Search Results for: pandemic

HR should play a more strategic role in business resilience

HR should play a more strategic role in business resilience

HR and resilienceAlmost every organisation now knows it must become more resilient as the economy emerges from the pandemic. As well as coping with crises and global events, organisations must excel in the face of the many less high-profile disruptions that hit an organisation – from supply chain bottlenecks to shifts in demand and sudden skills shortages. HR departments have a major role to play in this but to do so successfully requires a change of mindset, taking a step back from traditional administrative functions and reviewing the entire business as if they were an outsider. More →

Research claims ’emerging class divide’ in who gets flexible working

Research claims ’emerging class divide’ in who gets flexible working

class divideNew polling in a report published by the TUC claims an emerging class divide as some workers opt to keep working from home whereas those who can’t work from home have little access to any forms of flexible working. More →

Design Social North will reinvigorate the creative workplace sector in the North of England

Design Social North will reinvigorate the creative workplace sector in the North of England

Design Social North is the new event bringing the design community and creative businesses back together in the North of England. The organisers have created DesignFestivalNorth, a 3-day showcase of leading design brands and companies, presented in a series of events taking place this July in showrooms across Manchester, and a dedicated ‘design hub’ located at Impossible in the City Centre. It takes place from Tuesday 13th-Thursday 15th July 2021. More →

Is it time to ban out-of-hours emails?

Is it time to ban out-of-hours emails?

The global pandemic has blurred the lines between home and work for millions of people around the world. Where once there was a clear distinction between being on and off duty, the demands of remote working and ever-presence of smartphones has created an ‘always on’ culture in many organisations. The trend has led to a number organisations in the UK to now call for a ban on out-of-hours emails in order to alleviate pressures on employees mental health. But is this really necessary, or even logistically possible, for the new world of work? We asked four leading experts for their thoughts. More →

Working from home has increased UK working hours, but at what cost?

Working from home has increased UK working hours, but at what cost?

hoursResearch from Ezra claims that UK employees are working longer hours than ever thanks to remote working. However, the lack of structured office hours is having a detrimental effect on employee work-life balance and wellbeing and, therefore, the quality of their work. More →

For many people, there will be a return to regular office life by September, poll claims

For many people, there will be a return to regular office life by September, poll claims

returnMore than half (52 percent) of global companies anticipate a return to the office in earnest by the end of Q3 2021, according to new research by Unispace. However, over a third (35 percent) claim that devising a strategy for the future workplace is the most significant barrier they face. More →

HR professionals believe the war for talent has become more competitive

HR professionals believe the war for talent has become more competitive

talentAccording to its latest whitepaper ‘Recruitment, retention, and culture: assessing the pandemic’s impact’, Cendex claims that 81 percent of HR professionals believe the war for talent has become more competitive over the last 12 months – this is likely to be a result of businesses looking to bounce back post-pandemic, upping their recruitment thus giving employees the pick of the market. More →

Mental health is now biggest crisis for business

Mental health is now biggest crisis for business

mental healthA new research report Dräger Safety UK, which assesses the impact of Covid-19, Brexit and workplace culture on health and safety in UK workplaces, warns of an impending crisis as a result of soaring mental health issues and compromises on investment. More →

Suburban commercial property markets outperform City Centres for first time in a decade

Suburban commercial property markets outperform City Centres for first time in a decade

suburbanResearch from The Instant Group claims that suburban commercial property markets are outperforming City Centres for the first time in over ten years. The increased demand is largely being driven by those who no longer want to work from home, but don’t want to be back in larger cities. More →

Women struggling with almost twice as much fatigue and anxiety as men

Women struggling with almost twice as much fatigue and anxiety as men

womenAs COVID-19 continues to limit our daily lives, forcing the Government to extend social restrictions into July, restrictions of a different kind are taking their toll on working women, and may be even longer-lasting, according to research from 87 percent. More →

UK working parents concern about future linked to final restrictions lifting

UK working parents concern about future linked to final restrictions lifting

parentsNew research from Working Families claims nearly a third of working parents (29 percent) are concerned their caring responsibilities will make them more vulnerable to redundancy when furlough ends, after juggling work and childcare through the pandemic. More →

We need to rethink the role of technology in corporate wellbeing

We need to rethink the role of technology in corporate wellbeing

Employers nationwide are taking steps to improve employee wellbeing, reduce stress and improve mental health. For many, they are well-meaning, for example, banning work emails during certain hours of the day, encouraging employees to ‘switch off’.  However, the risk with blanket policies like these is that they don’t work for everyone. A recent study from the University of Sussex even found banning out-of-hours emails can have a detrimental impact on employee wellbeing – restricting opportunities for truly flexible working and taking away a sense of control and autonomy. More →