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May 23, 2015

The latest edition of Insight Weekly is available to view online

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Newsletter, Technology, Work&Place, Workplace, Workplace design

In this week’s issue; Charles Marks on how the changing way we work presents challenges for the development of commercial property; Kati Barklund says management is needed to encourage people to use sit stand workstations properly and Peter Ames argues it is the flexibility of shared offices which allows SMEs to mould a space to their brand and make it feel like home. We learn that the European workforce is optimistic about the impact of new and emerging workplace technology, why women of over 55 make the best business strategists and Mark Eltringham agrees that the workplace is changing but the death of the office is a myth. The complete Work&Place archive is now available for you online and sign up to the newsletter via the subscription form in the right hand sidebar, follow us on Twitter and join our LinkedIn Group to discuss this and other stories.

May 22, 2015

Crown Estate first national property company to be Living Wage accredited

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Property, Workplace

The Crown Estate has become the first national property business to accredit as a Living Wage employer. The Living Wage commitment aims to ensure that everyone working for The Crown Estate, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or contractors, receives a minimum hourly wage of £9.15 per hour in London and £7.85 per hour outside of London, significantly above the national minimum wage of £6.50. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK and is accredited by the national Living Wage Foundation (LWF). A study examining the business benefits of implementing a Living Wage policy in London found that more than 80 per cent of employers believe that the Living Wage had enhanced the quality of the work of their staff, while absenteeism had fallen by approximately 25 per cent.

May 21, 2015

Over two thirds of UK staff care about energy efficiency at work

by Sara Bean • Environment, Facilities management, News

New research claims that 68 percent of UK workers care about energy efficiency at work and of these, 22 per cent said they care a great deal. The survey by YouGov for British Gas Business found that Hospitality and Leisure workers care the most – 82 percent – about saving business energy. Other industries that ranked highly were Financial Services (77%) and Manufacturing (76%). With almost two thirds (62%) confirming that their workplace invests in saving energy, it is clear that it is important for companies and organisations to be energy efficient. Yet, less than half (43 %) of workers said that their company or organisation ensures that all lights and computer screens are switched off when not in use and less than 1 in 5 (18%) said they conduct a regular energy audit.

May 21, 2015

TMT and finance sectors drive demand for London office construction

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Property

The total level of office construction in central London has increased over the past six months, fuelled by the greatest volume of new space to start since 2011, the latest Deloitte London Office Crane Survey has revealed. With a rise of 24 per cent over the past six months, a new wave of office construction in central London is under way across almost all submarkets. This comes at a time when the level of available office space is at its lowest for seven years, with current market conditions still suggesting a short-term supply shortage. However, the ramping up of new developments over the last six months has come too late to significantly alter the delivery of new space in 2015. TMT and the financial sector are driving up demand for more office space.

May 20, 2015

Collaborative work is the driving force behind the desk rental boom

by Peter Ames • Comment, Flexible working, Property

In the wake of the Smarter Working West Midlands project, which encouraged SMEs to try co-working for free, it is increasingly apparent the nation’s small businesses are prepared to embrace alternative office space options. Both serviced offices and desk-rental can offer the flexibility a long-term office lease often cannot because they involve rental agreements that may work monthly or quarterly, while a traditional lease will generally require a commitment of several years. Desk rental also offers a chance of skill-sharing, collaborative work and networking. In fact this was the key benefit for many businesses participating in Smarter Working West Midlands. For startups the ability to expand, contract or even relocate office can be invaluable. It’s this flexibility which allows them to mould a space to their brand and make the office feel like a true home.

May 18, 2015

European workers optimistic about the impact of workplace technology

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Technology

The European workforce is optimistic about the impact of new and emerging workplace technology although many employers face challenges in pursuing digital business models, according to new research by Accenture. The report claims that more than four times as many workers think technology will improve their working lives than those who think it will have a negative impact. The study of over 2500 workers and 500 business leaders in the EU found that 57 percent of workers think technologies such as robots, apps, data analytics and artificial intelligence will improve their working experience versus eight percent who think it will worsen it. Fifty percent of EU workers believe that digital technology will improve their job prospects compared to 12 percent who think it will limit them.

