April 16, 2020

Half of workers think the new normal will be the old normal

Research commissioned by people analytics provider Visier claims that the vast majority of UK workers (77 percent) forced to work remotely due to Covid-19 feel their employers have done a good job of handling the urgent transition to remote working, but fear a return to the status quo. The poll analysed the remote working experiences of more than 1,000 people who are either not normally allowed to work from home or who do so no more than once per week on average. (more…)

April 14, 2020

Picking through the workplace chatter

by Mark Eltringham • Comment

The Universe is a noisy place. Countless bodies chatter to each other against the backdrop of distant echoes from the Big Bang. Because we are curious, we have developed the technology to listen in and record the din and convert it from the electromagnetic vibration it really is into something we can sense with our ears. NASA has even produced a playlist of the noises from our own solar system and some of the objects we have propelled into it, which you can listen to here. (more…)

April 13, 2020

Sleeping habits improve under lockdown, but conspiracy theories abound

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

One of the surprising consequences of the current lockdown for many people is that they are sleeping more soundly. A new study claims that nearly two thirds of people are getting the same amount or more sleep than they were before the UK went into lockdown on March 23rd. However the report also uncovered some troubling attitudes amongst groups of people, even though the majority are informed and behaving as advised. (more…)

April 10, 2020

Over half of workers believe their company should invest in CSR

by Neil Franklin • News

Over half (59 percent) of UK workers believe their business should invest in charitable initiatives. Those within the age bracket of 18-29 are most likely to have this viewpoint, with two-thirds (67 percent) admitting to feeling this way, compared to just under half (48 percent) of those aged 50 and above. That’s according to new research from Qualtrics, which conducted a study of 500 UK employees about their views on workplace initiatives and the importance of CSR. (more…)

April 8, 2020

Finance leaders gear up for life after lockdown

by Stephen Norris • Comment, Property

As the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic becomes apparent, and the vast majority of workers are now remote working, CFOs are working closely with their real estate teams to re-assess workspace costs both now and in the future. (more…)

April 7, 2020

Firms with strong DNA tend to have a strong immune system

by Mieke Jacobs and Paul Zonneveld • Features

Mergers & acquisitions should always lead to a cultural identity shift. This can range from a complete reinvention of identity and purpose to just a slight shift that includes the new partner: its history, narrative and critical traits. (more…)

April 6, 2020

So what sort of homeworker are you?

by Sarah Booth • Comment, Flexible working

With a plethora of social media posts advising us how to work at home, vlogs of employees making the best of their dining room set up and webinars about the new world of work, It’s about time to introduce a little light-hearted non-science into the mix. (more…)

April 1, 2020

The slacker`s guide to working from home in ten easy steps

by Neil Usher • Comment, Flexible working

It’s funny how all the stuff we read online over the last few years about how to be and behave at work suddenly contradicts all the guff about how to be effective while working from home over the last few weeks. Well, here’s the guide for those who’ve been taking their internet reading to heart over the last few years. (more…)

March 30, 2020

Home working initiative to tackle worldwide pandemic response

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) collaboration are to throw their weight behind an emergency initiative by Leesman, building a global pan-industry response group to the threat posed to the real estate and facilities management industries by Covid-19 and addressing the huge uptake in home working. (more…)

March 30, 2020

New task force to reduce health burden of COVID-19

by Jayne Smith • News

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has announced that it is setting up a task force to reduce the enormous health burden from COVID-19 and other respiratory infections. Its goal is to define the critical role buildings, organisations and communities play in prevention and preparedness, resilience and recovery. The task force’s work will take a broad approach, considering both new and recurring infectious agents that can affect large populations. (more…)

March 26, 2020

Pandemic will force companies to rethink how they work

by Jayne Smith • News

The Coronovirus outbreak and the worldwide reaction to the pandemic will force companies to radically rethink how they operate and embrace technological investment, claims global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research. In its new white paper, Taking Stock of COVID-19: The Short- and Long-Term Ramifications on Technology and End Markets (registration), ABI Research Analysts look at the current and future ramifications of COVID-19 across technologies and verticals. Analysts also offer recommendations to weather the storm and strategies to help companies rebound and prosper after the pandemic has slowed.

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March 26, 2020

Now is a great time to talk about staff absence in the NHS

by Ian Caminsky • Comment, Wellbeing

The NHS lost nearly ten days per employee to absence last year, the highest level recorded in the last five years. Data is crucial to the decision-making and success of every business, and yet many NHS Executives will be unaware of this statistic. (more…)