sara Bean • Cities, Facilities management, News, Workplace

With the overwhelming majority of London businesses employing staff from the EU (88 percent), Brexit is having a significant impact on the capital’s companies, according to the latest CBI/CBRE London Business Survey. Just under three quarters of firms (73 percent) view uncertainty over the UK’s role in Europe as their top concern, whilst a similar number (69 percent) have developed, or are developing, a contingency plan for when the UK leaves the EU. Indeed, over a quarter of respondents (27 percent) indicated they are planning to move part of their operations overseas. Close to two thirds (62 percent) have, or are developing, a strategy to address skill shortages that could be incurred if restrictions are placed on EU nationals working in the UK. However, two thirds of the 271 respondents to the Survey (65 percent) said that the tech and creative sectors were the principal sectors for the capital’s economic growth over the next five years, followed by professional services (49 percent) and FinTech (47 percent).

September 19, 2017

Employers unable to meet growing demand for flexible working, claims study

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News

A growing number of employees are frustrated in their attempts to adopt flexible working by the inability of employers to offer it, a new study claims. Based on the survey of 3,001 British employees, recruitment firm Timewise and consultancy EY claims that fewer than a tenth of jobs offering more than £20,000 per year pro rata are advertised with a flexible working option. This puts employers at a disadvantage because around two fifths of people claim they would prefer some form of flexible working, according to the report Flexible Working: A Talent Imperative.

September 19, 2017

New advice issued to small businesses on health and wellbeing in the workplace

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Although the majority (60 percent) of the UK’s private sector workforce are employed by small businesses; advice and support for employers and individuals in supporting health and wellbeing at work has generally focused on large companies. This is the impetus behind a new campaign launched by The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) which focuses on the wellbeing of small business owners and employees. Alongside Public Health England and other organisations, such as the mental health charity, Mind, FSB has also developed Wellbeing in Small Business: a short guide, which aims to provide ideas people can adopt to improve their health and wellbeing. It includes advice on how to start conversations about stress, mental health and wellbeing, tackling loneliness, managing flexible working arrangements, networking, fitness groups and improving the physical environment.

September 18, 2017

The mega trends that continue to reshape the workplace around the world

by Neil Franklin • Events, Features, Property, Technology, Workplace design

Last week, over 600 workplace and property experts met in London at the CoreNet Global Summit 2017 to discuss some of the most important trends affecting the sector. The debates underlined one important fact about property and workplaces, which is how they are shaped by major, globalised events as much as they are local needs and the objectives of specific organisations. This quickly became evident on day one, which demonstrated how dramatic shifts in the geopolitical landscape, all of which are impacting corporate real estate – from America First to Brexit – remain key talking points for the industry. Opening speaker Linda Yueh (University of Oxford and London Business School) explored several possible scenarios, including how the focus of ‘Trumpism’ would have a significant effect on the U.S. role on the world stage, with the priority on the domestic economy leaving little scope for global trade. She also predicted that a ‘hard Brexit’, with no new trade deal with the EU, will be the most likely outcome for the UK’s withdrawal process; and that businesses will need to focus on alternative WTO rules as an urgent priority. Other impacting factors covered by Yueh included the rise of a dominant global middle class, and China’s need to rebalance its economic growth drivers.
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September 14, 2017

Over a third of UK office staff admit they would rather avoid working from home

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

The idea that the younger generation of workers would be big drivers behind a trend for home working is easily debunked as just another millennial myth. A sizeable number of people under 35 who struggle to buy or rent their own home would find the workplace much more appealing when faced with the prospect of working from cramped, often shared accommodation. Of nearly one-third (31.4 percent) of British office workers who avoid working from home, according to a survey by Crucial, those 45 years old and above have a significantly more positive view on the option than millennials (18- to 34-year-olds). While 40 percent of the 45 and above age group said nothing would keep them from working from home – only 11 percent of millennials felt the same way. The survey of 2,000 British office workers found that the most common reasons UK workers avoid working from home are the lack of human interaction (21 percent), the inability to connect to their company’s IT system (21 percent), having their children at home (18 percent) and a slow or old home PC (18 percent).

