Search Results for: workplace

Bosses overwhelmingly in favour of flexible working

Bosses overwhelmingly in favour of flexible working

An illustration of a magnet attracting smiling people to work, illustrating conflicting approaches to flexible workingBusinesses that fail to accommodate staff looking to set their own work schedule in some way will struggle to attract and retain talent, claims new research from Vistage. The research suggests that nearly two-thirds (73 percent) of UK CEOs and business leaders believe organisations that fail to offer flexible working to employees will face a struggle to attract talent. More than half (59 percent) of respondents said they’ve already written flexible working options into standard employment contracts. A further 36 percent say it’s either something they’re looking at or would consider in the future. (more…)

One in four HR teams have no boardroom involvement

One in four HR teams have no boardroom involvement

Many HR departments feel they are being left out of strategic boardroom decisions across the UK, according to research published by Reed HR.  Around one in four HR professionals surveyed  said that their companies did not involve them in key strategic business decisions. In addition, four in five agreed that changing demands for employee benefits has impacted the responsibilities of the HR professional. And, of the 200 HR professionals taking part in the survey, only 10 per cent agreed that technology was having the biggest impact on the industry despite fears about AI replacing jobs. The majority (72 percent) of those asked said Brexit was making an impact on the sector with a quarter (24 percent) saying it was having the most influence. (more…)

Flexible working is the new measure of success

Flexible working is the new measure of success

Professional bragging rights were once the preserve of top earners. Those with massive salaries, huge bonuses, and in some cases, even bigger egos. Money equals success – technology has shifted that long held view. Today flexible working, in terms of hours, location and role, has become an embraced reality and chief workplace priority. Technology has blurred the lines between work and life. The new “digitally native” workforce now expect a flexibility and access in every aspect of their lives. More than ever, work is seen as an adventure which is to be explored, rather than accepted. (more…)

WeWork completes largest office deal in Birmingham this year

WeWork completes largest office deal in Birmingham this year

Six Brindleyplace, the new home of coworking provider WeWork in BirminghamWeWork has agreed a deal to take over all seven floors of Six Brindleyplace in Birmingham. The deal is the coworking provider’s third in the City this month alone, following deals for 55 Colmore Row and Louisa Ryland House, both in the Colmore Business District in the city centre. The deal for the 97,000 sq. ft. of Six Brindleyplace is believed to be the largest office deal in Birmingham so far this year, bringing its total offering in the city to 200,000 sq. ft.  (more…)

The difference between office design and FM is the difference between sex and parenthood

The difference between office design and FM is the difference between sex and parenthood

office design and facilities managementThere is an ongoing feeling within the facilities management discipline that when it comes to office design, facilities managers are not consulted early enough or well enough or consistently enough to ensure that the end result is a workplace that is as functional and as effective as it could be. The reason this feeling persists is that in many cases it is true. Or at least is true to a greater or lesser extent depending on how you view these things. (more…)

Leesman and Delos launch wellbeing benchmark

Leesman and Delos launch wellbeing benchmark

Icon of person sitting cross legged with cup of coffee to illustrate wellbeingLeesman, the workplace experience analysts, and Delos, a wellness real estate and technology firm, have announced a new collaboration to investigate how real estate strategy can better support wellbeing at work. With a variety of strategies being promoted as a secret to ‘wellness at work’, this collaboration aims to test and validate the impact of real estate strategies on worker wellbeing on an ongoing basis, and not only when an office is new.

(more…)

Office furniture firms take their partners

Office furniture firms take their partners

Living Office schematic from office furniture giant Herman MillerThe development of products for the workplace follow many trends, generally aiming to provide that ideal setting for maximum effectiveness and fully tuned to the philosophies of the day.  The processes involved can occupy a good proportion of time and energy for the workplace specialist and office furniture maker and feature heavily in the media. But, behind all the product cacophony, there are activities, often unseen, that make more difference to what will become available in furnishing the workplace. (more…)

Tech laggards face extinction unless they innovate

Tech laggards face extinction unless they innovate

Many larger businesses are struggling to implement digital transformation in spite of the dangers to their long term survival, a new joint report from CBI and Oracle claims. According to Bigger, Faster, Stronger, the improved adoption of technology could unlock productivity and wage growth. Research shows that more adoption, coupled with better management practices, could add £100 billion to the UK economy and cut income inequality by 5 per cent. However, only 54 per cent of UK companies believe disruptive technologies play an important role in their organisation, much lower than in countries such as France, Germany, India and Russia. (more…)

WELL Building Institute signs up for UN compact

WELL Building Institute signs up for UN compact

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has signed up to the United Nations Global Compact, the voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible business practices. The UN Global Compact sets out ten principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. IWBI’s WELL Building Standard, a rating system for the creation of buildings and communities that aim to enhance human health and wellbeing, identifies in its standard how each of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are supported by WELL’s work. To date, over 2,100 projects have registered or certified nearly 400 million square feet of space. (more…)

Dublin EFMC conference brings together the facilities world

Dublin EFMC conference brings together the facilities world

The Aviva Stadium in Dublin hosted from 13th to 14th June the 27th Edition of EFMC, the European Facility Management Conference. The event, held for the first time in the Irish capital, has brought together international experts of the FM sector and has served as a platform of communication amongst facilities managers, suppliers, Universities and associations. The event culminated with tours of One Microsoft Place and the offices of Google in the Irish capital. In the closing ceremony it was announced that EFMC 2020 will be held in Barcelona. (more…)

Surge in demand for London office space

Surge in demand for London office space

May 2019 saw a total of 13.3m sq ft of London office space under construction across 98 developments. 60 percent of this space has already been let or is under offer, the highest level to be achieved in over 15 years. This is according to new data from real estate advisor CBRE. Take-up of office space rose above the 10-year average in May 2019, increasing to 1.2m sq ft. There were eighty transactions, of which twelve were greater than 20,000 sq ft in size. The largest deal of the month saw the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development take 358,700 sq ft at Five Bank Street (pictured). (more…)

Environmental transparency for buildings declared with new initiative

Environmental transparency for buildings declared with new initiative

The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) and Living Future Europe Initiative (LFEI) has announced the full details release of a new edition of the Declare product transparency label for the European building and manufacturer market. The Declare Europe launch is taking place in Bolzano during the 2019 Klimahouse conference, which is focused on the exchange of ideas, innovations and insights on the latest trends in the energy-efficiency and sustainable construction sector. (more…)