January 27, 2022

Firms that invest in sustainability are more resilient, research claims

Investing in sustainability increases the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) because they become more creditworthy, according to new research conducted by Vlerick Business School and commissioned by ABN AMRO. Although large companies are under scrutiny from regulators, consumers and the media to become more sustainable, the sustainability transition is unachievable without the involvement of SMEs. Especially since SMEs constitute more than 60 percent of the value-adding economic fabric in Europe. More →

January 27, 2022

Flexible working models best for mental health of parents, research claims

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Employees who are able to split their working time between home and a formal workplace are 40 percent less likely to experience mental health difficulties, new research has shown. Wellbeing charity stem4 surveyed 1038 working parents and carers across the UK to mark Parent Mental Health Day (27th January). It suggests that four in ten overall (39 percent) were experiencing problems – most commonly stress (62 percent), depression (54 percent) and anxiety (50 percent). More →

January 18, 2022

How to provide a great place to work for remote workers

by Richard Guy • Company news, Flexible working

Remote working swiftly evolved from a stopgap lockdown solution into a globally successful workstyle – and it’s set to stay. According to research quoted by CityAM, “84 per cent of UK businesses plan on having a hybrid, flexible or remote workforce following the pandemic”. Some companies, like Deloitte, have placed all bets on remote in closing their offices and basing employees from home, enjoying a vast reduction in operational costs. This flexibility has offered immediate benefits for remote workers, ranging from lifestyle and financial to positive influences on wellbeing. Workers in particular social groups have experienced life-changing situations, securing work in previously inaccessible geographic locations. More →

January 11, 2022

Great Resignation offers firms a chance to create the Great Retention

by Erin Eatough • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Working culture

The last 18 months have seen unprecedented change. Covid-19 has forced people to re-evaluate every aspect of their lives, including their career. As a result, we’ve seen a surge in workers taking charge of their careers and leaving their jobs as part of the so-called Great Resignation. Recent data from the ONS shows that there were nearly 1.2 million job vacancies in the UK this quarter, with 15 of 18 sectors reporting record numbers. More →

December 20, 2021

Startups fuelling growth in demand for flexible offices

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Property

According to data from The Instant Group 584,097 companies have been registered in the UK since the start of 2021 – this equates to 1,781 per day. The most companies registered in 2021 so far have been in London, Birmingham, and Manchester. The growth in start-ups has fuelled an increase in demand for flexible offices across the UK’s cities, with large proportional increases outside London. Requirements for coworking and serviced offices has grown significantly in cities such as Bristol (41 percent), Manchester (28 percent), and Reading (27 percent) over the past year. More →

December 1, 2021

Being a compassionate leader is good for business

by Paul Hargreaves • Business, Comment, Wellbeing

One leadership characteristic that I believe should be prioritised above all others is compassion because every day I see that the world could benefit from kinder leaders. All other leadership qualities are interconnected with compassion. If we are to feel and demonstrate compassion, it is imperative to have a deeper understanding of connectivity with others and how to develop as a compassionate leader. More →

December 1, 2021

There are thirty-eight ways to win an argument, but this ain’t one

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working

There are 38 ways to win an argument. That is according to the 19th Century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer who laid them out in an essay called The Art of Being Right. We’ve probably added a few more since it was published in 1896, but whatever we’ve come up with since probably works on the same basis. Despite the essay’s title, the stratagems are not actually about being right at all, but about winning an argument. More →

November 26, 2021

Doing what you love may not automatically make you happier at work

by Dr Tracy Brower • Features, Wellbeing, Workplace

There is a classic saying which has shaped our job choices for years: “Do what you love, the money will follow.” New research suggests this may be true, although not in the way it was originally conceived. The typical logic train has suggested job interest shapes satisfaction and, in turn, satisfaction may drive better performance. However, new research published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior provides some fresh perspectives. It turns out satisfaction has many facets. While interest is one component in job satisfaction, it is not the primary component. Elements such as the organization, relationships with colleagues, leadership and compensation are actually more important than interest in predicting satisfaction. More →

November 26, 2021

Flexible working currently contributes £37bn to the UK economy

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

New research, ‘Flexonomics: The economic and fiscal logic of flexible working’, highlights the economic benefits of flexible working to the UK economy. Flexonomics builds on our long-standing support of the Flex Appeal campaign by Anna Whitehouse, aka Mother Pukka, and follows the publication of our “Forever Flex: Making flexible working work beyond a crisis” report, published last year. More →

November 25, 2021

Confidence sky high in London Office Crane survey

by Jayne Smith • Cities, News

The London Office Crane Survey Winter 2021 suggests dramatically improved confidence about London in the developments that are being undertaken in the office market. The survey, compiled by Deloitte, claims the volume of new starts has increased from 3.1 million to 3.4 million sq ft, above the long-term average of 2.4 million sq ft. More →

November 25, 2021

Work becoming more secure but more action needed to enforce employment rights

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

A new report ‘Has work become less secure?’ from the CIPD claims that, overall, employment in the UK has actually become more secure on most measures over the last decade – despite the impact of the pandemic. Compared with 2010, there are proportionally fewer people today working variable hours, working part-time involuntarily, or wanting to work more hours. More →

November 24, 2021

Portfolio careers, side-gigs and flexible working are priorities for the UK’s next generation of workers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

A flexible work culture is a key consideration for the majority of young workers when choosing a job, with over half (53 percent) of 18-34-year-olds claiming that talented young people won’t join companies that are inflexible about the way their people choose to work. More →