September 16, 2019
Offices iQ, the broker of flexible office and coworking space, has announced the launch of Enterprise iQ, a global end-to-end service that includes ongoing customer support. With flexible working spaces set to grow by up to 30 percent annually for the next five years across Europe, Enterprise iQ will service the growing number of corporate companies looking for flexible office space. More →
September 13, 2019
Back in 2015 it was common to see one particular building described as the smartest, greenest and most intelligent in the world. This was the Edge in Amsterdam. There were some very good reasons why it was so well received. It achieved the highest BREEAM environmental rating ever recorded and generated all of its own energy. More →
September 13, 2019
A new study from University of South Australia PhD student Bridgette Minuzzo suggests that workplace art that depicts natural imagery can improve levels of wellbeing even in offices that lack windows. Minuzzo installed nature-themed artworks at three university campuses and a hospital in Adelaide, measuring the mental wellbeing of participants beforehand and after. More →
September 13, 2019
Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) has released its latest Total Office Cost Survey (TOCS) which provides detailed information on office costs for over 50 UK locations. Across 54 surveyed locations, the survey shows the prime core of London’s West End remains by far the most expensive UK office location, with the annual cost for a new office in Mayfair standing at £18,988 per workstation. This stands at 139 percent above the UK average and 45 percent ahead of the next most expensive office location, the City of London. More →
September 13, 2019
Data from Engaging Works claims that recognition is a more powerful motivator than pay for employees. The data also suggests that a third of people feel they aren’t trusted to make decisions and have a poor relationship with their line manager. More →
September 12, 2019
The debate about the introduction of a compulsory four day week or shorter hours may take a new turn following the publication of a new report commissioned by the Labour Party which concludes that a blanket limit on the hours worked by people in the UK is both unrealistic and potentially counter-productive, in spite of the fact that there is clear evidence for its effect on wellbeing and productivity. More →
September 12, 2019
Over half of workers believe automation will significantly change or make their job obsolete within the next ten years and three quarters would learn new skills or completely retrain to improve their future employability. Yet people given fewer opportunities to learn new digital skills are more fearful of the impact of automation, and are more likely to have lower levels of education. More →
September 12, 2019
An overwhelming majority (83 percent) of UK office employees are unable to concentrate in meetings for over 45 minutes, yet research from Sharp reveals that the average meeting lasts 49 minutes. This finding was supported by 55 percent of those surveyed, who claimed that work meetings are too long. This dissatisfaction appears to be caused by the difficulty in sustaining concentration in long meetings, with only 36 percent of UK employees indicating they are able to concentrate for a full 30 minutes. More →
September 11, 2019
Fewer than a third (32 percent) of UK workers are allowed to work remotely whenever they want, according to research from Capita which explores employee attitudes to remote/flexible working and the challenge employers face meeting their expectations of IT to do so. ‘The State of IT – The Employee Verdict’ report (registration) claims that almost three quarters of workers (71 percent) would like the option to work remotely, citing a better work-life balance (60 percent), reducing their transport costs (47 percent), and carbon footprint (35 percent) as their biggest drivers for doing so. More →
September 11, 2019
There are mixed signals in today’s jobs figures for the UK. Optimists will point to continued record employment, a slight fall in unemployment and earnings growth higher than at any point since the recession – despite everything, the labour market is still going strong. For pessimists though, there are strong signs of things slowing down: vacancies have fallen to their lowest since 2017, the growth in employment is virtually flat, and the number of young people not in employment or education is rising again. So what is really going on? More →
September 10, 2019
If you’ve ever shopped around for a coworking space, you’ve undoubtedly heard every shared workspace operator brag that its offices aren’t just a place to work – they’re all about community and culture. As Fast Company’s Ruth Reader put it, we’re just a “bunch of co-work startups saying the same things about how different [we] are.” She’s not entirely wrong, but (with all due respect) I think she’s missed the point about coworking.
September 13, 2019
There is still time to avoid the regrexit of Brexit
by Anthony Brown • Business, Comment