June 4, 2020

Wellbeing at work was falling even before the lockdown

Work has made our wellbeing worse over the last two years, according to new research from the CIPD. A survey of more than 6,000 workers found the number of people saying work has a positive impact on their mental health has fallen from 44 per cent to 35 per cent. Not only does this highlight that employers haven’t done enough to tackle the issue to date, according to the CIPD, it raises concerns about the further impact COVID-19 could have on people’s wellbeing, given many are worried about contracting the virus at work, losing their job or bearing the brunt of other cutbacks by their employer. More →

June 3, 2020

Data is changing the role of the workplace and HR

by Shaun Guyver • Comment, Property, Workplace

Business leaders have been heavily dependent on HR, real estate, and technology functions working together to help their organisation adapts to this new world of work during the pandemic. Ensuring personal safety, promoting wellbeing, encouraging collaboration, and maintaining efficient service delivery will never be more important than in the coming months. The challenge facing CRE leaders is how to advise on the appropriate range of workspaces and hygiene standards to allow organisations and their people to thrive, and how to cut through the complexity of accessing and interpreting data to achieve this. More →

May 29, 2020

Organisations still adjusting to reality of `gig economy`

by Neil Franklin • News

A new report from Aon claims that the so-called gig economy will continue to flourish but many employers are still adjusting to its realities. Using research from HR and gig workers across Europe, the report, Gig Economy: Financial Security or Greater Control, claims that 26 percent of European HR directors believe their workforces will have 51-75 percent of gig workers in five years’ time, while 18 percent of UK HRDs believe 75 percent or more of their workforce will be made up of contractors in 5 years’ time. Nearly all HRDs believe providing health and benefits packages would improve gig worker recruitment (94 percent), engagement (93 percent), productivity (88 percent) and retention (95 percent). More →

May 22, 2020

Doing the homework on home-work

by Tim Oldman • Comment, Flexible working

COVID-19 will change the world in innumerable ways. It is already affecting how we think about disease transmission, consumption, labour, travel, and even space and distance. And it will change how we think about work. Almost immediately, however, designers, architects and everyone else with a stake in the future of workplace have spotted an opportunity to get creative and solve a problem that we don’t yet understand. More →

May 21, 2020

Most British workers reluctant to work mainly from home, BCO poll claims

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Rumours of the demise of the office are much exaggerated, according to new independent polling commissioned by the British Council for Offices (BCO), the representative body for the UK’s office sector. Just one in five (20 percent) UK adults plans primarily to work from home in the future, while only 16 percent hope that working from home replaces the office. Last week, Twitter, the social media company, announced that staff could ‘forever work from home’ if they wanted to. However, that offer would only be partially taken up by British workers, with many instead opting for ‘mixed working’, balancing time between the office and home. More →

May 19, 2020

People working from home have the same legal protections as they do in offices

by Chris Salmon • Comment, Legal news, Wellbeing

Even as the COVID-19 lockdown eases, it is predicted that many people will continue to work remotely for the foreseeable future. Government advice remains that those who can work from home should do so. This throws up a key question for employers both in the current circumstances and going forward. Namely, what are employers’ ongoing legal obligations for the health and safety of homeworkers? Put simply, as an employer, you have the same legal duty of care for the health, safety and wellbeing of employees working from home as you do for those based in your office. So it’s worthwhile knowing what that means. More →

May 18, 2020

Pandemic emphasises the importance of kindness

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

Almost three-quarters of UK adults say it is important that we learn from the coronavirus pandemic to be more kind as a society, according to a new survey. The survey was published by the Mental Health Foundation to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year has the theme of Kindness. Two-thirds of people say that when others are kind to them, it has a positive impact on their mental health, according to the survey of 4,256 UK adults aged 18 and above.

May 14, 2020

Life-Based Value launch digital training program harnessing new skills

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Life Based Value has announced the launch of ‘Crisis’, a brand new digital training program available for British businesses that harness unique skills learned during the current lockdown for the world of work. The announcement took place at EdTechX’s Global online summit, from company founder Riccarda Zezza, as the UK is facing one of its most intense and challenging ever transitions – the disruption of normal working life due Covid-19, and the eventual return to work after lockdown measures eventually ease. More →

May 13, 2020

Pandemic threatens the transition to clean energy

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News

The coronavirus pandemic risks cancelling out recent progress in transitioning to clean energy, with unprecedented falls in demand, price volatility and pressure to quickly mitigate socioeconomic costs placing the near-term trajectory of the transition in doubt. Policies, roadmaps and governance frameworks for energy transition at national, regional, and global levels need to be more robust and resilient against external shocks, according to the latest edition of World Economic Forum’s Fos tering Effective Energy Transition 2020 report published today. More →

May 13, 2020

Firms should pass three tests before bringing their people back to work

by Jayne Smith • News

A statement from UK HR body the CIPD says that as well as being aware of official advice, employers should not bring their people back into the workplace until they have taken all practical steps to ensure employees feel safe. In light of the government guidance on working safely published this week, the CIPD is urging businesses to ensure they can meet three key tests before bringing their people back to the workplace. More →

May 12, 2020

Business needs to do more to address lockdown mental health issues

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

Employers must do more to support the mental health of their staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, as new research suggests up to 23 million people in the UK could be struggling with poor mental wellbeing as a result of the current situation. The research, carried out by not-for-profit healthcare provider Benenden Health, claims that 35 percent of people are thought to be struggling with their mental wellbeing as a result of the pandemic, with many saying support from employers could help ease the stress they’re experiencing day-to-day. More →

May 11, 2020

Most people are prepared to wait before returning to the office

by Neil Franklin • News

Following the UK Government’s update on lockdown measures, research by StarLeaf claims that 57 percent of people working from home due to the coronavirus outbreak are happy to wait at least a month before returning to their office. Nearly one in four people (23 percent) would like to go back to their usual place of work in two months’ time or later, as more and more people become accustomed to working from home. More →