January 19, 2021

Improving air quality is key to making people feel safer

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Wellbeing

Improving air quality in the fight against COVID-19 could give businesses the edge over their competitors and attract more customers, according to a top UK university scientist. Writing in a new report for facilities services provider phs Group, Cambridge University Professor Paul Linden highlights the growing evidence for the airborne transmission of coronavirus and that tackling indoor air quality must be at the forefront of creating COVID-safe environments. More →

January 15, 2021

Pandemic has improved employee engagement levels say employers

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

Employee engagement levels may have actually improved during the COVID-19 pandemic, claims a recent survey undertaken by intermediary Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing. More →

January 15, 2021

Staff in small companies need less employer support than those in larger firms

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working culture

According to a recent Kaspersky survey, people who work in companies with fewer than 50 employees, on average, need less employer support when working remotely, compared to staff in larger businesses. Emotional or psychological support is an exception. More →

January 14, 2021

2021 presents the tech sector with once in a generation opportunities

by Uta Dresch • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

The COVID-19 pandemic left businesses in an unprecedented position of having to rapidly adapt workplace practices and implement new processes at a moment’s notice. Of course, those companies that were already accustomed to home office set-ups and flexible hours were in a much better place to adapt to these changing circumstances. However, not all businesses were prepared for the sudden change to work routines. More →

January 14, 2021

Lockdown forces one-in-three working parents to lie to bosses about home schooling

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

New research by MHR International, shows one-in-three working parents (33 percent) have lied to their boss about how they are coping with the balance between home schooling and work during the current lockdown. More →

January 14, 2021

The UK’s digital divide is closing considerably slower than official targets

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology, Working culture

New data analysis by web design and development agency Rouge Media, claims the digital divide in the UK is closing considerably slower than official targets. In the Government’s 2014 “Digital Inclusion Strategy”, the target was set to reduce the number of people offline by 25 percent every 2 years. And by the end of 2020, everyone who can be digitally capable, will be. More →

January 14, 2021

Workers believe employers are failing to take their personal safety seriously enough

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

New research by Sanitiser Sentinel, highlights the importance of hygiene and safety in the workplace since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Almost 2,500 British workers – all of whom are currently still visiting their offices – took part in the survey which was carried out. More →

January 12, 2021

Burnt out workers need to regain some balance

by Dan Zakai • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

The pandemic and months of Zoom calls and remote work have begun to wear on us, so much so that in a recent survey from Blind – the anonymous workplace community app – 68 percent of respondents said that they are experiencing more feelings of being burnt out now, than they were before the pandemic began. Perhaps unsurprisingly, 29 percent of the respondents said their relationship with their direct boss was now worse than it had been before they began working remotely. And it’s not just top-down relationships at work that have deteriorated. More →

January 12, 2021

Employers failing to tackle age bias in recruitment

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture

Employers are failing to identify and tackle potential age bias in their recruitment process, with most employers interviewed not seeing it as a ‘problem’ in their organisation, according to a new report by the Centre for Ageing Better. More →

January 11, 2021

Your organisation really needs to stop talking about a second pandemic

by Stephanie Fitzgerald • Comment, SF, Wellbeing

It was in the summer of 2020 that conversations about a second pandemic of mental health issues first started. As we began to see and feel our mental health suffering due to the ongoing impact of COVID19, this idea gained momentum and interest within business sectors. This concept has also been leapt upon by health and wellbeing consultants everywhere as they whip up a storm discussing the inevitable wave of mental health issues threatening to engulf our employees in the future. More →

January 8, 2021

Volunteering boosts employees during lockdown, research claims

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

As companies struggle to motivate teams working remotely, new research by the charity Education and Employers and the CIPD, claims that employers who support their staff with volunteering in schools and colleges has found employees to be more motivated, more productive and have a better sense of well-being. More →

January 7, 2021

You will hear a lot more about purpose, communication and rituals at work this year

by Imke Schuller • Comment, Working culture

Last year, many organisations were forced overnight to adjust to new ways of working. Digital transformation accelerated, and collaborative activities were recreated virtually. But while teams have adapted functionally to maintain productivity, organisational leaders need to pay special attention to the “intangible” cultural aspects and their overall purpose. More →