November 17, 2023

Arper launches first sustainability report

Arper, global design brand that envisions products for the way we live, publishes its first Sustainability Report, which serves as a comprehensive overview of the company’s sustainability efforts for the year 2022, outlining their commitment to responsible business practices.? The report summarizes Arper’s commitment towards people and the Planet and highlights the company’s continuous search for sustainable innovation processes and the implementation of responsible business practices. More →

November 16, 2023

Half of people say they are less productive in coworking spaces

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

According to a new survey from software marketplace Capterra, 83 percent of UK coworking and other flexible office spaces are currently occupied. Companies say they are drawn to coworking spaces for cost reductions (38 percent), flexibility (30 percent), and shared amenities (27 percent). However around 53 percent of people who work in flex space say they are less productive in such spaces, 35 percent of respondents appreciate the collaborative atmosphere and the locations and facilities these spaces can provide and 38 percent say they are concerned about confidentiality and privacy. More →

November 15, 2023

People spending more time in offices in search of social interaction

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Office workers now spend more time in the office, with the average creeping up to three and a half days per week compared to three days in 2022, according to a new report from international law firm, Gowling WLG. The report, titled Strategic moves: why the office is now a business-critical decision [registration], surveyed senior representatives responsible for making office lease decisions in companies, and a selection of office workers. It identifies that a more permanent approach to office usage is now emerging, as the shadow of the pandemic recedes, as well as demonstrating the changing metrics being applied by occupiers to decisions relating to premises requirements and the more complex environment for landlord asset management. More →

November 14, 2023

No one shouted stop, although we all should have seen it coming

by Chris Kane • Comment, Everything Omni, Facilities management, Property, Workplace design

And No One Shouted Stop! seems to me to be an apt phrase to capture these post- pandemic times as we grapple with work and workplace dilemmas. It comes from the little-known but widely acclaimed book of the same name by John Healy. It is set over 50 years ago and it chronicles the decline of an Irish town. The book’s underlying narrative is a train crash happening in slow motion, people see it coming but nobody feels able to stop it. I sincerely hope that this will not prove to be the case for the world of commercial real estate as it grapples with hordes of tenants asking not just ‘where is my office?’ But ‘why do I need an office?’ More →

November 12, 2023

Want people to spend more time in the office? Give them a little piece of home

by Yaron Rosenblum • Comment, Workplace design

For many people, a large portion of the day is spent at the workplace. In fact, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. The Covid-19 pandemic saw the typical ‘workplace’ setting change for many people, after businesses around the globe were forced to adjust to a ‘work-from-home’ model. Now, three years later, we are starting to see more employees return to the office, with large corporations including JPMorgan, Chase, Apple and Google all announcing plans to bring their workers back to base. More →

November 12, 2023

Bisley launches new showroom in Dubai

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Bisley, the south Wales based office furniture designer and manufacturer, is consolidating its success in the Middle East region with the launch of a new Dubai showroom, the largest showroom in its global portfolio. Located in Dubai’s central business district, the new showroom joins others in Bisley’s global portfolio including New York, Paris, and Dusseldorf, and follows the summer 2023 launch of Bisley’s Manchester showroom, its first in the north of the UK, designed to service significant market growth in the northern and Scottish markets. More →

November 12, 2023

Financial uncertainty, wellbeing and supply chain disruption revealed as top risk factors

by Mark Eltringham • Business, News

According to new research by Marsh, an insurance broker and risk advisor, companies across the UK are most concerned about the impact of financial uncertainty (34 percent), employee health and wellbeing (31 percent) and supply chain disruption (23 percent) on their businesses over the next 12 months. The findings come from Marsh’s UK Business Risk Report 2023 [registration], which features data obtained in May and June 2023 from over 2,100 UK businesses with turnover of between £100,000 and £500 million + per year. Now in its third year, the report explores how circumstances over the last 12 months have impacted the business risk appetite and approach to risk management among UK companies, and identifies their priorities for the year ahead. More →

November 9, 2023

Economies need to cut carbon emissions by 7 percent annually to hit Paris target

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News

In the lead-up to the UN’s COP28 climate conference, the world’s largest CEO-led community committed to accelerating the net-zero transition is calling on businesses and governments to further slash global carbon emissions to meet the Paris Climate Agreement goals. According to a report by the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), emissions must be cut back by 7 percent each year from now until 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C, as agreed in Paris in 2015. More →

November 9, 2023

Squirrel! Distraction costing the UK economy nearly £20 billion a year

by Jayne Smith • Business, News

Scrolling on social media, checking messages, daydreaming and other forms of distraction are costing the UK economy £19.9 billion each year, new research from The QEII Centre claims. The report The Distracted Economy: We are losing focus – how to hold attention and keep delegates engaged during business meetings and events was commissioned by the London conference and events venue. It suggests that 83 percent of people admit to being distracted during in-person meetings while the number rises to 85 percent during online meetings. More →

November 9, 2023

Inadequate provision for menopause and menstrual health driving women away from jobs

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The workforce could lose millions of female employees unless more is done by employers to support women with menopausal and menstrual health symptoms, according to a new poll from workplace health provider Simplyhealth.? The research suggests almost a quarter (23 percent) of women have considered quitting due to the impact of menopause or menstrual symptoms at work, and over one in ten (14 percent) are actively planning to quit. More →

November 7, 2023

Studio Alliance announces new market-leading German member apoprojekt

by Freddie Steele • Company news

German market leader in workplace design and fit-out, apoprojekt, has been warmly welcomed as the latest member of Studio Alliance, a formal consortium of European workplace experts. Established in November 2020, Studio Alliance was created in response to the growing pace of globalisation. It offers clients a unique blend of local market insights alongside a wealth of experience, having executed projects in over 5,000 buildings across 34 countries. More →

November 6, 2023

One in ten working mothers quit jobs because of childcare pressures

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

The ongoing challenges that come from balancing childcare with work have forced over 249,124 working mothers of children aged 4 or under to leave their employer due to a lack of childcare support, according to new research. The new report from Totaljobs and the Fawcett Society, Paths to parenthood: Uplifting new mothers at work, claims to demonstrate the disproportionate impact childcare responsibilities have on women and their careers. More →