November 4, 2022

Responsible capitalism, and space as a service will shape real estate industry over next 20 years

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Property

Europe’s real estate leaders have set out a long-term vision for the industry. In this scenario the most successful firms have adopted ‘responsible capitalism,’ the user is the centre of attention, the cycle of demolition and development has been broken, mixed-use is the norm and multi-disciplinary and in-house teams deliver space as a service across a range of sectors. Emerging Trends in Real Estate Europe 2023, the twentieth annual survey of European real estate sector leaders’ expectations by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC, has looked beyond the year ahead at the trends shaping the industry over the next two decades. This report captures the views of over 900 sector leaders from across Europe. More →

November 3, 2022

Ethical organisations can pave the way to hell with their good intentions

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

Despite the growing focus for more ethical investment and management styles, a new paper from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) claims to have uncovered eight unethical effects that can ‘sneak in’, even when organisations are doing their best to act ethically. In his research Muel Kaptein, Professor of Business Ethics and Integrity Management, has looked at how even ostensibly ethical organisations can sometimes facilitate unethical behaviour. More →

November 3, 2022

Bisley gifts staff over half of company in legacy move

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Bisley’s CEO, Richard Costin has announced that Anthony Brown, the owner of Newport based office furniture designer and manufacturing firm, Bisley, has established an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), gifting the employees 51 percent of the shares in the firm. Since joining Bisley in February 2020, Richard has been working closely with Mr Brown, regarding the business succession plan and the long-term future of Bisley and its employees. More →

November 2, 2022

Commercial property sector should embrace circular economy, say BCO

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Property

A new report from the British Council for Offices (BCO) is urging the commercial property industry to ‘retain, extend life, reduce impact’ to futureproof offices. The report sets out to provide circular economy guidance to the office sector in relation to new-build, refurbishment and fit out. The Circular Economy in Offices report [BCO members only] claims to set out how offices can be designed and constructed in order to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials and regenerate nature. More →

November 1, 2022

Quiet quitting is not a thing, but employers do need to offer more fulfilling work

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new survey from Ricoh Europe claims that the majority of workers seek more stimulation and creativity in their job, suggesting that employers need to do more to provide fulfilling work. The research, conducted by Opinium for Ricoh Europe, polled 6,000 workers and 1,500 decision makers across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. It claims to contradict the idea of quiet quitting with 82 percent of workers describing themselves as ‘engaged’ at work, while 65 percent say they are enthusiastic about what they do. Yet while workers feel content to a degree, there remain frictions and roadblocks to them becoming more productive and creative. More →

October 25, 2022

The underlying problems with the way we think about work

by Mark Eltringham • Features, Wellbeing, Workplace design

An idea that has never really gone away, but which seems to be enjoying a new lease of life is the tabula rasa. The conception of people as a blank slate is something a that has crept back into mainstream political and social thought for a variety of reasons. Arguably, it is also behind many of the most misleading notions about work and workplace design, perhaps most importantly that a change to some single element or characteristic of a working environment will lead to a specific outcome in the behaviour of people. More →

October 24, 2022

BCO recommends more space per person for the new era of flexible working

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Workplace design

A report by the British Council for Offices (BCO) recommends a new method for calculating the amount of space needed per person in the post-pandemic world of flexible working. The research claims to identify a ‘sweet spot’ of 10-12 sq. m. per person. This will account for the rise in people working from home and hot-desking when in the office, while simultaneously ensuring the workspace meets modern employers’ requirements to promote productivity and wellbeing, as well as targets to minimise carbon emissions. More →

October 20, 2022

Hybrid working balance isn’t right for a third of people

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Some 39 percent of office workers are so-called hybrid “misfits” and don’t have the right balance of home and office working, a survey funded by the Economic and Social Research Council claims. The researchers discovered that workers who were in the office more often than they wanted were more likely to want to change jobs, have lower job satisfaction and have worse work-life balance.??The research suggests that office working is often beneficial for people who are able to enjoy hybrid working. More →

October 20, 2022

The rotting one hit wonders of the workplace

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

On the 8 December, you’ll be able to get your hands on a new book called Out of the Blue: The inside story of Liz Truss and her explosive rise to power. Or not. At the time of writing, its publication still seems to be going ahead, but I’m not even sure this introduction will be current by the time I press ‘publish’ so I wouldn’t bet on it. I imagine the publishers of the book haven’t given the green light to the printers just yet but nothing a change of title, a hasty rewrite and few extra chapters can’t fix. More →

October 20, 2022

Winter is coming: don’t be in the dark about blackouts

by Jo Sutherland • Environment, Features, Wellbeing

The National Grid has warned that the UK could face blackouts this winter. The worst-case scenario is that homes and businesses could lose power for pre-defined periods of up to three hours if gas power plants are not able to keep running due to the energy crisis that keeps on giving – or rather, taking. While the British government has dropped its energy rationing campaign, which once formed a crucial part of its plan to prepare for potential energy shortages and blackouts, countries across Europe are drawing up winter contingency plans, as are forward-thinking businesses. More →

October 20, 2022

Economic uncertainty kills talk of quiet quitting and the great resignation

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

In spite of all the talk of a ‘great resignation’ and ‘quiet quitting’, more than three quarters of British workers (81 percent) are planning to ride out the recession with their current employer. This is in spite of the fact that nearly half (46 percent) say that they’d like to change jobs, according to a new poll from people analytics company Visier. When asked why they wouldn’t be keen to change job roles during a recession, concerns over job security in a new role (57 percent), having to settle for a lower salary compared to a current role (42 percent), and increased competition for current vacancies as a result of increased redundancies (28 percent) were cited as the leading reasons. More →

October 19, 2022

Remote workers can find it hard to switch off. There’s now an app for that

by Anthony Thompson • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

The last few years have seen our approach to work change dramatically. Technology has helped to unlock whole new ways of communicating and interacting, providing the flexibility for employees to work in a way that suits them best and creating a large number of remote workers for the first time. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, this switch was on the cards. From an employer perspective, digital tools can allow for communication across the world, opening up access to a whole host of talent and wider consumer exposure. More →