August 7, 2019

Flexible working has increased dramatically in last two decades

The proportion of people with some form of flexible working has increased dramatically in the last two decades. That is according to an analysis of working trends by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). According to the 1999 Labour Force Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the percentage of people working flexible hours in the UK was 9.5 percent at that time. Recent statistics from CIPD, however, show that this number has drastically increased, with 54 percent of workers currently having the option of some form of flexibility in their time and place of work. (more…)

August 7, 2019

London is top flexible offices market in Europe

by Neil Franklin • Coworking, News, Property

Research conducted by CBRE claims that London’s stock of flexible offices amounted to over 1.1 million square metres, representing over 5 percent of the city’s total office stock. This places London firmly top of the table of flexible office markets, when compared to major cities across Europe. (more…)

August 6, 2019

Gig economy worker rights demand a global approach

by Hina Belitz • Comment, Legal news, Working culture

British people increasingly work in temporary positions and on short term engagements: part of a fundamental global shift in the way we work. The domestic gig economy has seen the number of workers more than double in number since 2016, according to a recent report from the TUC and the University of Hertfordshire (conducted with Ipsos MORI). Based on interviews with 2,235 individuals, the report’s key finding is that gig economy platforms, such as Uber, Deliveroo and Upwork, are now staffed by 4.7 million workers – or one in 10 working-age adults, up from one in 20 three years ago. It also found that 15 per cent of survey respondents had undertaken gig economy work at some point – equivalent to almost 7.5 million people if extrapolated across the entire economy. (more…)

August 2, 2019

Work is no more insecure than it was twenty years ago, claims report

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Working culture, Working lives

Employment insecurity affects many people but, overall, work in the UK is as secure as it was 20 years ago, with limited evidence of growing casualisation, new research from the CIPD claims. The report Megatrends: Is work really becoming more insecure? finds that at 20 percent, the share of non-permanent employment in the UK – which includes the self-employed and temporary workers (including temporary zero hours contract workers) – has not increased since 1998.

(more…)

August 2, 2019

Maternity leave progressing around the world

by Jayne Smith • News

With studies claiming almost as many women with children (74.1 percent) participated in the labour force as women without, in 2014, women who are juggling careers and motherhood benefit from flexibility at work the most. Recent research claims women account for 40 percent or more of the total labour force in several countries, making flexible working hours, extended maternity leave, breastfeeding rooms, free education and free healthcare just a few of the ways that some countries build the best working environments for mothers. (more…)

July 31, 2019

Political chat dominates watercooler moments

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

UK workers are becoming increasingly saturated with political chat with just under half (46 percent) claiming they’ve noticed a significant increase in discussions had by colleagues since the EU Referendum. Despite once being considered the ultimate professional faux pas, new research from Jobsite.co.uk claims that political chat has now entered our workplaces in a big way with 3 in 5 comfortable discussing political matters. (more…)

July 29, 2019

The tipping point for flexible working arrives

by James Geekie • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

Although people have been talking about flexible working in one way or another for decades – the economist John Maynard Keynes declared in 1930 that technological advances would lead to a 15-hour working week – we may now be at the tipping point where work takes on an entirely different character. (more…)

July 18, 2019

Employment rights to be enforced by new single body

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, Legal news, News, Workplace

The government has launched its latest Good Work Plan consultation which proposes a new single body for employment rights enforcement. The new body would replace the current seven organisations that have responsibility for employment rights enforcement. The proposals include the body having powers to enforce payment of the minimum wage, labour exploitation and modern slavery, along with holiday payments for vulnerable workers and safeguarding agency workers. The consultation considers whether the body should also enforce laws related to workplace discrimination, harassment and bullying. (more…)

July 18, 2019

Govt scheme to retrain people in the age of automation

by Neil Franklin • AI, News

The UK Government in partnership with the CBI and TUC has launched a new scheme to help workers whose jobs change or become obsolete because of advances in technology. Workers will be offered help in retraining or finding a new career amid suggestions that up to a third of jobs could be at risk of changing because of automation in the coming 10 to 20 years. The National Training Scheme will be trialled in Liverpool before being rolled out across England. The CBI and TUC are both backing the initiative as a way of boosting productivity, pay and workers’ skills. (more…)

July 18, 2019

Construction sector loses patience with Brexit indecision

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Activity in the construction sector rose in the second quarter of the year, despite concerns that political uncertainty surrounding Brexit was holding back investment. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors claims that the market has lost patience with the lack of clarity over Brexit and that clients were beginning to push ahead with projects, albeit tentatively. In its construction and infrastructure survey, a balance of 16 per cent of respondents reported an increase in work, up from 9 per cent in the previous quarter. (more…)

July 17, 2019

Rise in employment led by self-employed and older workers

by Tony Wilson • Flexible working, News

As with the last few months, the latest UK employment figures look like a sea of tranquillity. The number of people in work is up ever so slightly (setting another record), unemployment down slightly again (ditto) and earnings continuing to grow. After a couple of months where there were hints that the labour market might be cooling down, today’s figures suggest that it is heating up once more. However beneath the surface, the numbers highlight some big changes in employment trends – with two things in particular standing out. (more…)

July 16, 2019

Government sets out plans to reduce work related ill health

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

The UK government has opened a consultation on ill health in the workplace which looks at issues such as workplace modifications, the right to request flexible working and interventions from employers. It claims that more could be done on the issue, especially for people with disabilities or long term health conditions. The consultation will focus on what employers can do to help employees and how they could be supported with advice and information, better access to occupational health resources and financial help, especially for small businesses and the self-employed. (more…)