Search Results for: Gen Z

Third of businesses say they are more likely to hire contractors this year

Third of businesses say they are more likely to hire contractors this year

Just under a third (32 percent) of UK employers plan to hire more contract workers this year, according to a new report [registration] from recruitment company Robert Walters. Over a quarter (29 percent) report being encouraged to do so by the upcoming IR35 offset rule – coming into effect in early April. Not only that, but a January report from KPMG & REC found that demand for temporary professionals continued to increase softly across the private sector towards the end of 2023 – boding well for this year’s hiring. More →

Three quarters of cybersecurity breaches are down to human error

Three quarters of cybersecurity breaches are down to human error

A new poll claims that 74 percent of all cybersecurity breaches are caused by human factorsA new poll claims that 74 percent of all cybersecurity breaches are caused by human factors. According to the data, published in  The State of Email and Collaboration Security 2024 report from Mimecast, cyber threats are growing at an unprecedented pace, and the year ahead is fraught with cybercrime and incidents anticipated ahead of the busy election year where over 50 countries head to the polls. With new threats like AI and deepfake technology, the stakes are higher than ever to execute a strong cyber defence. More →

Government scheme will see thousands more people train in technologies like AI

Government scheme will see thousands more people train in technologies like AI

Thousands of individuals will receive training and qualifications in cutting-edge technologies like AI as part of new government initiativesThousands of individuals across the UK will receive training and qualifications in cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) as part of new government initiatives. Additionally, other transformative fields such as medicine, 6G, and quantum computing are also part of this initiative. The driving force behind the move is a substantial investment of over £1.1 billion aimed at enhancing the country’s skill base. More →

UK greenhouse gas emissions fall to lowest level since 1879

UK greenhouse gas emissions fall to lowest level since 1879

The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 5.7 percent in 2023 to their lowest level since 1879, according to a new analysis from Carbon Brief.The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 5.7 percent in 2023 to their lowest level since 1879, according to a new analysis from Carbon Brief. According to the report from the researchers, the last time UK emissions were this low, Queen Victoria was on the throne, Benjamin Disraeli was prime minister, Mosley Street in Newcastle became the first road in the world with electric lighting and 59 people died in the Tay Bridge disaster in Dundee. More →

No more zero sum games … the Workplace Cocktail Hour with Joe Croft

No more zero sum games … the Workplace Cocktail Hour with Joe Croft

For the second week running, the football talk takes place off mike. Joe Croft shares a coffee and a chat with Mark Eltringham. Instead of the mixed fortunes of Middlesbrough and Stoke City, they talk about everything to do with sustainability in office fitout and construction. They discuss the limit of accreditations and standards, the need to get beyond box ticking and greenwash and what best practice really looks like. They also discuss what might happen when our favoured recycled materials become scarce, and also how resource hungry the online and digital world is. More →

Real estate sector is at a pivot point worldwide, report claims

Real estate sector is at a pivot point worldwide, report claims

Despite continued economic uncertainty around the world, there is a strong belief that the global real estate industry is at a ‘pivot point’, with improving prospects ahead for renewed investment activity, according to the latest Emerging Trends in Real Estate Global Outlook 2024 from PwC and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). The report amalgamates three regional reports, which canvassed thousands of real estate leaders across Europe, the United States and Asia Pacific, and is a key indicator of sentiment towards the global real estate investment and development outlook across the globe. More →

Employers need to offer better support to working dads

Employers need to offer better support to working dads

Father and son walk on beach showing need for shared parental leaveNew research commissioned by REC Parenting – an online platform offering paid support to parents and carers – suggests that working dads need greater support in the workplace to successfully juggle all their responsibilities. Almost a third (32 percent) have considered leaving their job because of the pressure of managing work and caring responsibilities and three in 10 often feel overwhelmed by the demands placed on them at work and home. More →

Half of neurodiverse people missing work due to lack of workplace support

Half of neurodiverse people missing work due to lack of workplace support

City & Guilds’ annual Neurodiversity Index shines a light on the challenges faced by neurodiverse people in the workplaceCity & Guilds’ annual Neurodiversity Index, published today following a government-backed review of autism employment, and ahead of Neurodiversity Week, shines a light on the challenges faced by neurodiverse people in the workplace, with half of those surveyed having been off work last year due to their condition. The second edition of the annual Neurodiversity Index, published by City & Guilds Foundation in partnership with Do-IT solutions, surveys over 600 individuals and organisations. The findings show that 36 percent of neurodivergent employees do not  receive any guidance or support in their workplace setting, while 20 percent are still waiting for adjustments to be put in place. More →

Industry: the art of working from anywhere

Industry: the art of working from anywhere

Eugenia Anastassiou is stopped in her tracks by a painting of a quintessential  21st century phenomenon – working from anywhere.Walking into Bristol-based artist Gail Reid’s studio, I literally stopped in my tracks! There it was a painting of everything I had been researching and writing about with workplace strategist Chris Kane for our book “Where Is My Office?” both pre-and post-pandemic. Gail, was a Semi-Finalist in this year’s Sky Art’s Portrait Artist Of The Year –  alas she didn’t make the final – although she impressed everyone with her talent and charisma. She also impressed me in managing to convey via the very traditional medium of an oil painting, a quintessential  21st century phenomenon – working from anywhere. More →

Only a quarter of desk-based workers in the UK say they have a healthy relationship with work

Only a quarter of desk-based workers in the UK say they have a healthy relationship with work

While the world’s relationship with work is strained and employee expectations are rising, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is seen as a key to unlocking better relationships with workHP has announced new findings from its Work Relationship Index, a report that explores employees’ relationships with work around the world. The survey of more than 15,600 respondents across 12 countries, reveals that while the world’s relationship with work is strained and employee expectations are rising, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is seen as a key to unlocking better relationships with work.  More →

Is a simple thank you too much to ask for?

Is a simple thank you too much to ask for?

The rate of change in business today is accelerating, whether that’s technological change, customer demands, economic uncertainty – all are complex challenges. As a result, employees have to be more resourceful, hard-working and dedicated in order to keep up. But according to McKinsey, over half of our employees are not engaged. Productivity is stagnant, Quiet Quitting is rife and employees feel a sense of not being connected to anything. More →

UNESCO study reveals evidence of regressive stereotypes in LLMs

UNESCO study reveals evidence of regressive stereotypes in LLMs

To coincide with International Women’s Day, a UNESCO study revealed worrying tendencies in Large Language models (LLM) to produce gender bias, as well as homophobia and racial stereotyping.  Women were described as working in domestic roles far more often than men – four times as often by one model – and were frequently associated with words like “home”, “family” and “children”, while male names were linked to “business”, “executive”, “salary”, and “career”. More →