April 27, 2020

New IR35 rules for self-employed riddled with problems, says government committee

A report into the government’s plan to introduce IR35 reforms to the private sector has concluded that it is so flawed that it should be delayed and reconsidered. The committee concluded the rules are “riddled” with problems and unfairness. The authors conclude that the Government has overlooked the potential impact on the wider labour market, including the so-called gig economy. The Committee also heard that many companies were already nervous about the rules and so making blanket status determinations and laying off contractors. (more…)

April 16, 2020

Isolation and stress from pandemic have profound mental health impact

by Neil Franklin • News

The effects of isolation and stress from the coronavirus pandemic could be having an extremely profound effect on people’s physical mental health – now and in the future, say a group of prominent psychiatrists and psychologists writing in the The Lancet Psychiatry journal. (more…)

April 15, 2020

There are some behavioural insights you cannot afford to ignore

by Jono Marcus • Features

Behavioural insights combine psychology, neuroscience and behavioural economics with empirically tested results to understand and influence how people behave. These insights can be used to implement new policies more efficiently and successfully by nudging individual’s behaviour and shaping collective norms. (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 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 7, 2020

Working from home creates significant physical and mental challenges

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

The Institute for Employment Studies (IES) has published a series of interim findings from the first COVID-19 homeworker wellbeing study, looking at how working from home for an extended period is affecting the UK workforce. These initial findings depict a worrying snapshot of the declining mental and physical health of many homeworkers. (more…)

April 3, 2020

People lose half an hour a week to poor acoustics

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Workplace design

According to new research by market researchers IPSOS and EPOS, 95 percent of audio end-users and decision makers experience problems relating to sound that affect their concentration or efficiency at work. Common complaints include being disturbed by loud colleagues (50 percent), overall noise levels in working environments (48 percent) and interruptions from colleagues (46 percent). (more…)

March 27, 2020

Third of workforce expect role to vanish within three years

by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives

A new study by Mercer claims the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent uncertainty are accelerating changes in the way organisations around the world are working and will continue to work into the future. Particularly in challenging times, employers are focusing on their workforce, specifically fostering healthy lifestyles, supporting financial wellness and providing skills and training as careers change due to AI and technology developments. (more…)

March 25, 2020

Loneliness has always been a workplace issue

by Nigel Oseland • Comment, Wellbeing, Working lives, Workplace design

Loneliness is increasingly recognised as a serious issue in modern society. In the UK, the Office of National Statistics reported that 5 percent of adults feel lonely ‘often’ or ‘always’, with further 16 percent of adults reporting feeling lonely ‘sometimes’, equivalent to approximately 9 million adults suffering from loneliness to some degree. (more…)

March 25, 2020

Fall in employment and property values is inevitable

by Neil Franklin • News

It is already inevitable that the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic will include a “big hit to commercial property values” and a rise in unemployment in the UK, according to reports from researchers Capital Economics (paywall). The economic research consultancy has downgraded its forecasts for the UK economy and, as a result, is projecting a near 10 percent decline in property values and a rapid but short-lived increase in unemployment. (more…)

March 20, 2020

Freelancer groups call for emergency fund during Coronavirus crisis

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed), the Creative Industries Federation and other organisations representing freelancers have written an open letter calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a Temporary Income Protection Fund to support the self-employed during the Coronavirus crisis. (more…)

March 19, 2020

Will coronavirus mean the death of the office?

by Mark Eltringham • Comment

Betteridge’s law of headlines declares that “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no”. And so I simultaneously ask and answer the question of whether the coronavirus pandemic will really lead to the death of the office. So it goes. Of course, I’m not the first person to raise the question over the last few weeks as the world adapts to the threat of the pandemic. But it’s worth reminding ourselves that the demise of the office has been predicted for at least a quarter of a century, although never in such circumstances. (more…)