June 21, 2022

Workplace discrimination remains ‘endemic’

A poll from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) suggests that, despite the appearance of an “all-inclusive” working culture, many employees in the UK work for organisations that present them with systemic challenges when it comes to workplace discrimination and inclusion. The report claims that employees saw weaker representation of those from different backgrounds to them in management (69 percent saw such representation) and senior leadership (67 percent). More →

June 16, 2022

Employees take a dim view of organisations with poor sustainability records

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Workplace

The fourth research report from the Reward & Employee Benefits Association’s (REBA) Transforming Engagement [registration] series in association with Mercer Marsh Benefits suggests perceptions of a business’s approach to sustainability is influencing employee reward and benefits practices and decisions. However, many businesses are changing business practices, products and services to meet sustainability goals. REBA’s report claims that nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) respondent organisations have made changes to at least some of their products or services to meet sustainability objectives. More →

June 14, 2022

Employee engagement falls to record low

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The UK is home to one of the most dissatisfied workforces in Europe following a two percentage-point fall in employee engagement levels over the last year, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace Report. Employee engagement among UK workers has declined steadily over the last decade. Just nine per cent of UK workers feel enthused by their work and workplace today – compared to 16 per cent in Germany and 33 per cent in Romania, home to Europe’s most engaged workforce. Across Europe, just 14 per cent of people feel engaged with their work, with rates also dipping below ten per cent in Spain, France and Italy. This compares to average engagement levels of 33 per cent in North America and 27 per cent in South Asia. More →

June 14, 2022

Loneliness might hold back hybrid working productivity gains

by Gosia Bowling • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

Loneliness is defined as the difficult emotion we experience when our need for meaningful social contact and relationships is not met, and it’s something we’ve all had experience of. Nearly half of the UK population have reported feeling lonely at times, with other research showing that 39 percent say their wellbeing was negatively impacted because they were lonely too. Why people feel lonely can be attributed to many reasons. Humans have a deep need for attention, warmth, and attachment to others. When such relationships end, or if someone finds themselves in an abusive or emotionally non-existent relationship, this can lead to elevated levels of loneliness. More →

June 13, 2022

To provide people with better indoor air quality, we need a major upgrade of buildings

by Neil Franklin • Facilities management, News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Government must seize the post-pandemic opportunity to mandate long-term improvements to infection control in commercial, public and residential buildings to improve indoor air quality, reduce the transmission of future waves of COVID-19, new pandemics, seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases, according to a report published by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC). Infection control must also be coordinated with efforts to improve energy efficiency and fire safety, to support the three goals of safe, healthy and sustainable buildings. More →

June 10, 2022

Young people should optimise the time they spend in the office

by Gemma Dale • Features, Flexible working

During the pandemic, around 100 million people in Europe switched to working from home – nearly half of them for the first time. This shift was rapid, with employees quickly noticing the benefits of remote work. These can include freedom from commuting, more time for personal wellbeing and increased productivity. As we move on from pandemic restrictions, we’ve seen a strong, global demand for more flexible forms of working, particularly to retain an element of remote work. While some employees want to work from home permanently, most want what’s coming to be regarded as the best of both worlds: hybrid working. Only a minority of workers now want to return to the office full time. More →

June 8, 2022

FUTURE Designs and Artus announce sustainable buildings collaboration

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Artus, the ground-breaking heating and cooling system specialist and FUTURE Designs, the UK’s leading commercial lighting manufacturer, are pleased to announce their collaboration on a purpose-designed, multi service system (MSU), offering a more sustainable and comfortable future for buildings and their occupants. The Artus MSU complements the existing Artus product with an exclusively sourced, custom-built lighting system from FUTURE Designs, alongside comprehensive acoustic properties. This means the functionality is threefold: Artus’s advanced patented air conditioning system, FUTURE Designs’ intelligent lighting system and Class A acoustics. More →

June 1, 2022

Simone Fenton-Jarvis on the new era of human-centric workplaces

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, Premium Content, Wellbeing, Workplace

Plain speaking doesn’t always go down well, especially on social media and especially when cultural differences come into play. I recently had a friend intervene on my behalf to explain to an increasingly exasperated LinkedIn adversary that I wasn’t being rude, I was just ‘Northern’. This may well be a stereotypical Northern trait. If so, it is one that is shared by Simone Fenton-Jarvis, although then again it is one of the very few stereotypical things about her. More →

May 31, 2022

A third of UK office workers have no dedicated workspace at home

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Over a third of UK office workers have no dedicated workspace at home, and only 6 percent have been trained for hybrid meetings, claims a new report from Leeds University Business School. The report is an interactive tool and suggests practical measures based on evaluation of stakeholders and employee interviews, industry workshops, cross-industry surveys of UK office workers, employee diaries and case study corporations. More →

May 31, 2022

Over-50s urged to return to work to deal with staff shortages

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

The British Chambers of Commerce has said employers and the Government need to work together to bring older people back into the workforce. According to ONS data, around 500,000 older people have left the workforce in recent years, many of them prompted to do so by the pandemic. The number of over-50s who aren’t working or currently looking for work rose by 493,000 between October 2019 and December 2021. According to the Office for National Statistics, one in five did so due to stress or other mental health concerns. More →

May 29, 2022

Only a quarter of remote workers feel connected to company culture

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Three quarters of HR leaders feel that hybrid work challenges employees’ connection to organisational culture, according to a survey from Gartner. The poll of more than 200 HR leaders claims the most challenging aspect of setting their hybrid strategy is adjusting the current organisational culture to support a hybrid workforce. While 40 percent of HR leaders reported they have increased their culture budget since the beginning of the pandemic, the survey of more than 3,900 hybrid / remote workers in December 2021 suggests only one in four are connected to their organisation’s culture. More →

May 26, 2022

Extraverts don’t always make the best leaders

by Blaine Landis • Comment, Workplace

The ‘extraverted leadership advantage’ is a well-recognised phrase among researchers which describes how the characteristics of an extraverted personality create an advantage in the workplace when it comes to leadership roles. Extraverts are typically outgoing, loud, assertive, and high energy, so if you’re in a meeting with them they tend to speak up often. They can be hard to miss, which is what leads to many extraverts naturally taking on the role of a leader. More →