June 17, 2019
Workers go cold on hot desking
The practice of sharing workstations with fellow workers is making people increasingly unhappy, according to a survey of more than 1,000 office workers by real estate firm Savills, who for some reason still insist on referring to it as hot desking in spite of the fact that the idea covers a range of practices that are not hot desking. According to the firm’s study, a mere 12 percent of people believe sharing workstations with their colleagues make them more productive. Half claimed it made them less productive, compared to around a third in a related study two years ago. More →
Socialising and drinking opportunities are some of the least enjoyable things about working in London, as loving their job and a chance to grow personally is more of an incentive for those who work in the Capital, a new report suggests. The survey of 1,000 London workers by Flexioffices, claims that 75 percent of employees in the city enjoy going to work for the personal development opportunities, training and the job itself. Flexible hours are becoming an increasingly enticing aspect of a job, with 21 percent of London workers liking their workplace because of the flexible hours available.
The UK now ranks tenth globally when it comes to happiness in the workplace. Austria (690), Spain (682), United States (719), France (672) and Germany (675) are all above the UK in rating workplace happiness. To date, over 10,000 people globally have taken the free 
New research has found that over 2 million UK workers think about quitting their job every day and this figure was significantly higher amongst younger workers, aged 18-24, with 12 percent of those surveyed stating they think about this daily. The research by CABA, a charity supporting the wellbeing of chartered accountants and their families, also highlighted that 38 percent of employees regularly encountered stressful situations at work. Women were most likely to feel this way, with 41 percent revealing they deal with stressful circumstances at least once a week. Comparatively, only 34 percent of male employees admitted to encountering such situations on at least a weekly basis. Many factors were cited as contributing to employees feeling stressed, including unrealistic expectations and unmanageable workloads. Regardless of how it manifests itself within the working environment it can have a negative impact on employee wellbeing, with over 1 in 10 (12 percent) missing at least 52 family events or personal commitments each year.
Fifty percent of UK employees feel their employers don’t understand them or their potential – higher than the European average of 46 percent according to a study of over 2,000 workers across the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands from ADP. The research found that 40 percent of UK workers are unhappy with the quality of leadership, with only France reporting slightly higher figures, where 52 percent saying they feel misunderstood by their employer. This was followed closely by Italy (48 percent) and Germany (46 percent), while the Netherlands reported the most positive results with only a third stating such feelings (35 percent). However, UK and European employees are more likely to feel their direct reports understand them better, with 61 percent reporting that their managers know and support them, and want to see them succeed. This shows that those working more closely together enjoy better relationships, which in turn is likely to lead to better quality of work and greater productivity. The lesson for businesses is that close relations between all staff, regardless of seniority, matter.
June 3, 2019
Come for the rent, stay for the experience of coworking
by Aki Stamatis • Comment, Coworking, Workplace design