Search Results for: covid-19

Firms should be aware of the legal implications of employee monitoring

Firms should be aware of the legal implications of employee monitoring

employee monitoringEmployee monitoring is an emotive topic. Businesses may wish to monitor their staff for a variety of reasons. For instance, they may wish to prevent the unauthorised disclosure of confidential or sensitive information, or detect attempts to steal valuable intellectual property. In the current conditions, dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses have opted to use automated means to monitor staff productivity. However, from an employee’s perspective, the use of monitoring software may be intrusive if not distressing. Further, if it has been implemented without regard to data protection law, it is potentially illegal. (more…)

19 million annual leave days lost in the UK

19 million annual leave days lost in the UK

annual leaveAs lockdown restrictions and tier systems continue to cause chaos, Direct Line Travel Insurance claims 16 million UK workers still have unused annual leave as we near the end of 2020. With many unsure what to use holiday for as they are unable to go away or socialise with people, more than 19 million days of annual leave look set to be lost by UK employees. (more…)

Three quarters of US workers suffering from burnout

Three quarters of US workers suffering from burnout

burnoutA December 2020 online study of 1,136 employed U.S. adults carried out by wellbeing provider Spring Health claims that more than three-quarters (76 percent) of U.S. employees are currently experiencing worker burnout. The coronavirus pandemic — along with major political upheavals and natural disasters ranging from wildfires to hurricanes — has led to skyrocketing rates of depression, anxiety, and stress for U.S. employees, setting the stage for another crisis: worker burnout. Among U.S. employees experiencing worker burnout, 57 percent say worries about COVID-19 have been a contributing factor to their experiencing burnout, while 33 percent say worries about political issues have contributed to the problem. (more…)

Almost half of employees would like less work stress in 2021

Almost half of employees would like less work stress in 2021

EmployeesStatistics released from payroll and HR company PayFit claim that almost nine in ten UK workers are unsatisfied with their jobs. With employees working longer hours, increased pressure and limited opportunities for pay increases in 2021, the research indicates that overall employee wellbeing remains an ongoing challenge for HR leaders – whilst wellbeing trends are evolving. (more…)

Tech industry employees three times more stressed working from home than others

Tech industry employees three times more stressed working from home than others

EmployeesUnify Square, the services provider for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack platforms, has released survey results around remote collaboration and communication among enterprises. The survey highlights key perspectives of enterprise employees on workplace collaboration and communication in the midst of the global pandemic.  (more…)

Majority of employees struggling with ‘always on’ work culture

Majority of employees struggling with ‘always on’ work culture

employeesHeightened anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic has led to employees working longer hours and taking fewer sick days, all the while becoming less fulfilled by work and life, according to the latest analysis from Aviva. (more…)

New under-desk heater enables 2-3 degree reduction in ambient temperature of offices 

New under-desk heater enables 2-3 degree reduction in ambient temperature of offices 

under-desk heaterA new workplace heating solution that delivers targeted, gentle heat to desk-based workers is enabling building managers to reduce ambient temperatures by 2-3 degrees Celsius. The LAVA DESK 2.0 under-desk heater, manufactured from high-quality components in Austria by Etherma – and available exclusively in the UK from ARC Thermal Products – offers workers perfect warmth and comfort at their desk – whether in the workplace or for those home-based during the Covid-19 period. (more…)

Businesses risk losing top talent due to poor mental health support

Businesses risk losing top talent due to poor mental health support

mental healthAlmost half of UK businesses have seen an employee move on because their mental health wasn’t being looked after, with a quarter losing a key member of their workforce, according to new research from healthcare provider, Benenden Health. (more…)

Plans for 2 million sq. ft of offices in South East England

Plans for 2 million sq. ft of offices in South East England

developmentsThe Commercial Park Group, a partnership between Sir Robert McAlpine and the John Baker Group, has announced it will invest £200 million to kick-start developments of two million sq ft of new offices across locations in the south east of England. (more…)

The lost art of office furniture peacocking and the growing mental health crisis at work

The lost art of office furniture peacocking and the growing mental health crisis at work

When Donald Trump was pictured recently sitting uncomfortably at a table that looked like it had been retrieved from a skip, it provoked the sort of sneering commentary about furniture choices last seen when Dominic Cummings popped in to the Downing Street garden to deliver some self-serving blather from behind a rickety trestle table. (more…)

Hybrid working presents us with a once in a generation opportunity

Hybrid working presents us with a once in a generation opportunity

hybrid workingIn the face of the revolutionary and long-lasting changes to workplaces across the world resulting from the pandemic, some commentators have suggested that the wide-spread necessity of adopting remote working practices may have made the office obsolete. However, such a dramatic upheaval to the very foundation of the workplace and working dynamic won’t come without a cost, and new data suggests that perhaps the office isn’t the dinosaur many assumed, but still a central pillar to effective businesses as part of a hybrid working strategy. (more…)

Businesses must face up to risks beyond the pandemic

Businesses must face up to risks beyond the pandemic

RisksThere’s no question what has occupied the majority of attention for risk managers during 2020. But Healix International, believes the all-consuming consequences of the pandemic could leave governments and employers exposed to other risks in 2021. (more…)