Search Results for: relationships

UK Space Agency announces new headquarters and regional offices

UK Space Agency announces new headquarters and regional offices

The location of the UK Space Agency's new headquarters, the Quad Two building at the Harwell Science Campus’ Space Cluster in Oxfordshire.The UK Space Agency is opening new headquarters in Harwell, Oxfordshire and regional offices in Scotland, Wales and the Midlands as it works to support the space sector across the UK.  According to the government, the expansion will enable the Agency to collaborate more closely with the UK’s space sector, while promoting regional skills and job opportunities to deliver ‘increasingly ambitious missions and capabilities’. As set out in the Space Industrial Plan, the government says it is committed to continuing its support for space clusters across the UK and ‘providing the tools needed to drive collaboration between them and catalyse further investment’. (more…)

If you want to get ahead, stay humble

If you want to get ahead, stay humble

Amid a year of elections and leadership battles and following the airing of the 18th series of BBC’s The Apprentice, you may be forgiven for thinking that arrogance or self-promotion is a pathway to success in business. But new research shows that the opposite is actually true. A study, led by academics at the University of Sussex Business School, has challenged the conventional narrative of leadership and advises those seeking to reach the top to stay humble. (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…)

Another chance to hear: Sally Gunnell in conversation with Kate Usher on the Workplace Insight podcast

Another chance to hear: Sally Gunnell in conversation with Kate Usher on the Workplace Insight podcast

One of the UK’s greatest ever athletes and now a corporate wellbeing consultant and speaker, Sally Gunnell discusses with Kate Usher the challenges faced by women in the second half of their lives, in the latest Workplace Insight podcast. Sally is the only female British athlete ever to hold the Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles for 400m Hurdles. Her world record time still ranks in the top 10 fastest times, ever. (more…)

Major built environment institutes renew joint pledge to tackle global instability as cities boom 

Major built environment institutes renew joint pledge to tackle global instability as cities boom 

major built environment professional institutes, including architects, planners, structural engineers and landscape practitioners, have renewed their joint pledge to collaborate to tackle urgent global challengesWith almost 70 percent of the world’s population predicted to live in cities by 2050, major built environment professional institutes, including architects, planners, structural engineers and landscape practitioners, have renewed their joint pledge to collaborate to tackle urgent global challenges. Members of the UK Built Environment Advisory Group (UKBEAG), a group first launched in 2016 comprising the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and the Landscape Institute (LI), have committed to work together for at least another 5 years.  (more…)

The hybrid working office: ushering in a new era for the workspace

The hybrid working office: ushering in a new era for the workspace

The increased adoption of hybrid working has led to a significant change in the way that people view a workplaceLife after COVID has led to a significant change in the way that people view a workplace. Working from home on a regular basis has become typical, not ad hoc or as required. Commuting five days a week to attend an office is no longer the norm and on the whole is no longer demanded – rather, we have seen organisations adopt hybrid working. This has meant the rationale for a physical office workspace has come under considerable scrutiny. Some organisations have gone as far as being completely remote and have released all office real estate. (more…)

Memories of the Office Age 

Memories of the Office Age 

memories of the office ageNo author uses the built environment like J G Ballard. In his 1975 novel High-Rise, the eponymous structure is both a way of isolating the group of people who live and compete inside it and a metaphor for their personal isolation and inner struggles. Over the course of three months, the building’s services begin to fail. The 2,000 people within, detached from external realities in the 40-storey building, confronted with their true selves and those of their neighbours, descend into selfishness and – ultimately – savagery.  (more…)

We need to talk about loneliness

We need to talk about loneliness

From a business perspective, loneliness can be something that is often overlooked, particularly with the growing trend of hybrid workingLast year the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that loneliness is a pressing global health threat. Research has shown that it poses the same health risk as 15 cigarettes a day. According to the ONS, between January and February 2024, one in four adults in the UK reported feeling lonely. The government estimates the cost of severe loneliness per person is roughly £10,000 per year as a result of its impact on wellbeing, health and productivity. From a business perspective, this issue can be something that is often overlooked, particularly with the growing trend of hybrid working. In a connected workplace, employees feel valued, supported, and motivated to contribute their best. (more…)

Rejection of flexible working request shouldn’t blind employers to their legal duties

Rejection of flexible working request shouldn’t blind employers to their legal duties

Amy Leech of Shoosmiths looks at a recent case following the rejection of a flexible working request and considers its implicationsFlexible working has continued in many workforces since the pandemic. The most common pattern is a hybrid one where employees split their time between the office and home. However some employees are now looking to work remotely on a permanent basis. This is what happened in Wilson v Financial Conduct Authority 2302739/2023. The Claimant submitted a flexible working application requesting to work entirely remotely using her computer and other electronic equipment and to complete all her work without attending a physical office location. The Respondent’s policy was that post-pandemic, the Claimant was expected to work in the office 40 percent of the time and could work the other 60 percent remotely. (more…)

RIBA issues new guidance on including more people in decision making on buildings and places

RIBA issues new guidance on including more people in decision making on buildings and places

One of the regular, longstanding gripes of our publisher Mark Eltringham (there are many) is that architects don’t particularly like non-architect folk having any sort of opinion on what they do. You can read him banging on here (ten years ago!) and elsewhere about the problems architects have with muggles. Now the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has pulled a rabbit from the hat by publishing new guidance to ensure that stakeholder engagement is considered, when appropriate, at every stage of planning, designing and constructing buildings and places. It remains to be seen what the rank and file make of this and what it means by ‘when appropriate’. (more…)

Landlords and occupiers don’t see eye to eye on the decarbonisation of real estate

Landlords and occupiers don’t see eye to eye on the decarbonisation of real estate

Progress on the decarbonisation of real estate portfolios is being held back by a lack of understanding and collaboration between property owners and occupiersProgress on the decarbonisation of real estate portfolios is being held back by a lack of understanding and collaboration between property owners and occupiers, according to a new report from the Urban Land Institute C Change programme. If better alignment between the two parties is not prioritised, it has the potential to increase total emissions from the built environment over the medium to long-term as real estate decisions are often medium to long-term commitments, according to the authors. (more…)

Third of UK adults experience a high level of stress each year

Third of UK adults experience a high level of stress each year

Over a third of adults experienced high or extreme levels of pressure and stress always or often in the past year (35 percent),Over a third of adults experienced high or extreme levels of pressure and stress always or often in the past year (35 percent), according to the new annual report from Mental Health UK. The report warns that the UK is at risk of becoming a ‘burnt-out nation’. Against a backdrop of rising levels of people out of work due to long-term sickness, the polling of over 2,000 UK adults by YouGov for the Mental Health UK reveals that one in five workers (20 percent) needed to take time off due to poor mental health caused by pressure or stress in the past year. (more…)