May 17, 2015

The complete Work&Place archive is now available for you online

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Facilities management, Premium Content, Property, Technology, Work&Place, Workplace design

The complete Work&Place archive is now available for you online, with each issue in two formats. PDF and digital editions offer you a choice of how to access the thoughts of some of the world’s greatest practitioners and writers on workplaces, commercial property, urbanisation, technology and all of the key forces driving developments in the built environment. Each of the issues so far also offers you an international perspective which means not only do they offer an insight into the forces that shape workplace thinking worldwide, they also create a unique perspective on how national approaches are shaped by local forces related to legislation, the economy, environment, culture and business practice. Work&Place is now published quarterly with the next issue set for July 2015. It will continue to create an era defining body of work about the rapidly changing world of work and workplaces.

May 15, 2015

Employers embracing more collaborative hands-on learning cultures

by Sara Bean • News, Technology, Workplace

There is a growing trend for employers to create collaborative hands-on learning cultures, with internal knowledge-sharing initiatives such as job shadowing and social learning increasingly commonplace. In the latest snapshot of the annual survey of L&D professionals by the CIPD, coaching by line managers or peers was the method of learning most likely to grow in use in organisations over the next two years, according to almost two-thirds (65%) of respondents. Over half (53%) expect to see the use of in-house development programmes increase, and on-the-job training (48%) and internal knowledge sharing events (46%) are also expected to become prevalent. The findings imply a growing focus on efforts to foster a learning culture with many organisations using technology to support learning and development.

May 14, 2015

Expert advice issued on managing mental health in the workplace

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Mental health can affect people’s personal lives, wellbeing and morale. But it can also impact on their performance at work and be costly for businesses. That’s the message from Acas, which, to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, has issued a guide to managing mental health in the workplace. It advocates creating an environment where people feel confident they can disclose conditions to employers; that employers be aware of any changes in behaviour that might suggest they’re having problems; and suggests that if a problem is being caused by work, look into ways of facilitating changes, such as offering flexible working opportunities. It is also suggested that wellness initiatives which encourage healthy eating, exercise and mindfulness can also help to reduce the severity of mental ill health.

May 11, 2015

Does declining productivity spell the end for IT and property directors?

by John Blackwell • Comment, Facilities management, Property, Technology, Work&Place

When it comes to increasing organisational output, which in turn directly relates to real wage growth and higher living standards, the only determinant is productivity, measured in terms of output per hour worked. This is at the heart of all businesses and is essential for growth. The basic facts on productivity are clear. For over a decade, productivity has been painfully weak across all the major economies. The UK has performed particularly badly, with productivity having declined by 3.7 percent since 2008. A recent OECD report went as far as saying: “weak labour productivity since 2004 has been holding back real wages and well-being. The sustainability of economic expansion and further progress in living standards rest on boosting productivity growth, which is a key challenge for the coming years”.

May 11, 2015

Big Data set to transform facilities management, claims report

by Mark Eltringham • Facilities management, News, Technology

A new report available at www.researchandmarkets.com claims that the facilities management sector is set to become one of the main beneficiaries of Big Data Analytics, despite the fact that it is ‘not traditionally known as a high-tech industry’. The authors of the report, Big Data Analytics in Facilities Management claim that Big Data analytics (BDA) is ‘a powerful driver for change in business and operational models to enable better informed, smarter, and faster decisions…and leaders of integrated facilities management are at the forefront of exploring trends, technologies, and wider opportunities in pursuit of greater business value. The report mentions firms such Accenture, Google, Microsoft and Planon to show the impact of Big Data on intelligent facilities management.

May 8, 2015

The death of the office has been overstated but it is changing, study confirms

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Workplace design

The implications for the property industry of more efficient space planning models and the uptake of flexible working are laid bare in a new report from planning and design consultancy Nathaniel, Lichfield and Partners (NLP). The headline figure from the report, Workspace Futures: The changing dynamics of office locations is that the office stock in England and Wales rose by 17 percent in the twelve years to 2012 while the numbers of office based staff increased by around 21 percent. The report includes details on how these trends affect 11 key locations including Manchester, Cambridge, Bristol, Newcastle and Reading and concludes that while ‘the death of the office has been largely overstated’, the market is undergoing structural changes that need to be addressed by developers and government.