April 22, 2022

Great Resignation: nearly half of job quitters think they were better off in the old job

Nearly half of people (43 percent) who quit their jobs as part of the so-called Great Resignation during the pandemic now think they were actually better off at their old job. This revelation comes from a six-country survey of nearly 4,000 people by UKG that examines sentiment about quitting during the Great Resignation, including if job leavers felt that they made the right decision, the disconnect between managers and employees about why people quit, and the chances workers would boomerang back to their old job. More →

April 21, 2022

Inflexible return to office strategies starting to damage workplace experience

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Future Forum, a consortium launched by Slack with Boston Consulting Group, MillerKnoll and MLT to “help companies reimagine work in the new digital-first workplace”, has released the latest findings from its global Pulse study, which shows that employee experience scores are plummeting for knowledge workers who have been asked to return to the office full-time and for those who do not have the flexibility to set their own work schedules. More than a third of knowledge workers (34 percent) are now working from the office five days a week, the greatest share since Future Forum began surveying in June 2020. With this shift, employee sentiment has dropped to near-record lows, including 28 percent worse scores on work-related stress and anxiety and 17 percent worse scores on work-life balance (compared to last quarter). More →

April 14, 2022

Half of large office occupiers plan to rethink their property requirements

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Larger office occupiers are getting to grips with the fallout following the pandemic and are now reassessing their office property needs, according to a new YouGov survey commissioned by law firm Irwin Mitchell. The survey of over 500 office property decision makers shows that nearly half (46 percent) of large businesses and (39 percent) of medium sized companies plan to rethink their office space- whether by upsizing, downsizing, or relocating. The survey shows that one in five large businesses plan to increase their existing office space, with the same proportion looking to reduce space and 5 percent to relocate. In addition, 11 percent are looking to reconfigure their existing space. While 37 percent plan to stay the same. More →

April 13, 2022

Firms mark the cards of employees who go mute or turn cameras off in remote meetings

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology

Nearly all executives (96 percent) agree that primarily remote workers are disadvantaged compared to those who work primarily in the office, according to a poll of 200 executives at large US firms, commissioned by Vyopta. However, 92 percent of respondents also believe employees who are less engaged, either frequently on mute or don’t turn on their camera during remote meetings, probably don’t have a long-term future at their company. More →

April 13, 2022

Experimentation is the name of the game

by Eugenia Anastassiou • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Workplace design

Uncertain times call for different measures and approaches, the old rules and playbooks are no longer applicable – so what are you going to do? Sit around, stagnate, hanker after old solutions trying to manipulate and squeeze them into new, unknowable, untried paradigms? No! One thing human beings are fairly good at is evolving and adapting to new and unknown situations and as we all know, being flexible and accepting change creates resilience and ensures survival. More →

April 12, 2022

Sustainable office design relies on everybody sharing knowledge

by Harsha Kotak • Comment, Environment, Workplace design

Back in 2018, I launched a group called Women in Office Design. I wanted to inspire and empower women involved in the profession of office design and creation. The opportunity to develop and enhance my skills and understanding was a fundamental reason why I formed WOD. Reading and research is beneficial but it’s important to take the time to reach out to others in the industry, especially on the most important issues of our day such as sustainable office design. More →

April 10, 2022

Facilities Managers should be seen as stewards of corporate culture

by Pierre Guelen • Comment, Facilities management

The pandemic has irrevocably changed the way we work. Once considered a place simply to do business, the office is fast becoming a ‘lifestyle choice’ among young people who value more than just a desk. Instead, they want an engaging, healthy, and resilient working environment where they can socialise, make friends, and build connections to help their career and wellbeing thrive. In fact, an EY study found that 90 percent of Generation-Z value the human connection in the workplace above salary when it comes to their at-work communication. A recent Gallup survey even found a tangible link between having a best friend at work and productivity: those who have a best friend in the office are twice as likely to be engaged in their role and company. More →

April 8, 2022

The Metaverse in the workplace: Meta’s wobble may affect how we use emerging technologies

by Neal Riley • Comment, Technology

There has been much talk over the past two years of the adoption of hybrid working for elephant-in-the-room reasons and it is now the case that the practice is being widely adopted by many organisations. Knocking at our office doors now is the next big talking point in terms of technology: the Metaverse. There has been much speculation recently on how this collective, virtual open space, which incorporates environments including those in which to shop, learn, be entertained and, of course, work, will evolve. It has been described as the ‘next chapter of the Internet’ and is created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical and digital reality. More →

April 6, 2022

Firms are failing to meet the needs of hybrid workers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A survey of UK employers and employees gives insight into the lack of provision for remote and hybrid workers to carry out their roles. While just over half (56 percent) of employers admit they regularly check in with all employees to enquire about their health and wellbeing and 55 percent provide laptops, 73 percent of employees are ready to choose their next employer based on physical, health and wellbeing support and flexible technology provision. More →

April 5, 2022

Wellbeing and mental health drop down business agenda, despite COVID fallout

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Wellbeing and mental health are beginning to slip down the business agenda, a new report from the CIPD and Simplyhealth claims, despite the fact that organisations are still dealing with the fallout from COVID-19 and it remains an on-going concern for workers. The Health and Wellbeing at Work 2022 report suggests that the number of HR professionals who think that wellbeing is on the agenda of senior leaders has fallen from 75 percent to 70 percent in the past year. There has also been a drop in the proportion of HR professionals who think senior leaders encourage a focus on mental wellbeing through their actions and behaviours, falling from 48 percent in 2021 to 42 percent in 2022. More →

March 31, 2022

Firms must do more to earn the commute of hybrid workers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace design

Steelcase has released a new global research report which reveals that outdated offices are no longer conducive to employees’ shifting needs for greater control, comfort, and privacy. The study found that if a workplace was made more in tune with shifting expectations, staff were more engaged, productive, connected to their organisation’s culture and less likely to leave. The Steelcase report, The New Era of Hybrid Work, surveyed nearly 5,000 workers in 11 countries. The findings reveal that whilst 87 percent of respondents now spend at least some of their time working from the office as the threat of the pandemic recedes, six in ten (58 percent) prefer working from home. One of the most appealing attributes of a home for two-thirds (65 percent) of UK employees is that they have a dedicated space for work. Whereas in the office, the majority (59 percent) have desks in open areas, with minimal privacy. More →

March 29, 2022

MIPIM revival offers up a pale, stale imitation of life (but there’s hope)

by Freddie Steele • Comment, Property

If a week is a long time in politics, then two years in real estate is practically a lifetime. Time enough for an opportunity for MIPIM, the property world’s annual gathering in Cannes to reset itself post-pandemic. Unlike back in London where British Land had offered up space for Ukrainian care packages at its Paddington Central Campus and Quintain also pledge to make space at its Wembley Park space (as reported by Estates Gazette), unfortunately such correct reading of the room wasn’t the case on the Croisette. More →