September 13, 2017

Ethnic minority leaders believe institutional prejudice still rife in UK workforce

by Sara Bean • Legal news, News, Workplace

The majority (82 percent) of ethnic minority leaders believe there is institutional prejudice against minorities in the workforce in the UK; and almost one in five (18 percent) of these leaders have personally experienced workplace discrimination in the last two years. A report from Green Park, ‘Changing the Face of Tomorrow’s Leaders: Increasing Ethnic Minority Representation in Leadership’ claims that while 60 percent of ethnic minority leaders believe institutional racism has moved up the organisational agenda in recent months, two thirds of these respondents say the language is emotive and makes people uncomfortable. When tackling the issue of racism many firms are struggling to find an appropriate dialogue and language. When it comes to ethnic minority board level representation, just 2 percent of companies surveyed are meeting their identified targets. Over a fifth (22 percent) of firms admitted being unaware of current progress towards diversity targets and 18 percent did not know there to start. More than one in ten (13 percent) have a ethnic diversity target but no strategy, while 9 percent are simply replicating their gender diversity strategy.

September 12, 2017

Eight pathways launched to combat unethical practices in construction supply chains

by Neil Franklin • Architecture, Facilities management, News, Property

A new eight stage action programme called APRES, has been released by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to support the responsible and ethical sourcing of materials, products and people. This call to action has been created in partnership with Loughborough University and presents eight pathways to best practice to combat modern slavery and unethical practices in supply chains. The pathways aim to take organisations and individuals from the level of ‘Baseline’ to ‘Best in Class’ performance.

September 12, 2017

Commercial property can help guide organisations through the Brexit maze

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property

Corporate real estate (CRE) executives are ideally suited to guiding their corporations through Brexit, the 2016 vote by the United Kingdom to exit the European Union, according to a White Paper (registration needed) authored by René Buck, founder and CEO of Buck Consultants International, published to coincide with this week’s CoreNet Global Summit in London. Buck lays out several ways that corporate real estate executives can contribute to a robust Brexit strategy for their companies in the paper.
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September 8, 2017

Economic gains from digitisation, robotics and AI must benefit workers says TUC

by Sara Bean • AI, News, Technology, Workplace

In the same week that Gartner offered some useful insights into the building blocks for a successful digital workplace, the TUC has published its views on the impact of digitisation, arguing that the economic gains from digitisation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) should be used to benefit working people. This would include reversing policies to raise the state pension age. The report Shaping Our Digital Future explores how the next technological revolution will impact on jobs and wages. Previous waves of technological change have not led to an overall loss of jobs, but have disrupted the types of job people do. And with the most recent wave of industrial change, rewards from higher productivity have gone predominantly to business owners, rather than being shared across the workforce through better wages and working conditions.

September 8, 2017

London’s commercial office market slows down as occupiers choose to stay put

by Sara Bean • Cities, Facilities management, News, Property

Following a period of stability over the last few quarters, despite the Brexit vote, London’s office market is increasingly coming under pressure, according to Clutton’s London Office Bulletin for Summer 2017. According to Ralph Pearson, Clutton’s head of commercial agency – this is due to reduced levels of occupier activity post Brexit where there is increased instances of tenants renewing leases rather than electing to relocate. Although take up in the second quarter of this year was close to the five-year average, the main reason for this was due to activity carried out by WeWork, which accounted for the two largest deals – involving a total of 425,000 sq ft in Shaftesbury Avenue and at South Bank Place. The market has since begun to stagnate, and so far, for the third quarter of this year quoted rents have slipped across much of central London with rent free periods continuing to lengthen.

September 8, 2017

Scottish employers severely limiting their access to talent by not offering flexible working

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News

Companies in Scotland who do not offer employees flexible working are failing in their attempts to recruit and retain the best talent, a report has said. Demand for flexible jobs massively outstrips supply, according to the study commissioned by the Scottish Government in partnership with Family Friendly Working Scotland and recruitment agency Timewise. The report claims it is the first research to look specifically at the ratio of supply to demand for flexible work in the country. Although the Scottish government said flexible working boosts productivity and is good for workers, the study found that just 11.9 percent of jobs paying at least £20,000 annually are advertised as flexible, while 34 percent of jobless Scots sought flexible work. The data came from analysis carried out by Timewise of more than 230,000 job adverts.