October 2, 2020

Two thirds of people believe their work travel patterns have changed permanently

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Technology

Alphabet (GB) has published a new report examining how the pandemic has accelerated changes to travel and transport, altering consumer and business travel habits in UK cities. With mass migration to working from home, in March, road traffic travel dropped to levels not seen since 1955 and journeys on the London Underground fell by 95 percent. The report suggests that only six percent of those travelling to work by train feel comfortable, dropping to just four percent for tube users. More →

September 30, 2020

Remote work is harming workplace friendships, survey claims

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

Friendships at work have long been a debated topic pre-COVID: arguments either side profess these to be both conducive or a hindrance to productivity and creativity. Yet, according to research into the state of employee wellbeing conducted by Perkbox, 45 percent of 1,296 respondents say that maintaining emotional wellbeing still remains one of the biggest remote work challenges facing businesses, with 65 percent believing that workplace friendships – now even more critical in the ‘new working world’ – are suffering. More →

September 30, 2020

Career priorities transformed by COVID-19 as workers seek more ethical jobs

by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives

Covid-19 has shifted UK worker career priorities with professionals turning towards more socially-conscious employers including the Environment Agency and Oxfam, according to a survey of more than 23,000 people, by Universum. More →

September 29, 2020

Workers calls for more action on diversity and inclusion

by Neil Franklin • News

Almost half (46 percent) of Britain’s workforce think their employer could do more when it comes to diversity, with 58 percent of employees from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds agreeing, according to a report from Culture Shift. Despite 79 percent of employees confirming that working somewhere with a diverse workforce is an important factor for their happiness at work, 40 percent think diversity seems like less of a priority in the workplace currently, with 50 percent stating it should be more of a priority. More →

September 23, 2020

The stage is set for the next phase of working life

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Wellbeing, Working lives

The debate about the effects of the pandemic on working life appears to have entered its next phase. Don’t ask me to define it precisely because I’m still coming to terms with the others. But here it is. More →

September 22, 2020

New demand for office space indicates mass `return to work`

by Jayne Smith • Facilities management, News, Property, Working lives

Water cooler chats and the buzz of office life is set to remain on hold until at least the New Year as businesses look to restructure their office needs from January. A government drive to see more office employees return to work in the workplace has seen a rise in commuters to more than 60 percent according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. More →

September 21, 2020

Time to get on board with the psychological effects of working from home

by Jörg Bakschas • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

It almost goes without saying that this year has seen a rapid shift towards remote working, with many companies now moving to a flexible working model. From a business perspective, many employees are proving that they can still get their work done working from home. But what is the psychological impact of this? And are companies doing enough to research and prevent any negative psychological effects of remote working? More →

September 18, 2020

When it comes to describing the new world of work, the Scandis have a name for it

by Fredrik Bergsten • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace design

We have very clearly arrived at a point of inflection in the world of work right now, with more time than ever spent pondering some of its bigger questions. Like what will individuals expect from their place of work? What will employers be willing to offer them? How will the culture – the very fabric – of our offices change as a result of the pandemic? In the midst of all the head scratching and soul searching over what this brave new world of work might look like, there is an increasingly vocal minority arguing that a new, better path has already been paved. Where? In Scandinavia, of course. More →

September 17, 2020

Lockdown loneliness strikes remote workers

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

A new survey by UK job board Totaljobs, claims that despite increased appetite in the UK for remote working practices to continue into the future, the disconnection from the day-to-day social interactions of the workplace and the encroachment of work on our home lives has seen feelings of loneliness and isolation take hold, in a workforce already struggling to adapt to the challenge of the ‘new normal’. More →

September 17, 2020

Working from home may be more productive, but at the cost of wellbeing

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Working lives

New research by the CIPD claims the shift to home working over the pandemic has been a positive experience for most employers, who report people’s improved work-life balance (cited by 61 percent of employers), enhanced employee collaboration (43 percent) and improved focus (38 percent). Overall, 28 percent of employers report that the increase in home workers has boosted productivity, while 37 percent say it has not impacted productivity levels, with 28 percent of employers reporting a decrease. More →

September 17, 2020

Second cities safeguard the UK from future economic crises

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Technology

Singapore, Helsinki and Zurich have come top in the 2020 Smart City Index, a study carried out by the Institute for Management Development (IMD). In a year that saw many European cities fall in the rankings, London, managed to jump five places compared to 2019, though it still stayed well outside of the global top 10 at 15, followed closely by the UKs second cities. More →

September 16, 2020

Get used to the idea of work as an experience rather than a place

by Tim Oldman • Comment, Flexible working, Property, Workplace design

Suck it up. The role of property in supporting organisational performance has changed forever. The obsession with bricks and mortar has to shift to the employee-as-consumer experience. If we understand that user experience, then organisations can make the right decisions. The problem is, experience is now scattered across millions of homes worldwide. More →