March 4, 2020
Almost half of employees in the UK would be willing to leave their job because of an unappealing office, according to a new survey of almost 1,000 UK office workers. The research, carried out by Matthews & Goodman, claims that 44 percent of workers would ‘definitely’ look for a new job because of an unpleasant workspace. In addition, a further 45 percent said it ‘might’ encourage them to look around for a new job. More →
February 26, 2020
Following the recent announcement that the CIFF office design exhibition in Guangzhou was to be postponed because of the spread of the coronavirus, the latest event to be put on hold is the Salone del Mobile furniture fair in Milan. The organisers now think it will be possible to hold the event in June. The news comes following the outbreak of a number of cases of the disease in Italy. In a statement, the organisers said: “confirmation of the change of date for the trade fair—strongly supported by the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala—means that the manufacturers, in a major show of responsibility, will be able to present their finalized work to an international public that sees the annual appointment with the Salone del Mobile.Milano as a benchmark for creativity and design,” the fair said in a statement.
The decision has not been taken lightly. In 2019 the fair hosted over 380,000 visitors from around the world and provided a platform for more than 800 international exhibitors. But Italy has seen nearly 300 positive cases of COVID-19 so far, more than any other European country and large gatherings of people are now subject to restrictions and cancellation.
Other important events in Milan have made similar decisions in response to the outbreak. MIDO, the world’s biggest annual eyewear event, decided to push back the 50th installment of its annual fair from its original dates of February 29–March 2. Milan Fashion Week took place as scheduled last week, though Giorgio Armani hosted his runway show to an audience of zero after advising guests to watch a livestream of the event instead.
January 14, 2020
It’s been six years since Workplace Insight first appeared as a blog. I’d been in the office design and management sector for twenty years already, but I created Insight to explore both a new medium and a new conversation about work and workplaces. Since that time we have published over 6,000 stories with contributions from over 400 people. And – get this – we have been read by over 2.5 million people both in the UK and around the world. Clearly, we have been on to something, chronicling the development of what is essentially a new discipline. More →
December 23, 2019
Here’s a rundown of the best-read stories and pages on Workplace Insight first published over the last year. Taken together they may offer a snapshot of current workplace thinking although I would have to caveat that by saying that because we don’t publish obvious uninformed and hysterical nonsense, it will by necessity not include some stories that have gained traction elsewhere. More →
December 19, 2019
You would not believe the number of firms that ask us to publish a list of workplace trends each week. Or maybe you would, given the number that have appeared elsewhere. Each firm perhaps convinced they are saying something original, unique or interesting, or maybe simply convinced they stand out in some way, while pushing the same timid, stale narratives about the workplace. It goes without saying that the commercialised messages often do little to shine a light on complex realities. In the words of the Scottish poet and anthropologist Andrew Lang, they use information ‘like a drunk uses lamp-posts—for support rather than illumination’.
December 18, 2019
Many recent discussions have centered on the drawbacks of the open-plan office, a major format in the UK, and possible pathways to the communal workplace of the future. As part of this, it has been acknowledged that the factors responsible for determining the open-plan office’s performance are complex, and a number of the present-day workplace’s characteristics are messy and hard to quantify. In this brief article, I present anthropological methods as means for practitioners to further unpack the symbolic aspects of communication in open-plan offices and spark workplace solidarity.
December 10, 2019
The future of workplace wellbeing is in HR’s hands; hence, the discipline is even more pivotal to organisational success. As admin and payroll become increasingly digitised and automated, time can be spent more effectively, supporting good people to do good work. Influential people are now catching on to the importance of wellbeing. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told More than GDP, “We need to address the societal wellbeing of our nation, not just the economic wellbeing”. Her government will set a budget to measure wellbeing and the long-term impact of policy on the quality of people’s lives. More →
October 25, 2019
A new report (registration) claims that companies with a one-size-fits-all approach to workplace design is failing to meet the needs and expectations of a multigenerational workforce. Published by Chargifi with in put from WeWork and other firms, the study polled more than 2,000 employees about their experience of workplace culture and office design and how mobility affects their day-to-day lives. More →
October 11, 2019
Many of the challenges we face in selecting the right office design models became apparent during the 1960s as the world adjusted to the first signs of the technological revolution. At the same time, people across Europe were pressing for changes in the way organisations and the economy worked. More →
October 9, 2019
By 2030 we will see dramatic change as office design creates hyper-flexible, human-centric workplaces to inspire new levels of productivity, according to the Workplace Futures report by Nespresso Professional and The Future Laboratory. This implies a fundamental shift not only in how offices look, but –more importantly -in the purpose they serve. More →
October 2, 2019
London’s 2 Television Centre was celebrated as ‘Best of the Best’ at the British Council for Offices’ (BCO) National Awards in the capital last night, also taking home the ‘Commercial Workplace’ award. The office was joined by six other award winners recognised as leading examples of excellence in office space. More →
February 27, 2020
The integration of people, place and policy will define the new workplace era
by Frances Gain • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design