October 15, 2020
Search Results for: communication
October 13, 2020
Matrix of pain threatens new era of hybrid working life
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, Working lives
Organisations could be caught up in a matrix of pain if they do not carefully manage the new realities of hybrid working, claims Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA). The management consultancy has identified at least five different classes of workers and failure to create strategies to manage them could lead to a potential loss of momentum and productivity for employers. More →
October 12, 2020
Flexible working is here to stay as organisations recognise effect on productivity
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News
To mark the start of National Work Life Week, work-life balance charity Working Families has launched the results of a survey of employers who have invested in creating family-friendly workplaces with flexible working. Reflecting the views of 26 Working Families employer members, the survey gives a snapshot of employer best practice during the pandemic, showing how organisations have risen to the challenge of supporting their staff. More →
October 9, 2020
As a workplace professional, how many hats do you wear to work?
by Karina Tissnes • Comment, Facilities management, Workplace
Throughout your time being with a company, have more responsibilities been added to your typical workday that were not expected originally? Did you offer to help with something outside of your job, then have it become part of your daily duties? If so, you’re not alone. Companies often look for ways to save money, and sometimes that means piling work on people who are already on the roster. Wearing many hats at work happens often, but how does it impact the employees that carry the extra burden? In a new study, ZenBusiness – a company that helps people start, run, and grow their own business – asked more than 1,000 current employees about the various functions they serve, what they think is fair, and how workloads have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More →
October 8, 2020
The workplace has reached an inflection point as it adjusts to new realities
by Robin Davies • Comment, Facilities management, Technology, Workplace design
We can confidently say this is a new era for the workplace. Covid-19 has forced a radical rethink about the purpose of the office and its role in reaffirming company culture. Enlightened property directors are resisting knee-jerk responses to predictions that Covid spells the demise of the office including the wholesale migration to home-working. Instead, they are challenging plans to dramatically downsize the workplace and corporate real estate. They are also acutely aware that distancing, transmission and sanitisation are here for the long-haul. This will continue to have a profound impact on occupancy levels and the interactions that are necessary for business success. More →
October 1, 2020
Businesses favour the commercial brain over the creative one, study claims
by Jayne Smith • Business, News
Businesses in the UK are disproportionately made up of logical and rational thinkers, over intuitive and expressive ones, claims a new study. The study from Genius You, involved more than 2000 individuals across 10 different sectors and highlights a trend that could be impacting creativity and innovation in the UK. More →
September 24, 2020
Workers long for clarity in their relationship with employers
by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives
Employees are longing for purposeful and visible changes to increase safety measures in the office, according to a new survey of 2,000 people from NELSON Worldwide. This is top of people’s minds in order to assure that re-entry in the workplace is safe, according to the firm. Whether this is carried out by means of wayfinding, increased sanitation protocols, or direct implementation of distancing in workstations, staff are eager to see the action carried out. The survey concludes that 83 percent of employees have rated physical safety measures to be extremely or very important. More →
September 21, 2020
Time to get on board with the psychological effects of working from home
by Jörg Bakschas • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing
It almost goes without saying that this year has seen a rapid shift towards remote working, with many companies now moving to a flexible working model. From a business perspective, many employees are proving that they can still get their work done working from home. But what is the psychological impact of this? And are companies doing enough to research and prevent any negative psychological effects of remote working? More →
September 18, 2020
Supporting hybrid teams, both in and out of the office
by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives
As the UK is in the midst of the traditional ‘back to school’ period, many workplaces are debating over when to return to the office, and how. The sudden move to remote working during lockdown has proven that a new hybrid way of working is in fact possible for numerous organisations, but this has come at the expense of face to face communication and in person collaboration. More →
September 17, 2020
No jab, no job? Can employers demand that workers take COVID-19 tests?
by Emily Hocken and Lloyd Davey • Features, Flexible working
As workers’ begin to populate office floors once more, employers must navigate a number of potential risks to ensure they are ‘COVID-19 secure’. As a result, the subject of ‘employee testing’ has made headlines, with the decision over whether employers can, or should, test their employees becoming an area of contention. More →
September 16, 2020
Mental health support is lacking, despite a rise in anxiety
by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing
October 14, 2020
Many people are demoralised, disconnected and worried. We need to talk about that.
by Steven Buck • Comment, Wellbeing, Working lives